Real-time imaging of Toxoplasma-infected human monocytes under fluidic shear stress reveals rapid translocation of intracellular parasites across endothelial barriers.

ABSTRACT: Peripheral blood monocytes are actively infected by Toxoplasma gondii and can function as 'Trojan horses' for parasite spread in the bloodstream. Using dynamic live-cell imaging, we visualized the transendothelial migration (TEM) of T. gondii-infected primary human monocytes during the initial minutes following contact with human endothelium. On average, infected and uninfected monocytes required only 9.8 and 4.1 min, respectively, to complete TEM. Infection increased monocyte crawling distances and velocities on endothelium, but overall TEM frequencies were comparable between infected and uninfected cells. In the vasculature, monocytes adhere to endothelium under the conditions of shear stress found in rapidly flowing blood. Remarkably, the addition of fluidic shear stress increased the T

SUBMITTER: Ueno N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4141879 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature