Deploying parasite profilin on a mission of invasion and danger.
Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is important in inducing Th1 responses during infection with microbial pathogens such as the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Plattner and colleagues describe an engineered Toxoplasma strain that lacks profilin, an actin-binding molecule previously implicated in Toll-like receptor-11-dependent IL-12 induction and now shown to be important in parasite motility and host cell invasion.
Denkers
Eric Y
EY
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. eyd1@cornell.edu
Striepen
Boris
B
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D051379:Mice; D051304:Profilins / Q000502:physiology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D014774:Virulence
D051304:Profilins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins