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Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum induce different host cell responses at proteome-wide phosphorylation events; a step forward for uncovering the biological differences between these closely related parasites

Wastling

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum induce different host cell responses at proteome-wide phosphorylation events; a step forward for uncovering the biological differences between these closely related parasites Thumbnail


Authors

Wastling



Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related intracellular protozoan parasites and tissue cyst-forming Coccidia of the phylum Apicomplexa. There are remarkable similarities between the morphology, genomes and transcriptomes of both parasites. Toxoplasma is zoonotic, with a wide host range and is mainly transmitted horizontally between its definitive host, the cat, and its intermediate hosts. Neospora causes disease within a narrow host range and with reduced virulence potential to the hosts. The dog is the definitive host of Neospora and its epidemiology in cattle mainly depends on vertical transmission. What causes these biological differences is not well understood. Since these parasites secrete an array of secretory proteins, including kinases, during infection to manipulate host cell responses. Host-parasite interactions due to phosphorylation of host cell proteins by T. gondii kinases enhance virulence and maintenance of infection. In this study, proteome-wide phosphorylation events of host cell proteins were investigated in response to infection with T. gondii and N. caninum using phosphoproteomic analyses, followed by pathway analysis on host signalling pathways. A few interesting differences in host responses at both the qualitative and quantitative levels were identified between the two infections; about one third of the phosphoproteomes, approximately 21% of the phospho-motifs and several pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and mTOR pathways of the host cell were found differentially enriched between infection with these parasites. Identifying the differences in host-parasite interactions represents a promising step forward for uncovering the biological dissimilarities between both parasites.

Acceptance Date Aug 12, 2017
Publication Date Aug 12, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Parasitology Research
Print ISSN 0932-0113
Publisher Springer Verlag
Pages 2707 -2719
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-017-5579-7
Keywords Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Proteome-wide phosphorylation, Phosphopeptides enrichment, Tandem mass spectrometry, Biological differences
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00436-017-5579-7

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