Int J Parasitol. 2013 Oct 31. pii: S0020-7519(13)00254-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.09.006. [Epub ahead of print]

Tightly regulated migratory subversion of immune cells promotes the dissemination of Toxoplasma gondii

Weidner JM, Barragan A.

Source

Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Abstract

While the spread of Toxoplasma gondii within the infected human or animal host is associated with pathology, the pathways of dissemination have remained enigmatic. From the time point of entry into the gut, to the quiescent chronic infection in the central nervous system, Toxoplasma is detected and surveyed by immune cells that populate the tissues, e.g. dendritic cells. Paradoxically, this protective migratory function of leukocytes appears to be targeted by Toxoplasma to mediate its dissemination in the organism. Recent findings show that tightly regulated events take place shortly after host cell invasion that promote the migratory activation of infected dendritic cells. Here, we review the emerging knowledge on how this obligate intracellular protozoan orchestrates the subversion of leukocytes to achieve systemic dissemination and reach peripheral organs where pathology manifests.
Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

KEYWORDS:

Cell motility, Chemotaxis, Dendritic cell, Host-pathogen, Immune privileged organ, Intracellular pathogen, Migration, Protozoa

PMID:

24184911

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]