Transcriptomic analysis of global changes in cytokine expression in mouse spleens following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection.
Toxoplasma gondii is a global pathogen that infects a wide range of animals and humans. During T. gondii infection, the spleen plays an important role in coordinating the adaptive and innate immune responses. However, there is little information regarding the changes in global gene expression within the spleen following T. gondii infection. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined the transcriptome of the mouse spleen following T. gondii infection. We observed differential expression of 2310 transcripts under these conditions. Analysis of KEGG and GO enrichment indicated that T. gondii alters multiple immune signaling cascades. Most of differentially expressed GO terms and pathways were downregulated, while immune-related GO terms and pathways were upregulated with response to T. gondii infection in mouse spleen. Most cytokines were upregulated in infected spleens, and all differentially expressed chemokines were upregulated which enhanced the immune cells chemotaxis to promote recruitment of immune cells, such as neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, dendritic cells, macrophages, NK cells, basophils, B cells, and T cells. Although IFN-γ-induced IDO (Ido1) was upregulated in the present study, it may not contribute a lot to the control of T. gondii because most differentially expressed genes involved in tryptophan metabolism pathway were downregulated. Innate immunity pathways, including cytosolic nucleic acid sensing pathway and C-type lectins-Syk-Card9 signaling pathways, were upregulated. We believe our study is the first comprehensive attempt to define the host transcriptional response to T. gondii infection in the mouse spleen.
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Jun-Jun
JJ
He
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.|College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410128, People's Republic of China.
Jun
J
Ma
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Hui-Qun
HQ
Song
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Dong-Hui
DH
Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Jin-Lei
JL
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China. siyang.huang@hotmail.com.
Si-Yang
SY
Huang
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China. xingquanzhu1@hotmail.com.|Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China. xingquanzhu1@hotmail.com.
Xing-Quan
XQ
Zhu
D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D011897:Random Allocation; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D059467:Transcriptome; D015854:Up-Regulation
D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016053:RNA, Protozoan
Cytokines; RNA-seq; Spleen; Toxoplasmas gondii; Transcriptome