Role of Cytokines and Major Histocompatibility Complex Restriction in Mouse Resistance to Infection with a Natural Recombinant Strain (Type I-III) ofToxoplasma gondii
Open Access
- 1 November 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Society for Microbiology in Infection and Immunity
- Vol. 71 (11), 6392-6401
- https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.71.11.6392-6401.2003
Abstract
Herein we characterized various genetic markers and the biological behavior of a natural recombinant strain ofToxoplasma gondii(P-Br). From nine genetic markers analyzed, three (B1,ROP1, andSAG1) and three (cS10-A6,GRA6, andSAG3) markers belong to parasites from the type I and type III lineages, respectively. TheSAG2andL363loci were shown to be type I-III chimera alleles. The cB2l-4 microsatellite marker showed a unique haplotype. The P-Br strain presented low virulence in the acute phase of infection and was cystogenic during the chronic infection. The interleukin 12/gamma interferon axis and inducible nitric oxide synthase were main determinants of resistance during the acute infection with the P-Br strain. As opposed to infection with the type II strain ofT. gondii(ME-49), peroral infection with the P-Br strain led only to a light inflammatory infiltrate and no major lesions in the intestine of the C57BL/6 mice. In addition, the BALB/c (resistant to ME-49) and C57BL/6 (susceptible to ME-49) mice were shown, respectively, to be more susceptible and more resistant to cyst formation and toxoplasmic encephalitis when infected with the P-Br strain. Further, the C57BL/KsJ and DBA2/J congenic strains containing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype “d” were more resistant than the parental strains (C57BL/6 and DBA1/J), when infected with the ME-49 but not with the P-Br strain. Together, our results indicate that resistance to cyst formation and toxoplasmic encephalitis induced during infection with P-Br is not primarily controlled by the MHC haplotype d, as previously reported for type II strains ofT. gondii.Keywords
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