Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Toxoplasma gondii, a common brain-tropic parasite, is capable of infecting most nucleated cells, including astrocytes and neurons, in vitro. Yet, in vivo, Toxoplasma is primarily found in neurons. In vitro data showing that interferon-γ-stimulated astrocytes, but not neurons, clear intracellular par...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2016-02-01
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| Series: | PLoS Pathogens |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4760770?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1828428628616019968 |
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| author | Carla M Cabral Shraddha Tuladhar Hans K Dietrich Elizabeth Nguyen Wes R MacDonald Tapasya Trivedi Asha Devineni Anita A Koshy |
| author_facet | Carla M Cabral Shraddha Tuladhar Hans K Dietrich Elizabeth Nguyen Wes R MacDonald Tapasya Trivedi Asha Devineni Anita A Koshy |
| author_sort | Carla M Cabral |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Toxoplasma gondii, a common brain-tropic parasite, is capable of infecting most nucleated cells, including astrocytes and neurons, in vitro. Yet, in vivo, Toxoplasma is primarily found in neurons. In vitro data showing that interferon-γ-stimulated astrocytes, but not neurons, clear intracellular parasites suggest that neurons alone are persistently infected in vivo because they lack the ability to clear intracellular parasites. Here we test this theory by using a novel Toxoplasma-mouse model capable of marking and tracking host cells that directly interact with parasites, even if the interaction is transient. Remarkably, we find that Toxoplasma shows a strong predilection for interacting with neurons throughout CNS infection. This predilection remains in the setting of IFN-γ depletion; infection with parasites resistant to the major mechanism by which murine astrocytes clear parasites; or when directly injecting parasites into the brain. These findings, in combination with prior work, strongly suggest that neurons are not incidentally infected, but rather they are Toxoplasma's primary in vivo target. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:20:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a77b37fdc29149b8aba7a21c1d0e1d2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1553-7366 1553-7374 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:20:35Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-a77b37fdc29149b8aba7a21c1d0e1d2a2022-12-22T01:39:59ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742016-02-01122e100544710.1371/journal.ppat.1005447Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii.Carla M CabralShraddha TuladharHans K DietrichElizabeth NguyenWes R MacDonaldTapasya TrivediAsha DevineniAnita A KoshyToxoplasma gondii, a common brain-tropic parasite, is capable of infecting most nucleated cells, including astrocytes and neurons, in vitro. Yet, in vivo, Toxoplasma is primarily found in neurons. In vitro data showing that interferon-γ-stimulated astrocytes, but not neurons, clear intracellular parasites suggest that neurons alone are persistently infected in vivo because they lack the ability to clear intracellular parasites. Here we test this theory by using a novel Toxoplasma-mouse model capable of marking and tracking host cells that directly interact with parasites, even if the interaction is transient. Remarkably, we find that Toxoplasma shows a strong predilection for interacting with neurons throughout CNS infection. This predilection remains in the setting of IFN-γ depletion; infection with parasites resistant to the major mechanism by which murine astrocytes clear parasites; or when directly injecting parasites into the brain. These findings, in combination with prior work, strongly suggest that neurons are not incidentally infected, but rather they are Toxoplasma's primary in vivo target.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4760770?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Carla M Cabral Shraddha Tuladhar Hans K Dietrich Elizabeth Nguyen Wes R MacDonald Tapasya Trivedi Asha Devineni Anita A Koshy Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens |
| title | Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. |
| title_full | Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. |
| title_fullStr | Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. |
| title_short | Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. |
| title_sort | neurons are the primary target cell for the brain tropic intracellular parasite toxoplasma gondii |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4760770?pdf=render |
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