Targeted Disruption of the GRA2 Locus in Toxoplasma gondii Decreases Acute Virulence in Mice

Targeted disruption of the GRA2 locus in Toxoplasma gondii decreases acute virulence in mice.

Following invasion into the host cell, the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii secretes a variety of proteins that modify the parasitophorous vacuole. Within the vacuole, the 28-kDa dense granule protein known as GRA2 is specifically targeted to the tubulovesicular network which forms connections with the vacuolar membrane. To investigate the importance of GRA2, we derived from strain RH a mutant T. go...

Toxoplasma gondii Decreases the Reproductive Fitness in Mice

Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite that infects warm-blooded animals throughout the world, including mice and humans. During infection, both, the parasite and the host, utilize various mechanisms to maximize their own reproductive success. Mice and humans are both the intermediate hosts for Toxoplasma gondii, which forms specialized vacuoles containing reproductive cysts in the fo...

Immunogenicity of Gamma-Irradiated Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoites in Mice

The Immunogenicity of γ-irradiated tachyzoites of a highly virulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) was investigated. Immunized mice survived challenge infection and displayed increased interferon gamma (INF-γ ) production. On the other hand, nonimmunized controls died after 10 days and displayed a significantly decreased lymphoproliferative response to Concanavalin A (Con A). No tachyz...

Acute virulence in mice is associated with markers on chromosome VIII in Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii has an unusual population structure consisting of three widely distributed clonal lineages. Acute virulence in mice is strictly observed in type I strains, indicating that a genetic determinant(s) unique to this lineage controls acute pathogenesis. We have analyzed several naturally occurring recombinant strains of T. gondii that carry allele 1 at the SAG1 locus; this allele i...

High-level expression and evaluation of the antigenicity of a recombinant Toxoplasma gondii GRA2 Protein