Article
Microbiology
Veronica Anaya-Martinez, Jhony Anacleto-Santos, Ricardo Mondragon-Flores, Armando Zepeda-Rodriguez, Brenda Casarrubias-Tabarez, Teresa de Jesus Lopez-Perez, Mariana Citlalli de Alba-Alvarado, Cintli Martinez-Ortiz-de-Montellano, Elba Carrasco-Ramirez, Norma Rivera-Fernandez
Summary: The study found that chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii can increase the proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Histological brain sections from infected mice showed a significant increase in NPCs proliferation in the evaluated zones.
Article
Microbiology
Marjan Enshaeieh, Geita Saadatnia, Jalal Babaie, Majid Golkar, Samira Choopani, Mohammad Sayyah
Summary: The study showed that valproic acid can inhibit chronic Toxoplasma infection and reduce the copy numbers of specific proteins and DNA in the brains of mice, comparable to the common medication TMP-SMZ.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Daxiang Xu, Ziyi Yan, Yuying Zhou, Yan He, Shuxi Liu, Zixuan Gao, Xiyue Zhang, Xiaohui Ding, Yinghua Yu, Xiaoying Yang, Wei Pan
Summary: The study found that beta-glucan can alleviate anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice, suggesting it may be a potential drug candidate for treating T. gondii-related mental disorders, including anxiety.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Zeyu Cui, Yuying Gong, Xiaotong Luo, Niuyi Zheng, Shimin Tan, Shuxi Liu, Youwei Li, Qingling Wang, Fenfen Sun, Minmin Hu, Wei Pan, Xiaoying Yang
Summary: This study found that beta-glucan can prevent goal-directed behavioral impairment induced by chronic T. gondii infection in mice. These findings suggest that beta-glucan may be an effective drug candidate to prevent T. gondii-associated psycho-behavioral disorders, including goal-directed behavioral injury.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Abhijit S. Deshmukh, Rajkumar Gurupwar, Pallabi Mitra, Kalyani Aswale, Shilpshri Shinde, Sandeep Chaudhari
Summary: The differentiation of Toxoplasma gondii into latent bradyzoites is crucial for pathogenesis and transmission. While a strong humoral response has been reported against tachyzoite antigens, little is known about the antibody response towards bradyzoite antigens. This study found a robust humoral response against bradyzoite-associated cyst wall antigens across naturally infected animals and humans, with CST1 emerging as a key immunomodulatory antigen with potential implications for clinical immunodiagnostics.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tahani M. Almutairi, Nadjet Rezki, Mohamed Reda Aouad, Mohamed Hagar, Basant A. Bakr, Moaaz T. Hamed, Maha Khairy Hassen, Bassma H. Elwakil, Esraa Abdelhamid Moneer
Summary: Certain tris-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized. The activity of these compounds against T. gondii was tested in an infected mouse model, demonstrating that compound 7 has potent antiparasitic activity and also exhibits strong anti-inflammatory effects.
Article
Immunology
Jin-Xin Meng, Xin-Yu Wei, Huanping Guo, Yu Chen, Wei Wang, Hong-Li Geng, Xing Yang, Jiang Jiang, Xiao-Xuan Zhang
Summary: In this study, shotgun metagenomics was used to analyze the composition and function of the gut microbiota in mice during acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection. The results showed that T. gondii infection decreased gut bacterial diversity immediately, but increased with the duration of infection. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota was observed in both acute and chronic infection periods. The functional analysis revealed distinct variations in KEGG pathways and CAZy family between infected and healthy mice.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Bruna Ramos dos Santos, Amanda Bruno da Silva Bellini Ramos, Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes, Marcus Tullius Scotti, Fabio Antonio Colombo, Marcos Jose Marques, Juliana Quero Reimao
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate PRB compounds for their anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity and identify promising candidates. Screening identified 42 selective compounds, and RWJ-67657 was selected for further studies. Oral administration of RWJ-67657 significantly reduced parasite burden in chronically infected mice.
Article
Immunology
Qing-Bo Lv, He Ma, Jiaqi Wei, Yi-Feng Qin, Hong-Yu Qiu, Hong-Bo Ni, Li-Hua Yang, Hongwei Cao
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different genotypes of T. gondii on the gut microbiota of rats. The results showed that infection led to structural changes in the gut microbiota, with differences observed between genotypes. Acute infection increased microbiota diversity, while chronic infection reduced the diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Yujie Diao, Yong Yao, Saeed El-Ashram, Maohong Bian
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protozoan that infects a large portion of the world's population, causing toxoplasmosis. The egress of the parasite from infected cells is a crucial step in its pathology. This review discusses the various signaling pathways involved in T. gondii egress and their potential implications for clinical interventions and research.
Article
Neurosciences
Damien Dupont, Jian-Sheng Lin, Francois Peyron, Hideo Akaoka, Martine Wallon
Summary: The study demonstrated that Toxoplasma gondii infection can lead to chronic alterations in sleep-wake states in mice, characterized by increased time spent awake, increased cortical EEG theta power density, and decreased slow-wave sleep. These effects can be alleviated by anti-inflammatory treatment with corticosteroid dexamethasone, shedding light on the neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders reported in infected patients.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Lindsey A. Shallberg, Christopher A. Hunter
Summary: The study reveals that Toxoplasma gondii produces an effector during its latent stage that inhibits necroptosis in host cells, allowing the parasite to persist in chronic infection of the central nervous system.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Zhaobo Zhang, Yifan Li, Ning Jiang, Xiaoyu Sang, Limei Han
Summary: This study investigated the effects of Trypanosoma evansi and Toxoplasma gondii on ketone body metabolism in mice. The results showed that T. evansi stabilized ketone body levels, while T. gondii significantly increased ketone body levels.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Rina Ikeda, Nanako Ushio, Ahmed M. Abdou, Hidefumi Furuoka, Yoshifumi Nishikawa
Summary: The study found that TLR2(-/-) mice are less susceptible to abnormal pregnancy induced by Toxoplasma gondii infection compared to wild-type mice. While there were no significant differences in parasite numbers and histological changes between the two groups, the expression of certain cytokines in the placentas of infected wild-type mice was affected by T. gondii infection, while TLR2(-/-) mice showed no such changes. Serum interferon-gamma levels were significantly lower in infected TLR2(-/-) mice, indicating a potential role of TLR2 signaling in immune response and placental function during late pregnancy.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Min Chen, Lijie Yao, Lijuan Zhou, Pei Yang, Weihao Zou, Liqing Xu, Shengmin Li, Hongjuan Peng
Summary: TgROP18(I) inhibits type I interferon responses to facilitate parasitic replication in various host cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Josephin Koschel, Gopala Nishanth, Sissy Just, Kunjan Harit, Andrea Kroeger, Martina Deckert, Michael Naumann, Dirk Schlueter
Summary: OTUB1 protein plays a role in preventing necroptosis in hepatocytes, protecting against liver damage and death, particularly in bacterial hepatitis and TNF challenge.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jing Ruan, Xiaomin Miao, Dirk Schlueter, Li Lin, Xu Wang
Summary: Extracellular vesicles play a crucial role in intercellular communication in the central nervous system, influencing the pathogenesis and treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dirk Schluter, Eric Schulze-Niemand, Matthias Stein, Michael Naumann
Summary: Many bacterial and viral pathogens have evolved effective strategies to control the activity of ovarian tumor domain proteases (OTUs) to overcome host immune responses and maintain persistence in the host. Pathogen-encoded OTUs can mimic host OTUs and cause cellular dysregulation. Selective OTU inhibitors have the potential to become pharmacologic targets for treating harmful infections.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Josephin Koschel, Gopala Nishanth, Sissy Just, Kunjan Harit, Andrea Kroger, Martina Deckert, Michael Naumann, Dirk Schluter
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Christina Strauch, Thu-Huong Hoang, Frank Angenstein, Denise Manahan-Vaughan
Summary: The olfactory bulb (OB) delivers sensory information to the piriform cortex (PC) and other components of the olfactory system. Short-lasting forms of synaptic plasticity have been reported at OB-PC synapses, while long-term potentiation (LTP) in the anterior PC (aPC) is mainly induced by inputs from the prefrontal cortex. This suggests that brain regions outside the olfactory system may contribute to olfactory information processing and storage.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Baohua Liu, Jing Ruan, Meng Chen, Zhongding Li, Gloria Manjengwa, Dirk Schlueter, Weihong Song, Xu Wang
Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases result from the aggregation of neurotoxic proteins in the central nervous system, often due to dysfunction in the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) play a key role in regulating protein degradation and have the potential to become therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases by modulating the stability of pathogenic proteins and influencing processes like mitophagy and neuroinflammation.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Katja Saldeitis, Marcus Jeschke, Annika Michalek, Julia U. Henschke, Wolfram Wetzel, Frank W. Ohl, Eike Budinger
Summary: Functional hemispheric lateralization is important for the acquisition of FM tone direction learning, while interhemispheric communication between the left and right auditory cortex is crucial for this process.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Ruan, Dirk Schlueter, Michael Naumann, Ari Waisman, Xu Wang
Summary: This article discusses the relationship between the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and ubiquitination modification. Ubiquitin-modifying enzymes play crucial roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and regulating intestinal inflammation, making them a potential therapeutic target for IBD.
TRENDS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Franca Schaefer, Pia Goerner, Sabrina Woltemate, Christina Brandenberger, Robert Geffers, Stefan Ziesing, Dirk Schlueter, Marius Vital
Summary: This study investigated the physiological adaptation of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates with different resistance mechanisms during growth with sublethal concentrations of ertapenem. The results showed distinct strategies and gene expression patterns between strains carrying carbapenemase or alterations in porin-encoding genes. The study also observed a survival-like phenotype and reduced growth efficiencies in strains with alterations in porin-encoding genes, indicating costs of resistance.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Schauer, Soeren G. Gatermann, Jessica Eisfeld, Joerg Berthold Hans, Stefan Ziesing, Dirk Schlueter, Niels Pfennigwerth
Summary: The study aims to identify novel carbapenem resistance mechanisms and their potential to spread among clinical isolates. Through various tests, a new carbapenemase GMB-1 was identified in clinical isolates. Further studies confirmed its functional activity but showed reduced activity against certain drugs. The GMB-1 gene was found to be located on a genetic island on the chromosome, indicating the mobility and potential spread of carbapenemase genes in different species.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Kunjan Harit, Rituparna Bhattacharjee, Kai Matuschewski, Jennifer Becker, Ulrich Kalinke, Dirk Schlueter, Gopala Nishanth
Summary: This study reveals that the deubiquitinating enzyme OTUD7b prevents TNF-induced apoptosis of dendritic cells (DCs) during infection, resulting in efficient immune response. OTUD7b stabilizes the E3 ligase TNF-receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) by counteracting its K48-ubiquitination, facilitating the activation of NF-κB and MAP kinases, IL-12 production, and expression of anti-apoptotic cFLIP and Bcl-xL. Mice with DC-specific OTUD7b-deficiency showed DC apoptosis and failure to induce CD8(+) T cell-mediated brain pathology in a murine malaria infection model. These findings highlight the importance of OTUD7b as a central molecular switch for DC survival and provide insights for manipulating DC responses.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhongding Li, Baohua Liu, Kate Lykke Lambertsen, Bettina Hjelm Clausen, Zhenhu Zhu, Xue Du, Yanqi Xu, Frantz Rom Poulsen, Bo Halle, Christian Bonde, Meng Chen, Xue Wang, Dirk Schlueter, Jingyong Huang, Ari Waisman, Weihong Song, Xu Wang
Summary: Deficiency of the ubiquitin-specific protease USP25 aggravates ischemic stroke injury by inhibiting microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. USP25 restricts the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling by regulating TAB2 through removing K63-specific polyubiquitin chains. The upregulation of USP25 in microglia suggests its clinical relevance in ischemic stroke.
Article
Oncology
Ying Zhao, Jing Ruan, Zhongding Li, Xian Su, Kangmin Chen, Yimin Lin, Yuepiao Cai, Peng Wang, Baohua Liu, Dirk Schlueter, Guang Liang, Xu Wang
Summary: This study reveals that CCN6 protein levels in breast cancer are regulated by ubiquitination and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). OTUB1 is identified as a novel DUB for CCN6 and inhibits its degradation by interacting with CCN6 and inhibiting its K48 ubiquitination. Deletion of OTUB1 results in decreased CCN6 abundance and increased migration, proliferation, and viability of breast cancer cells, which can be rescued by supplementation of CCN6. Importantly, OTUB1 expression is downregulated in human breast cancer and positively correlated with CCN6 levels.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Alberto Arboit, Karla Krautwald, Frank Angenstein
Summary: We investigated the effects of neuronal afterdischarges on fMRI signals in the hippocampus under the influence of isoflurane and medetomidine. We found that neuronal afterdischarges can elicit different hemodynamic changes in the presence of these two drugs.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carolin Boehne, Leonard Knegendorf, Frank Schwab, Ella Ebadi, Franz-Christoph Bange, Marius Vital, Dirk Schlueter, Gesine Hansen, Sabine Pirr, Corinna Peter, Bettina Bohnhorst, Claas Baier
Summary: This study investigated MRSA colonization and infection in a mixed tertiary neonatal intensive and intermediate care unit in Germany over an 8-year period. The study found that the burden of MRSA was low and emphasized the importance of a comprehensive infection control concept.