Matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 lead to fibronectin degradation in astroglia infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Acta Trop. 2012 Nov 28. pii: S0001-706X(12)00366-X. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.11.002. [Epub ahead of print]

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 lead to fibronectin degradation in astroglia infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Lu CY, Lai SC.

Institue of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite and its infection in human can induce toxoplasmic encephalitis in immune disorders. In this study, astroglia were infected with the TS-4 strain of T. gondii tachyzoite in vitro to investigate the changes of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and their substrate fibronectin. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly increased at 1h, 6h and 12h post-infection (PI) in the cell homogenates, and increased at 6h, 12h, 24h and 48h PI in the cell-cultured supernatants. Fibronectin degradation also occurred at the same time points. In addition, immunocytochemistry showed that MMP-2 and MMP-9 localized in the cytoplasm, and confocal scanning laser microscopy revealed co-labeled patterns of MMP-2 and MMP-9 with fibronectin. MMP-2 and MMP-9 interacted with fibronectin, respectively. These results suggest that MMP-2 and MMP-9 induction from astroglia may contribute to extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation occurring in toxoplasmosis. Thus, we hypothesize that MMP-2 and MMP-9 cleave fibronectin and may contribute to the astroglia reaction and leukocyte migration to the sites of T. gondii replication during toxoplasmic encephalitis.

PMID: 23201304 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]