<i>Toxoplasma</i> induced cytokine release syndrome is critically dependent on the expression of pore-forming Perforin-Like Protein-1.

ABSTRACT: Acute virulence in Toxoplasma gondii is linked to an excessive proinflammatory cytokine cascade during laboratory murine infection. Previous work showed that T. gondii secretes a pore forming protein, PLP1, that is required for efficient cytolytic egress from host cells. Deletion of the PLP1 gene results in defective egress from infected culture cells and a marked reduction in parasite virulence. The goal of the present study was to gain insight into the nature of the attenuated virulence observed in PLP1 knockout compared to wild type (WT) RH parasites. Using in vivo bioluminescence imaging, we show that parasites lacking PLP1 establish an acute infection and disseminate throughout the infected mice. Histological tissue analysis indicates that parasites

SUBMITTER: Gregg B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11956978 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature