Int J Parasitol. 2013 Sep 28. pii: S0020-7519(13)00238-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.08.003. [Epub ahead of print]

Co-existence of classical and alternative activation programs in macrophages responding to Toxoplasma gondii

Patil V, Zhao Y, Shah S, Fox BA, Rommereim LM, Bzik DJ, Yap GS.

Source

Department of Medicine and Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA.

Abstract

Pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages are critical for defense against intracellular pathogens while alternatively-activated M2 macrophages mediate tissue homeostasis and repair. Whether these distinct activation programs are mutually exclusive or can co-exist within the same cell is unclear. Here, we report the co-existence of these programs in Toxoplasma gondii-elicited inflammatory macrophages. This is independent of parasite expression of the virulence factor ROP16 and host cell expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6). Furthermore, this observation was recapitulated by IFN-γ and IL-4 treated bone marrow-derived macrophages in vitro. These results highlight the multi-functionality of macrophages as they respond to diverse microbial and endogenous stimuli.
Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

KEYWORDS:

Alternative activation, Classical activation, Macrophage, Toxoplasma gondii, Virulence factor

PMID:

24083945

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]