Overproduction of the pro-apoptotic molecule, programmed cell death 5, in Toxoplasma gondii leads to increased apoptosis of host macrophages.
We established a recombinant strain of Toxoplasma gondii that overexpressed programmed cell death 5 (TgPDCD5), in order to evaluate the role of endogenous TgPDCD5 in macrophage apoptosis during T. gondii infection. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that overproduced TgPDCD5 with a hemagglutinin tag was localized in the cytosol, which was consistent with the localization of endogenous TgPDCD5. The induced TgPDCD5-HA was recognized as an additional band by Western blot analysis, indicating successful overexpression of TgPDCD5. Secretion and release of TgPDCD5 by the parasite was also up-regulated in a time-dependent manner, which reflected its overproduction. Apoptosis due to parasite infection and interferon-gamma treatment was significantly up-regulated by the overexpression of TgPDCD5. These results suggest that endogenous TgPDCD5 plays a role in macrophage apoptosis during T. gondii infection.
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Bannai
Yoshifumi
Y
Nishikawa
Hany Mohamed
HM
Ibrahim
Kyoko
K
Yamada
Osamu
O
Kawase
Jun-ichi
J
Watanabe
Chihiro
C
Sugimoto
Xuenan
X
Xuan
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D014709:Vero Cells
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins