Differential induction of TLR3-dependent innate immune signaling by closely related parasite species_I
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ABSTRACT: The closely related protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum display similar life cycles, subcellular ultrastructure, invasion mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and genome organization, but differ in their host range and disease pathogenesis. Type II (γ) interferon has long been known to be the major mediator of innate and adaptive immunity to Toxoplasma infection, but genome-wide expression profiling of infected host cells indicates that Neospora is a potent activator of the type I (α/β) interferon pathways typically associated with antiviral responses. Infection of macrophages from mice with targeted deletions in various innate sensing genes demonstrates that host responses to Neospora are dependent on the toll-like receptor Tlr3 and the adapter protein Trif. Consistent with this observation, RNA from Neospora elicits TLR3-dependent type I interferon responses when targeted to the host endo-lysosomal system. Although live Toxoplasma fail to induce type I interferon, heat-killed parasites do trigger this response, albeit much weaker than Neospora, and co-infection studies reveal that T. gondii actively suppresses the production of type I interferon. These findings reveal that eukaryotic pathogens can be potent inducers of type I interferon and that related parasite species interact with this pathway in distinct ways.
Project description:The closely related protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum display similar life cycles, subcellular ultrastructure, invasion mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and genome organization, but differ in their host range and disease pathogenesis. Type II (?) interferon has long been known to be the major mediator of innate and adaptive immunity to Toxoplasma infection, but genome-wide expression profiling of infected host cells indicates that Neospora is a potent activator of the type I (?/?) interferon pathways typically associated with antiviral responses. Infection of macrophages from mice with targeted deletions in various innate sensing genes demonstrates that host responses to Neospora are dependent on the toll-like receptor Tlr3 and the adapter protein Trif. Consistent with this observation, RNA from Neospora elicits type I interferon responses when targeted to the host endo-lysosomal system. While live Toxoplasma fails to induce type I interferon, heat-killed parasites do trigger this response, and co-infection studies reveal that T. gondii actively suppresses the production of type I interferon. These findings reveal that eukaryotic pathogens can be potent inducers of type I interferon and that some parasite species, like Toxoplasma gondii, have evolved mechanisms to suppress this response. In vitro cultures of bone marrow-derived macrophages from WT or IFNAR2-/- mice were infected with either Toxoplasma gondii (VEG strain) or Neospora caninum (Nc2 strain) for 17 hours. RNA was collected from biological replicates for expression profiling by microarray. Uninfected controls for both WT and IFNAR2-/- were used as a reference.
Project description:The closely related protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum display similar life cycles, subcellular ultrastructure, invasion mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and genome organization, but differ in their host range and disease pathogenesis. Type II (γ) interferon has long been known to be the major mediator of innate and adaptive immunity to Toxoplasma infection, but genome-wide expression profiling of infected host cells indicates that Neospora is a potent activator of the type I (α/β) interferon pathways typically associated with antiviral responses. Infection of macrophages from mice with targeted deletions in various innate sensing genes demonstrates that host responses to Neospora are dependent on the toll-like receptor Tlr3 and the adapter protein Trif. Consistent with this observation, RNA from Neospora elicits type I interferon responses when targeted to the host endo-lysosomal system. While live Toxoplasma fails to induce type I interferon, heat-killed parasites do trigger this response, and co-infection studies reveal that T. gondii actively suppresses the production of type I interferon. These findings reveal that eukaryotic pathogens can be potent inducers of type I interferon and that some parasite species, like Toxoplasma gondii, have evolved mechanisms to suppress this response. Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF; line BJ-5ta) were cultured to confluency in T25 flasks, infected with one representative of each of the three architypial strains of Toxoplasma gondii: GT1 (type I), Prugniaud (type II) and VEG (type III), or the closely related parasite species, Neospora caninum (strain Nc-Liv). RNA was collected from biological replicates for expression profiling by microarray. Uninfected HFF cells were used as a reference.
Project description:The closely related protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum display similar life cycles, subcellular ultrastructure, invasion mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and genome organization, but differ in their host range and disease pathogenesis. Type II (γ) interferon has long been known to be the major mediator of innate and adaptive immunity to Toxoplasma infection, but genome-wide expression profiling of infected host cells indicates that Neospora is a potent activator of the type I (α/β) interferon pathways typically associated with antiviral responses. Infection of macrophages from mice with targeted deletions in various innate sensing genes demonstrates that host responses to Neospora are dependent on the toll-like receptor Tlr3 and the adapter protein Trif. Consistent with this observation, RNA from Neospora elicits TLR3-dependent type I interferon responses when targeted to the host endo-lysosomal system. Although live Toxoplasma fail to induce type I interferon, heat-killed parasites do trigger this response, albeit much weaker than Neospora, and co-infection studies reveal that T. gondii actively suppresses the production of type I interferon. These findings reveal that eukaryotic pathogens can be potent inducers of type I interferon and that related parasite species interact with this pathway in distinct ways.
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan pathogen able to infect both mammalian and avian hosts. Surprisingly, just three strains appear to account for the majority of isolates from Europe and N. America. To test the hypothesis that strain divergence might be driven by differences between mammalian and avian response to infection, we examine in vitro strain-dependent host responses in a representative avian host, the chicken. To identify parasite drivers of strain-dependent host response, QTL mapping was used; analysis revealed a locus on Toxoplasma chromosome VIIb. To determine whether this was the parasite gene ROP16, array analysis was performed on chicken embryonic fibroblasts infected with Type I parasites and ROP16-KO parasites (of a Type I background). Chicken embryonic fibroblasts were cultivated in vitro and infected with either Type I (RH) parasites or Type I ROP16-KO parasites; ROP16-dependent host transcriptional responses were then analyzed at 5 hours post-infection.
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan pathogen able to infect both mammalian and avian hosts. Surprisingly, just three strains appear to account for the majority of isolates from Europe and N. America. To test the hypothesis that strain divergence might be driven by differences between mammalian and avian response to infection, we examine in vitro strain-dependent host responses in a representative avian host, the chicken. To identify parasite drivers of strain-dependent host response, QTL mapping was used; analysis revealed a locus on Toxoplasma chromosome VIIb. To determine whether this was the parasite gene ROP16, array analysis was performed on chicken embryonic fibroblasts infected with Type I parasites and ROP16-KO parasites (of a Type I background).
Project description:Pre-infection with Toxoplasma parasites inhibits induction of an interferon gamma responsive gene expression program. In this study we aimed to determine what role host negative regulatory proteins that are induced by Toxoplasma infection, such as SOCS-1, have in this inhibition. We used Affymetrix microarrays to analyze host cell transcription after pre-treatment with the protein synthesis inhibitor cyclohexamide (CHX), Toxoplasma infection, and subsequent interferon-gamma stimulation. Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) were left untreated or treated with CHX for 40min. Cells were infected, or not, with type I (RH) Toxoplasma parasites, for one hour, and subsequently stimulated with human IFN-γ for one hour. Total RNA was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix Human U133A 2.0 gene chips.
Project description:TgIST is an effector secreted by Toxoplasma gondii into the host cell that translocates to the nucleus and block STAT1 mediated transcription. STAT1 is involved in type I and II interferon (IFN) mediated upregulation of range of anti-parasitic molecules. A total of 544,234,059 read sequences generated from 3 independent biological replicates were mapped to human hg19 reference genome. Type I IFN activation of HFFs infected with TgIST knockout parasites showed upregulation of genes involved in interferon signaling compared to wild type parasites.
Project description:Toxoplasma strains are known to inhibit the expression of several interferon-gamma induced genes, and a type II strain was shown to dysregulate genome-wide responses to interferon-gamma in human fibroblasts (Kim et al., 2007, J Immunol.). In this study we aimed to determine the effect of infection with three clonal lineages of Toxoplasma, type I, II, and III strains on genome-wide interferon-gamma induced transcription in murine macrophages. We also assessed the effect of the two main Toxoplasma modulators of mouse macrophage transcription, ROP16 and GRA15 (Jensen et al., 2011, Cell Host Microbe). We used Affymetrix microarrays to analyze host cell transcription after Toxoplasma infection and interferon-gamma stimulation. RAW264.7 murine macrophages were left uninfected or infected with type I (RH), type I ?rop16 (RH ?rop16), type II (Pru), type II ?gra15 (Pru ?gra15), or type II (CEP) parasites at an MOI ~5 for 18 hours and subsequently stimulated with murine IFN-? for six hours. Plaque assays were done to assess parasite viability. Total RNA was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse 430A 2.0 gene chips.
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan pathogen able to infect both mammalian and avian hosts. Surprisingly, just three strains appear to account for the majority of isolates from Europe and N. America. To test the hypothesis that strain divergence might be driven by differences between mammalian and avian response to infection, we examine in vitro strain-dependent host responses in a representative avian host, the chicken. Chicken embryonic fibroblasts were cultivated in vitro and infected with different strains of Toxoplasma gondii (Type II = ME49, Type III = CEP); host transcriptional responses were then analyzed at 24 hours post-infection.
Project description:The goals of the microarray experiment were to determine the role of MAF1, the Toxoplasma gondii mediator of host mitochondrial association, on host cell gene expression by comparing infection of WT cells with Type II and Type II:MAF1 parasites. We also explored the role of MAF1 on host cell gene expression by comparing profiles of WT and MAVS KO MEFs infected with Type I and Type Imaf1KO parasites. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying cellularisation and identified distinct classes of up-regulated genes during this process.