Toxoplasma rhoptry proteins that affect encephalitis outcome

Xinlei Wang; Lai Qu; Jie Chen; Yufen Jin; Kaisong Hu; Zhengjie Zhou; Jiaqi Zhang; Yiming An; Jingtong Zheng

doi:10.1038/s41420-023-01742-1

Toxoplasma rhoptry proteins that affect encephalitis outcome

Cell Death Discov. 2023 Dec 4;9(1):439. doi: 10.1038/s41420-023-01742-1.

Authors

Xinlei Wang¹, Lai Qu², Jie Chen³, Yufen Jin¹, Kaisong Hu⁴, Zhengjie Zhou⁴, Jiaqi Zhang⁴, Yiming An⁴, Jingtong Zheng⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
² Department of Intensive Care Unit, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
³ Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
⁴ Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
⁵ Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China. zhengjingtong@jlu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread obligate intracellular parasite, can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. The cellular barrier of the central nervous system (CNS) is generally able to protect the brain parenchyma from infectious damage. However, T. gondii typically causes latent brain infections in humans and other vertebrates. Here, we discuss how T. gondii rhoptry proteins (ROPs) affect signaling pathways in host cells and speculate how this might affect the outcome of Toxoplasma encephalitis.

Publication types

Review