Assays to Evaluate Toxoplasma-Macrophage Interactions
Debanjan Mukhopadhyay1, Jeroen P J Saeij2
1Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|November 24, 2019
Summary
This chapter details assays for analyzing Toxoplasma-macrophage interactions, crucial for understanding immune responses. Multiplex methods assess parasite growth, cell death, and enzyme activity to differentiate Toxoplasma strains.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Parasitology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite infecting warm-blooded hosts.
- Host macrophage interaction is key to T. gondii infection and immune response.
- Cellular-level assessment of these interactions is vital for understanding pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe assays for characterizing Toxoplasma-macrophage interactions.
- To present multiplex approaches for evaluating host-pathogen dynamics.
- To enable comparison of different T. gondii strains' interactions with macrophages.
Main Methods:
- Multiplex assays measuring arginase activity.
- Multiplex assays measuring indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase activity.
- Assays for quantifying cell death and parasite growth.
Main Results:
- Established methods for assessing key molecular and cellular events during T. gondii infection.
- Demonstrated utility of multiplex approaches for simultaneous measurement of multiple parameters.
- Provided framework for comparative analysis of T. gondii strain virulence.
Conclusions:
- The described assays are valuable tools for studying T. gondii-macrophage interactions.
- These methods can be adapted for other host-pathogen systems.
- Accurate assessment of strain-specific interactions is crucial for understanding disease progression.
