title: Infection and characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in human induced neurons from patients with brain disorders and healthy controls.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite capable of establishing persistent infection within the brain. Serological studies in humans have linked exposure to Toxoplasma to neuropsychiatric disorders. However, serological studies have not elucidated the related molecular mechanisms within neuronal cells. To address this question, we used human induced neuronal cells derived from peripheral fibroblasts of healthy individuals and patients with genetically-defined brain disorders (i.e. childhood-onset schizophrenia with disease-associated copy number variations). Parasite infection was characterized by differential detection of tachyzoites and tissue cysts in induced neuronal cells. This approach may aid study of molecular mechanisms underlying individual predisposition to Toxoplasma infection linked to neuropathology of brain disorders.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Passeri
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones-Brando
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bordón
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Srona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Primerano
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Mental Health, Magnuson Clinical Center, Room 3N202, MSC 1600, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Judith L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rapoport
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Koko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kano
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: rhyolken@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Yolken
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: asawa1@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity*
keywords: Brain disorders; Cysts; Induced neuronal cells; Schizophrenia; Tachyzoites; Toxoplasma gondii