TY - JOUR
T1 - The hitchhiker's guide to parasite dissemination
AU - Drewry, Lisa L.
AU - Sibley, L. David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasitic protist that can infect nearly all nucleated cell types and tissues of warm-blooded vertebrate hosts. T. gondii utilises a unique form of gliding motility to cross cellular barriers, enter tissues, and penetrate host cells, thus enhancing spread within an infected host. However, T. gondii also disseminates by hijacking the migratory abilities of infected leukocytes. Traditionally, this process has been viewed as a route to cross biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier. Here, we review recent findings that challenge this view by showing that infection of monocytes downregulates the program of transendothelial migration. Instead, infection by T. gondii enhances Rho-dependent interstitial migration of monocytes and macrophages, which enhances dissemination within tissues. Collectively, the available evidence indicates that T. gondii parasites use multiple means to disseminate within the host, including enhanced motility in tissues and translocation across biological barriers.
AB - Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasitic protist that can infect nearly all nucleated cell types and tissues of warm-blooded vertebrate hosts. T. gondii utilises a unique form of gliding motility to cross cellular barriers, enter tissues, and penetrate host cells, thus enhancing spread within an infected host. However, T. gondii also disseminates by hijacking the migratory abilities of infected leukocytes. Traditionally, this process has been viewed as a route to cross biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier. Here, we review recent findings that challenge this view by showing that infection of monocytes downregulates the program of transendothelial migration. Instead, infection by T. gondii enhances Rho-dependent interstitial migration of monocytes and macrophages, which enhances dissemination within tissues. Collectively, the available evidence indicates that T. gondii parasites use multiple means to disseminate within the host, including enhanced motility in tissues and translocation across biological barriers.
KW - actin-based motility
KW - central nervous system infection
KW - microbial-cell interaction
KW - pathogen dissemination
KW - protein kinase
KW - transendothelial migration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068804710&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/cmi.13070
DO - 10.1111/cmi.13070
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31219666
AN - SCOPUS:85068804710
SN - 1462-5814
VL - 21
JO - Cellular microbiology
JF - Cellular microbiology
IS - 11
M1 - e13070
ER -