Review
Parasitology
Rajshekhar Y. Gaji, Amanda K. Sharp, Anne M. Brown
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a life-threatening intracellular pathogen that depends on protein kinases for its life cycle. Research on Toxoplasma kinases aims to understand their functions and potentially develop therapeutics against this parasite.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kim Chi Vo, Liberta Ruga, Olympia Ekaterini Psathaki, Rico Franzkoch, Ute Distler, Stefan Tenzer, Michael Hensel, Peter Hegemann, Nishith Gupta
Summary: This study reveals the catalytic function, subcellular localization, and drug inhibition of key phosphodiesterases in Toxoplasma gondii, highlighting the unexpected plasticity and therapeutic potential of cyclic nucleotide signaling in the parasite.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Tina Wagner, Berit Bangoura, Stefanie Wiedmer, Arwid Daugschies, Ildiko Rita Dunay
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of plant hormones on the replication of asexual tachyzoites in human cells. The results showed that abscisic acid can significantly increase parasite replication, while gibberellic acid may potentially serve as a treatment for toxoplasmosis by inhibiting parasite growth depending on the culture medium composition.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Gabriela C. Olivera, Emily C. Ross, Christiane Peuckert, Antonio Barragan
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii primarily enters the brain parenchyma through cortical capillaries and this process is exacerbated by inflammatory responses. The integrity of the microvascular blood-brain barrier restricts parasite transit.
Article
Biology
Rachel Stadler, Shane R. Nelson, David M. Warshaw, Gary E. Ward
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a significant portion of the world's population, using a unique form of substrate-dependent motility to invade host cells and disseminate throughout the body. Recent research shows that the predominant forces exerted by the moving parasite are periodic and directed inward, leading to a visible constriction in the parasite's plasma membrane. This suggests a closer connection between parasite motility and host cell invasion than previously recognized.
Article
Biology
Ines L. S. Delgado, Alexandra Tavares, Samuel Francisco, Dulce Santos, Joao Coelho, Afonso P. Basto, Sara Zuquete, Joachim Mueller, Andrew Hemphill, Markus Meissner, Helena Soares, Alexandre Leitao, Sofia Nolasco
Summary: The study reveals that TgMOB1 is not essential for the growth of Toxoplasma gondii, but plays a crucial role in cell division. TgMOB1 mediates the replication speed of T. gondii parasites at a fine level. The research uncovers new features of MOB1 and its potential implications for disease processes.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Filippo Maria Dini, Monica Caffara, Joana G. P. Jacinto, Cinzia Benazzi, Arcangelo Gentile, Roberta Galuppi
Summary: This study describes a rare case of bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM) associated with co-infection of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Sarcocystis hominis (S. hominis). Through histological, molecular, and serological analyses, the first detection of T. gondii DNA in a BEM case was confirmed. The presence of both pathogens in the lesion, healthy muscle, and meat juice highlights the potential role of co-infection in evoking BEM lesions.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sheila C. Nardelli, Natalie C. Silmon de Monerri, Laura Vanagas, Xiaonan Wang, Zoi Tampaki, William J. Sullivan, Sergio O. Angel, Kami Kim
Summary: Histone variants have different distributions in specific regions of the parasite genome, implying their important roles in the developmental transitions of Toxoplasma gondii parasites.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erica S. Martins-Duarte, Juliana de Araujo Portes, Ramon Borges da Silva, Hugo Silva Pires, Simon J. Garden, Wanderley de Souza
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasitic disease worldwide, with limited therapy options. Chemical modification of 1,10-phenanthroline to new derivatives has significantly improved anti-T. gondii activity, potentially serving as lead compounds for the treatment of acute and chronic phases of toxoplasmosis.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Clem Marsilia, Mrinalini Batra, Irina D. Pokrovskaya, Changqi Wang, Dale Chaput, Daria A. Naumova, Vladimir V. Lupashin, Elena S. Suvorova
Summary: This study reveals the expanded function of the conservative Golgi tethering COG complex in T. gondii and identifies additional regulators of transport specific to the parasite, providing insights into the parasite's secretory organelles.
Article
Immunology
Zisis Koutsogiannis, John G. M. Mina, Rakesh Suman, Paul William Denny
Summary: In this study, cutting-edge label-free 3D quantitative optical diffraction holotomography was used to capture and evaluate the lytic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii in real-time. Additionally, the technology was used to analyze an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 Toxoplasma mutant and compare it to the parental line, revealing differences in cellular physical properties. These findings demonstrate the power of holotomography as a tool for studying protozoan parasites and their interactions with host cells.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Joachim Mueller, Andrew Hemphill
Summary: Toxoplasmosis is a challenge for public health, animal production and welfare. The limited panel of drugs in clinical use necessitates further screening projects to discover novel treatments.
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DISCOVERY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Britta Beck, Thomas Grochow, Gereon Schares, Radu Blaga, Delphine Le Roux, Berit Bangoura, Arwid Daugschies, Simone A. Fietz
Summary: Toxoplasmosis is a global zoonotic disease caused by an intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Chickens, especially when free-range, are important hosts in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and serve as sentinels for environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts. This study found that T. gondii cysts are mainly located in the chicken forebrain in relatively low numbers compared to rodents, potentially explaining the rare occurrence of neurological deficits in infected chickens. Further research with different T. gondii strains and higher doses is needed to fully understand its cyst burden and distribution in the chicken brain.
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lauren M. Hawkins, Anatoli Naumov, Mrinalini Batra, Changqi Wang, Dale Chaput, Elena S. Suvorova
Summary: In this study, a novel parasite-specific complex, TgCrk6/TgCyc1, was discovered to play a role in regulating the spindle assembly checkpoint. The evolution of replication mechanisms in Toxoplasma differs significantly from conventional cell cycles, with the incorporation of parasite-specific tasks providing essential tools to control the acute stage of infection.
Article
Microbiology
David J. Dubois, Sylia Chehade, Marq Jean-Baptiste, Kannan Venugopal, Bohumil Maco, Albert Tell I. Puig, Dominique Soldati-Favre, Sabrina Marion
Summary: This study identifies TgHOOK and TgFTS as endosomal trafficking regulators involved in the apical exocytosis of micronemes. They form a complex with TgHIP and regulate organelle positioning and secretion, impacting processes such as egress, motility, and host cell invasion.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Oscar A. Mendez, Colin J. Potter, Michael Valdez, Thomas Bello, Theodore P. Trouard, Anita A. Koshy
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE METHODS
(2018)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joshua A. Kochanowsky, Anita A. Koshy
Article
Microbiology
Shraddha Tuladhar, Joshua A. Kochanowsky, Apoorva Bhaskara, Yarah Ghotmi, Sambamurthy Chandrasekaran, Anita A. Koshy
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joshua A. Kochanowsky, Anita A. Koshy
Article
Immunology
Longfei Chen, David A. Christian, Joshua A. Kochanowsky, Anthony T. Phan, Joseph T. Clark, Shuai Wang, Corbett Berry, Jung Oh, Xiaoguang Chen, David S. Roos, Daniel P. Beiting, Anita A. Koshy, Christopher A. Hunter
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2020)
Review
Microbiology
Hannah J. Johnson, Anita A. Koshy
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathryn E. McGovern, Carla M. Cabral, Helena W. Morrison, Anita A. Koshy
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Emily F. Merritt, Hannah J. Johnson, Zhee Sheen Wong, Adam S. Buntzman, Austin C. Conklin, Carla M. Cabral, Casey E. Romanoski, Jon P. Boyle, Anita A. Koshy
Article
Microbiology
Joshua A. Kochanowsky, Kaitlin K. Thomas, Anita A. Koshy
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of the polymorphic effector protein ROP16 in influencing host cell production of ROS independent of IFN-γ, with the deletion of ROP16 leading to restricted parasite growth and survival. The findings suggest a novel mechanism of parasite restriction in human cells through suppression of ROS production by ROP16.
Article
Biology
Oscar A. Mendez, Emiliano Flores Machado, Jing Lu, Anita Koshy
Summary: The study revealed that neurons injected with Toxoplasma are mainly distributed in the cortex and striatum, with abnormal electrophysiology. The injection of Toxoplasma proteins may affect neuronal health and survival, which could be related to the type of neurons.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sambamurthy Chandrasekaran, Joshua A. Kochanowsky, Emily F. Merritt, Joseph S. Lagas, Ayesha Swannigan, Anita A. Koshy
Summary: The study shows that neurons are capable of clearing intracellular Toxoplasma gondii parasites through immune-regulated GTPases. Both murine and human neurons can mount cytokine-dependent defense mechanisms against T. gondii infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Anita A. Koshy
Summary: Researchers generated a stable, complex population of Toxoplasma gondii using the CRISPR/Cas9 method and found that the pathway to infect the brain is widely permissive, contrary to expectations.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Joshua A. A. Kochanowsky, Sambamurthy Chandrasekaran, Jacqueline R. R. Sanchez, Kaitlin K. K. Thomas, Anita A. A. Koshy
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii establishes a long-term latent infection in the host's central nervous system. It has been discovered that the parasite kinase ROP16 phosphorylates and activates the host cell transcription factor STAT6, which plays a critical role in promoting the encystment of the parasite.
Article
Neurosciences
Sara S. Parker, Aubin Moutal, Song Cai, Sambamurthy Chandrasekaran, Mackenzie R. Roman, Anita A. Koshy, Rajesh Khanna, Konrad E. Zinsmaier, Ghassan Mouneimne
Article
Neurosciences
Carla M. Cabral, Kathryn E. McGovern, Wes R. MacDonald, Jenna Franco, Anita A. Koshy