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Cell attachment and entry by Toxoplasma gondii.
1Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Behring Institute Mitteilungen
|February 1, 1991
Summary
Toxoplasma gondii invades cells using beta 1 integrins and laminin. The parasite forms vacuoles that avoid fusion, but antibody-mediated entry bypasses this block.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Parasitology
- Immunology
Background:
- Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread protozoan parasite that invades host cells.
- Understanding parasite-host interactions is crucial for controlling toxoplasmosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ligands and receptors involved in Toxoplasma gondii attachment to host cells.
- To elucidate the mechanisms of intracellular survival and evasion of host defenses.
Main Methods:
- Studied tachyzoite attachment to fibroblasts using beta 1 integrins.
- Investigated the role of laminin in bridging parasite and host cell receptors.
- Analyzed the fusion competence of parasitophorous vacuoles after different entry routes.
Main Results:
- Tachyzoites attach to beta 1 integrins on fibroblasts, mediated by parasite surface laminin.
- This interaction facilitates invasion of diverse cell types due to widespread receptor distribution.
- Parasitophorous vacuoles formed by active invasion resist organelle fusion, but antibody-mediated phagocytosis overcomes this block.
Conclusions:
- Parasite attachment and entry mechanisms are key to Toxoplasma gondii's broad host cell tropism.
- The route of parasite entry dictates the fusion capacity of the parasitophorous vacuole, impacting intracellular survival.