title: Endothelial cells are a replicative niche for entry of Toxoplasma gondii to the central nervous system.
abstract: An important function of the blood-brain barrier is to exclude pathogens from the central nervous system, but some microorganisms benefit from the ability to enter this site. It has been proposed that Toxoplasma gondii can cross biological barriers as a motile extracellular form that uses transcellular or paracellular migration, or by infecting a host cell that then crosses the blood-brain barrier. Unexpectedly, analysis of acutely infected mice revealed significant numbers of free parasites in the blood and the presence of infected endothelial cells in the brain vasculature. The use of diverse transgenic parasites combined with reporter mice and intravital imaging demonstrated that replication in and lysis of endothelial cells precedes invasion of the central nervous system, and highlight a novel mechanism for parasite entry to the central nervous system.
authors: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Konradt
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697, USA.
authors: Norikiyo
authors: N
authors: Ueno
authors: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Christian
authors: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
authors: Jonathan H
authors: JH
authors: Delong
authors: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
authors: Gretchen Harms
authors: GH
authors: Pritchard
authors: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA.
authors: Jasmin
authors: J
authors: Herz
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, USA.
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Bzik
authors: Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85724, USA.
authors: Anita A
authors: AA
authors: Koshy
authors: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA.
authors: Dorian B
authors: DB
authors: McGavern
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697, USA.
authors: Melissa B
authors: MB
authors: Lodoen
authors: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
authors: Christopher A
authors: CA
authors: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000469:parasitology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000254:growth & development*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology