title: Mechanisms of apoptosis in murine fibroblasts by two intracellular protozoan parasites, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum.
abstract: Studies to clarify the mechanisms of apoptosis in host cells, A31 (BALB/3T3 clone A31 fibroblasts), caused by two intracellular protozoan parasites, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, were carried out in an in vitro system. The viability of N. caninum-infected cells was significantly reduced following treatment with mouse interferon (IFN)-gamma. By contrast, mouse IFN-gamma treatment had no significant effect on the induction of apoptosis in T. gondii-infected cells. Apoptosis of N. caninum-infected and mouse IFN-gamma-treated cells was shown to be associated with increased DNA fragmentation, and increased caspase-3 and -8 activity, and the administration of caspase-3 and -8 inhibitors inhibited cell death. FasL expression was clearly induced by N. caninum-infection and IFN-gamma treatment compared to the T. gondii-infected cells and the uninfected control with or without IFN-gamma treatment. The reduction in host-cell viability was prevented with the addition of antimouse FasL monoclonal antibody (mAb). Moreover, TUNEL analyses indicated that apoptosis was induced by the treatment with Fas mAb in both T. gondii and N. caninum-infected cells. These results suggest that the Fas/FasL pathway may play a crucial role in the induction of apoptosis in N. caninum- and T. gondii-infected cells mediated by IFN-gamma.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Levi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Makala
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018688:Neospora / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019014:fas Receptor; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; C505526:Casp8 protein, mouse; C506434:Casp9 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases