Evaluation of protective immunity induced by a DNA vaccine encoding SAG2 and SRS2 against Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan pathogen, which can cause severe diseases in the newborns and immunocompromised individuals. Developing an effective vaccine against Toxoplasma infection is a critically important global health priority. Immunofluorescence staining analysis revealed that TgSAG2 and TgSRS2 are membrane associated and displayed on the surface of the parasite.

Expression profiles of host miRNAs and circRNAs and ceRNA network during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle.

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic protozoan parasite that is highly prevalent in the human population and can lead to adverse health consequences in immunocompromised patients and pregnant women. Noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of many infections. However, the differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs and circRNAs implicated in the host cell response during the lytic cycle of T.

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii effect of tylosin in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan pathogen with medical and veterinary importance worldwide. Drugs currently used for treatment of toxoplasmosis are less effective and sometimes cause serious side effects. There is an urgent need for the development of more effective drugs with relatively low toxicity.

A combined miRNA-piRNA signature in the serum and urine of rabbits infected with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts.

Background: Increasing evidence has shown that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules play fundamental roles in cells, and many are stable in body fluids as circulating RNAs. Study on these ncRNAs will provide insights into toxoplasmosis pathophysiology and/or help reveal diagnostic biomarkers.

Methods: We performed a high-throughput RNA-Seq study to comprehensively profile the microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in rabbit serum and urine after infection with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts during the whole infection process.

Comprehensive analysis of mRNA-lncRNA co-expression profiles in mouse brain during infection with Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which seriously threatens the health of domestic animals and humans. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides, which are widely involved in transcriptional and epigenetic regulations. However, little is known about the roles of host lncRNAs in the response to T.

Temporal transcriptomic changes in long non-coding RNAs and messenger RNAs involved in the host immune and metabolic response during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of various biological and pathological processes, in particular the inflammatory response by modulating the transcriptional control of inflammatory genes. However, the role of lncRNAs in regulating the immune and inflammatory responses during infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii remains largely unknown.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal RNA sequencing analysis of human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells infected by T.

Quantitative Peptidomics of Mouse Brain After Infection With Cyst-Forming .

is an obligate intracellular parasite capable of establishing persistent infection within the host brain and inducing severe neuropathology. Peptides are important native molecules responsible for a wide range of biological functions within the central nervous system. However, peptidome profiling in host brain during infection has never been investigated.

Urine proteomics for profiling of mouse toxoplasmosis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. Urine is an easily obtained clinical sample that has been widely applied for diagnostic purposes. However, changes in the urinary proteome during T.

Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Reveals Metabolic Alterations in the Mouse Cerebellum During Infection.

is a protozoan parasite with a remarkable neurotropism. We recently showed that infection can alter the global metabolism of the cerebral cortex of mice. However, the impact of infection on the metabolism of the cerebellum remains unknown.

Analysis of the serum peptidome associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can cause severe disease in immunocompromised individuals and congenitally infected neonates. In order to determine whether serum peptide profile could reveal disease markers or allow determination of toxoplasmosis aggressiveness, mouse sera were collected from acutely infected, chronically infected and control subjects, and analyzed by a quantitative label-free pepdomics approach (LC-MS/MS). Six hundred and seven endogenous peptides were identified among all samples, with peptide profiling of difference that readily distinguished between acutely infected samples and other samples.

miRNA and circRNA expression patterns in mouse brain during toxoplasmosis development.

Background: Increasing evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in neurodegenerative disorders, but their roles in neurological toxoplasmosis are yet to know. This study examined miRNA and circRNA expressions in mouse brain following oral infection with T. gondii Pru strain.

Label-Free Quantitative Acetylome Analysis Reveals Genotype-Specific Acetylomic Signatures.

Distinct genotypic and pathogenic differences exist between genotypes. For example, genotype I is highly virulent, whereas genotype II and genotype III are less virulent. Moreover, Chinese 1 genotype (ToxoDB#9) is also virulent.

Molecular Detection of in the Slaughter Sheep and Goats from Shandong Province, Eastern China.

It is generally recognized that sheep are susceptible to and play a very important role in the transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans. In China, sheep toxoplasmosis has been reported in some regions based on serological investigations. However, little is known about sheep toxoplasmosis in Shandong province, eastern China.

iTRAQ-Based Global Phosphoproteomics Reveals Novel Molecular Differences Between Strains of Different Genotypes.

To gain insights into differences in the virulence among strains at the post-translational level, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the phosphoproteome profile of strains belonging to three different genotypes. Phosphopeptides from three strains, type I (RH strain), type II (PRU strain) and ToxoDB#9 (PYS strain), were enriched by titanium dioxide (TiO2) affinity chromatography and quantified using iTRAQ technology. A total of 1,441 phosphopeptides, 1,250 phosphorylation sites and 759 phosphoproteins were detected.

Sulfadiazine Sodium Ameliorates the Metabolomic Perturbation in Mice Infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

In this study, we analyzed the global metabolomic changes associated with infection in mice in the presence or absence of sulfadiazine sodium (SDZ) treatment. BALB/c mice were infected with GT1 strain and treated orally with SDZ (250 μg/ml in water) for 12 consecutive days. Mice showed typical manifestations of illness at 20 days postinfection (dpi); by 30 dpi, 20% had survived and developed latent infection.

Metabolomic signature of mouse cerebral cortex following Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Background: The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects and alters the neurotransmission in cerebral cortex and other brain regions, leading to neurobehavioral and neuropathologic changes in humans and animals. However, the molecules that contribute to these changes remain largely unknown.

Methods: We have investigated the impact of T.

Acute Infection in Cats Induced Tissue-Specific Transcriptional Response Dominated by Immune Signatures.

RNA-sequencing was used to detect transcriptional changes in six tissues of cats, seven days after infection. A total of 737 genes were differentially expressed (DEGs), of which 410 were up-regulated and 327 were down-regulated. The liver exhibited 151 DEGs, lung (149 DEGs), small intestine (130 DEGs), heart (123 DEGs), brain (104 DEGs), and spleen (80 DEGs)-suggesting tissue-specific transcriptional patterns.

Hepatic Metabolomics Investigation in Acute and Chronic Murine Toxoplasmosis.

poses a great threat to human health, with no approved vaccine available for the treatment of infection. infections are not limited to the brain, and may also affect other organs especially the liver. Identification of host liver molecules or pathways involved in replication process may lead to the discovery of novel anti- targets.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in Tolai Hares (Lepus tolai) Intended for Human Consumption in China: Seroprevalence, DNA Detection, and Genotyping.

Currently, there is no information available on the detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in the tissues of Tolai hares in China. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of these protozoan parasites in Tolai hares obtained from Shandong province, eastern China, between January 2016 and June 2017. Serum and brain tissue samples of 358 Tolai hares were obtained and detected for the presence of antibody and parasite DNAs by serodiagnosis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively.

Serum Metabolic Profiling of Oocyst-Induced Acute and Chronic Infections in Mice Using Mass-Spectrometry.

is an obligate intracellular parasite causing severe diseases in immunocompromised individuals and congenitally infected neonates, such as encephalitis and chorioretinitis. This study aimed to determine whether serum metabolic profiling can (i) identify metabolites associated with oocyst-induced infection and (ii) detect systemic metabolic differences between -infected mice and controls. We performed the first global metabolomics analysis of mice serum challenged with 100 sporulated Pru oocysts (Genotype II).

Comparative proteomic analysis of virulent and avirulent strains of reveals strain-specific patterns.

Research exploring the proteome of oocysts has gained momentum over the past few years. However, little is known about the oocyst's protein repertoires that contribute to differential virulence among strains. Here, we used isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation-based proteomic analysis of oocysts of two strains exhibiting the virulent PYS (ToxoDB#9) phenotype versus the less virulent PRU (Type II, ToxoDB#1) phenotype.

Profiling of the perturbed metabolomic state of mouse spleen during acute and chronic toxoplasmosis.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii, a common opportunistic protozoan, is a leading cause of illness and mortality among immunosuppressed individuals and during congenital infections. Current therapeutic strategies for toxoplasmosis are not fully effective at curtailing disease progression in these cases. Given the parasite ability to influence host immunity and metabolism, understanding of the metabolic alterations in the host's immune organs during T.

Proteomic Differences between Developmental Stages of Revealed by iTRAQ-Based Quantitative Proteomics.

has a complex two-host life-cycle between intermediate host and definitive host. Understanding proteomic variations across the life-cycle stages of may improve the understanding of molecular adaption mechanism of across life-cycle stages, and should have implications for the development of new treatment and prevention interventions against infection. Here, we utilized LC-MS/MS coupled with iTRAQ labeling technology to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) specific to tachyzoite (T), bradyzoites-containing cyst (C) and sporulated oocyst (O) stages of the cyst-forming Prugniuad (Pru) strain.