Predominant interferon-γ-mediated expression of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CCL5 proteins in the brain during chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii in BALB/c mice resistant to development of toxoplasmic encephalitis.
We examined the role of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in expression of chemokine mRNA and proteins in the brain during chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii using BALB/c and BALB/c-background IFN-γ knockout (IFN-γ(-/-)) mice. BALB/c mice are genetically resistant to development of toxoplasmic encephalitis and establish a latent, chronic infection in the brain through IFN-γ-mediated immune responses. Amounts of mRNA for CXCL9/MIG, CXCL10/IP-10, CXCL11/I-TAC, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1α, and CCL5/RANTES significantly increased in the brains of wild-type mice after infection. CXCL9/MIG, CXCL10/IP-10, and CCL5/RANTES mRNA were most abundant among these chemokines. An increase in amounts of mRNA for CXCL10/IP-10, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1α, and CCL5/RANTES was also observed in the brains of IFN-γ(-/-) mice after infection, although CXCL10/I-10 and CCL5/RANTES mRNA levels in infected IFN-γ(-/-) mice were significantly lower than those of infected wild-type animals. Amounts of mRNA for CXCL9/MIG and CXCL11/I-TAC remained at the basal levels in infected IFN-γ(-/-) mice. When amounts of the chemokine proteins were examined in the brain homogenates of uninfected and infected mice of both strains, large amounts of CXCL9/MIG, CXCL10/IP-10, and CCL5/RANTES were detected only in infected wild-type animals. These results indicate that CXCL9/MIG, CXCL10/IP-10, and CCL5/RANTES are the chemokines predominantly induced in the brains of genetically resistant BALB/c mice during chronic infection with T. gondii, and their expression is dependent on IFN-γ.
Wen
Xiangshu
X
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
Kudo
Tomoya
T
Payne
Laura
L
Wang
Xisheng
X
Rodgers
Laurel
L
Suzuki
Yasuhiro
Y
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004660:Encephalitis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma