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Updated: May 3, 2026
Studying Cryptosporidium Infection in 3D Tissue-derived Human Organoid Culture Systems by Microinjection
Published on: September 14, 2019
Cryptosporidium parvum infection alters the intestinal mucosa transcriptome in neonatal calves: implications for
Arash Veshkini1, Franziska Dengler2, Lisa Bachmann1,3
1Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Institute of Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner", Dummerstorf, Germany.
Abstract:
One of the leading causes of infectious diarrhea in newborn calves is the apicomplexan protozoan Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum). However, little is known about its immunopathogenesis. Using next generation sequencing, this study investigated the immune transcriptional response to C. parvum infection in neonatal calves. Neonatal male Holstein-Friesian calves were either orally infected (N = 5) or not (CTRL group, N = 5) with C. parvum oocysts (gp60 subtype IIaA15G2R1) at day 1 of life and slaughtered on day 7 after infection. Total RNA was extracted from the jejunal mucosa for short read. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between infected and CTRL groups were assessed using DESeq2 at a false discovery rate < 0.05. Infection did not affect plasma immunohematological parameters, including neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, leucocyte, thrombocyte, and erythrocyte counts as well as hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration on day 7 post infection. The immune-related DEGs were selected according to the UniProt immune system process database and were used for gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis using Cytoscape (v3.9.1). Based on GO analysis, DEGs annotated to mucosal immunity, recognizing and presenting antigens, chemotaxis of neutrophils, eosinophils, natural killer cells, B and T cells mediated by signaling pathways including toll like receptors, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, T cell receptor, and NF-KB were upregulated, while markers of macrophages chemotaxis and cytosolic pattern recognition were downregulated. This study provides a holistic snapshot of immune-related pathways induced by C. parvum in calves, including novel and detailed feedback and feedforward regulatory mechanisms establishing the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune response in neonate calves, which could be utilized further to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Insights
Cryptosporidium parvum infection in calves upregulates immune pathways like toll-like receptors and interleukins, while downregulating macrophage markers. This reveals key immune responses for potential therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) is a major cause of infectious diarrhea in newborn calves.
- The immunopathogenesis of C. parvum infection in calves remains poorly understood.
- Understanding the immune response is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immune transcriptional response to C. parvum infection in neonatal calves using next-generation sequencing.
- To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to immune pathways.
- To elucidate the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune responses.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal calves were infected with C. parvum oocysts or served as controls.
- Total RNA was extracted from jejunal mucosa for gene expression analysis.
- Differential gene expression analysis was performed using DESeq2, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis with Cytoscape.
Main Results:
- Infection did not significantly alter plasma immunohematological parameters.
- Upregulated immune-related DEGs were associated with mucosal immunity, antigen presentation, and chemotaxis of neutrophils, eosinophils, NK cells, B cells, and T cells via pathways including toll-like receptors, interleukins, TNF, TCR, and NF-κB.
- Downregulated DEGs were linked to macrophage chemotaxis and cytosolic pattern recognition.
Conclusions:
- This study provides a comprehensive overview of immune-related pathways induced by C. parvum in calves.
- Identified regulatory mechanisms highlight the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immunity in neonate calves.
- Findings offer potential targets for developing novel therapeutic strategies against cryptosporidiosis in calves.
