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Mutual interactions of the apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria tenella with cultured poultry macrophages.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria tenella are two common parasites in poultry. Mixed infections are likely to occur frequently in chickens due to the high prevalence of both pathogens. In this study, we investigate the co-occurrence of the two pathogens in the same immunocompetent host cell population towards potential parasite-parasite as well as altered patterns of parasite-host interactions. METHODS:Primary macrophages from chicken blood were co-infected in vitro with T. gondii tachyzoites (RH strain) and E. tenella sporozoites (Houghton strain) for 72 h. Morphological observations by light microscopy and assessments of parasite replication by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were performed at 24, 48 and 72 h post-infection (hpi). Six host cell immune factors previously linked to T. gondii or E. tenella infection were selected for gene expression analysis in this study. RESULTS:Distinct morphological changes of macrophages were observed during mixed infection at 24 hpi and immunological activation of host cells was obvious. Macrophage mRNA expression for iNOS at 48 hpi and for TNF-? at 72 hpi were significantly elevated after mixed infection. Distinct upregulation of IL-10 was also present during co-infection compared to Eimeria mono-infection at 48 and 72 hpi. At 72 hpi, the total number of macrophages as well as the number of both parasites decreased markedly. As measured by qPCR, E. tenella population tended to increase during T. gondii co-infection, while T. gondii replication was not distinctly altered. CONCLUSIONS:Mutual interactions of T. gondii and E. tenella were observed in the selected co-infection model. The interactions are supposed to be indirect considering the observed changes in host cell metabolism. This study would thus help understanding the course of co-infection in chickens that may be relevant in terms of veterinary and zoonotic considerations.

SUBMITTER: Zhang R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6080511 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mutual interactions of the apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria tenella with cultured poultry macrophages.

Zhang Runhui R Thabet Ahmed A Hiob Lysanne L Zheng Wanpeng W Daugschies Arwid A Bangoura Berit B

Parasites & vectors 20180806 1

<h4>Background</h4>Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria tenella are two common parasites in poultry. Mixed infections are likely to occur frequently in chickens due to the high prevalence of both pathogens. In this study, we investigate the co-occurrence of the two pathogens in the same immunocompetent host cell population towards potential parasite-parasite as well as altered patterns of parasite-host interactions.<h4>Methods</h4>Primary macrophages from chicken blood were co-infected in vitro with T. ...[more]

PMID: 30081942

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Project description:Tissue-encysting coccidia, including Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona, are heterogamous parasites with sexual and asexual life stages in definitive and intermediate hosts, respectively. During its sexual life stage, T. gondii reproduces either by genetic out-crossing or via clonal amplification of a single strain through self-mating. Out-crossing has been experimentally verified as a potent mechanism capable of producing offspring possessing a range of adaptive and virulence potentials. In contrast, selfing and other life history traits, such as asexual expansion of tissue-cysts by oral transmission among intermediate hosts, have been proposed to explain the genetic basis for the clonal population structure of T. gondii. In this study, we investigated the contributing roles self-mating and sexual recombination play in nature to maintain clonal population structures and produce or expand parasite clones capable of causing disease epidemics for two tissue encysting parasites. We applied high-resolution genotyping against strains isolated from a T. gondii waterborne outbreak that caused symptomatic disease in 155 immune-competent people in Brazil and a S. neurona outbreak that resulted in a mass mortality event in Southern sea otters. In both cases, a single, genetically distinct clone was found infecting outbreak-exposed individuals. Furthermore, the T. gondii outbreak clone was one of several apparently recombinant progeny recovered from the local environment. Since oocysts or sporocysts were the infectious form implicated in each outbreak, the expansion of the epidemic clone can be explained by self-mating. The results also show that out-crossing preceded selfing to produce the virulent T. gondii clone. For the tissue encysting coccidia, self-mating exists as a key adaptation potentiating the epidemic expansion and transmission of newly emerged parasite clones that can profoundly shape parasite population genetic structures or cause devastating disease outbreaks.

Dataset Information

Mutual interactions of the apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria tenella with cultured poultry macrophages.

Publications

Mutual interactions of the apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria tenella with cultured poultry macrophages.

Similar Datasets

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