Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>
<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> is an obligate intracellular parasite that chronically infects a third of humans. It can cause life-threatening encephalitis in immune-compromised individuals. Congenital infection also results in blindness and intellectual disabilities. In the intracellular mili...
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/9/988 |
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| author | Tadakimi Tomita Rebekah B. Guevara Lamisha M. Shah Andrews Y. Afrifa Louis M. Weiss |
| author_facet | Tadakimi Tomita Rebekah B. Guevara Lamisha M. Shah Andrews Y. Afrifa Louis M. Weiss |
| author_sort | Tadakimi Tomita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> is an obligate intracellular parasite that chronically infects a third of humans. It can cause life-threatening encephalitis in immune-compromised individuals. Congenital infection also results in blindness and intellectual disabilities. In the intracellular milieu, parasites encounter various immunological effectors that have been shaped to limit parasite infection. Parasites not only have to suppress these anti-parasitic inflammatory responses but also ensure the host organism’s survival until their subsequent transmission. Recent advancements in <i>T. gondii</i> research have revealed a plethora of parasite-secreted proteins that suppress as well as activate immune responses. This mini-review will comprehensively examine each secreted immunomodulatory effector based on the location of their actions. The first section is focused on secreted effectors that localize to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane, the interface between the parasites and the host cytoplasm. Murine hosts are equipped with potent IFNγ-induced immune-related GTPases, and various parasite effectors subvert these to prevent parasite elimination. The second section examines several cytoplasmic and ER effectors, including a recently described function for matrix antigen 1 (MAG1) as a secreted effector. The third section covers the repertoire of nuclear effectors that hijack transcription factors and epigenetic repressors that alter gene expression. The last section focuses on the translocation of dense-granule effectors and effectors in the setting of <i>T. gondii</i> tissue cysts (the bradyzoite parasitophorous vacuole). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:29:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-240708e107294274bd9b580fd1470f55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:29:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-240708e107294274bd9b580fd1470f552023-11-22T13:56:56ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292021-09-0111998810.3390/life11090988Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>Tadakimi Tomita0Rebekah B. Guevara1Lamisha M. Shah2Andrews Y. Afrifa3Louis M. Weiss4Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USADepartment of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USADepartment of Biological Science, Lehman College of the City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USADepartment of Biological Science, Lehman College of the City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USADepartment of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> is an obligate intracellular parasite that chronically infects a third of humans. It can cause life-threatening encephalitis in immune-compromised individuals. Congenital infection also results in blindness and intellectual disabilities. In the intracellular milieu, parasites encounter various immunological effectors that have been shaped to limit parasite infection. Parasites not only have to suppress these anti-parasitic inflammatory responses but also ensure the host organism’s survival until their subsequent transmission. Recent advancements in <i>T. gondii</i> research have revealed a plethora of parasite-secreted proteins that suppress as well as activate immune responses. This mini-review will comprehensively examine each secreted immunomodulatory effector based on the location of their actions. The first section is focused on secreted effectors that localize to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane, the interface between the parasites and the host cytoplasm. Murine hosts are equipped with potent IFNγ-induced immune-related GTPases, and various parasite effectors subvert these to prevent parasite elimination. The second section examines several cytoplasmic and ER effectors, including a recently described function for matrix antigen 1 (MAG1) as a secreted effector. The third section covers the repertoire of nuclear effectors that hijack transcription factors and epigenetic repressors that alter gene expression. The last section focuses on the translocation of dense-granule effectors and effectors in the setting of <i>T. gondii</i> tissue cysts (the bradyzoite parasitophorous vacuole).https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/9/988<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>secreted effectorinnate immunitydense granule proteinsimmune modulation |
| spellingShingle | Tadakimi Tomita Rebekah B. Guevara Lamisha M. Shah Andrews Y. Afrifa Louis M. Weiss Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> Life <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> secreted effector innate immunity dense granule proteins immune modulation |
| title | Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> |
| title_full | Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> |
| title_fullStr | Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> |
| title_short | Secreted Effectors Modulating Immune Responses to <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> |
| title_sort | secreted effectors modulating immune responses to i toxoplasma gondii i |
| topic | <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> secreted effector innate immunity dense granule proteins immune modulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/9/988 |
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