Parasiticidal activity of human alpha-defensin-5 against Toxoplasma gondii.
Human defensins play a fundamental role in the initiation of innate immune responses to some microbial pathogens. In this paper, we show that human alpha-defensin-5 displays a parasiticidal role against Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. Exposure of the tachyzoite form of T. gondii to defensin induced aggregation and significantly reduced parasite viability in a concentration-dependent peptide. Pre-incubation of tachyzoites with human alpha-defensin-5 followed by exposure to a mouse embryonal cell line (NIH/3T3) significantly reduced T. gondii infection in these cells. Thus, human alpha-defensin-5 is an innate immune molecule that causes severe toxocity to T. gondii and plays an important role in reducing cellular infection. This is the first report showing that human alpha-defensin-5 causes aggregation, leading to Toxoplasma destruction.
Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Frontier Veterinary Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Tanaka
Md Morshedur
MM
Rahman
Banzragch
B
Battur
Damdinsuren
D
Boldbaatar
Min
M
Liao
Rika
R
Umemiya-Shirafuji
Xuenan
X
Xuan
Kozo
K
Fujisaki
D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D013997:Time Factors; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000469:parasitology; D023084:alpha-Defensins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; C500225:DEFA5 protein, human; D023084:alpha-Defensins