Toxoplasma gondii strain-dependent effects on mouse behaviour

Area of Science:

• Behavioral neuroscience
• Parasitology
• Infectious disease

Background:

• Toxoplasma gondii is known to manipulate rodent behavior to facilitate transmission to felines.
• The specific mechanisms and strain-dependent variations in this manipulation are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the behavioral effects of two distinct Type II strains of T. gondii (PRU and ME49) in mice.
• To investigate strain-specific alterations in host-seeking behavior, activity, anxiety, and memory.

Main Methods:

• Mice were infected with either the PRU or ME49 strain of T. gondii.
• Behavioral assessments included attraction to cat odor, locomotor activity, anxiety tests, sensorimotor gating, and spatial memory tests at 2 and 7 months post-infection.

Main Results:

• Both T. gondii strains increased attraction to cat odor at 2 months post-infection, but only the PRU strain showed this effect at 7 months.
• PRU-infected mice displayed increased body weight and hyperactivity, whereas ME49-infected mice showed impaired spatial working memory.
• No significant differences in parasite antibody titers were observed between the two strains.

Conclusions:

• The behavioral manipulation of rodents by T. gondii is demonstrably strain-dependent.
• Different T. gondii strains can induce distinct behavioral phenotypes, impacting host-parasite interactions and transmission dynamics.