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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #142199
Title: USE OF MICRO ASSAY TECHNOLOGY TO COMPARE GENE EXPRESSION OF MICE INFECTED OR NOT INFECTED WITH CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM

Author
item Harp, James
item WATERS, W - 3625-30-10
item Reinhardt, Timothy
item Pesch, Bruce
item HEIDARI, MOHAMMAD - 3625-30-10

Submitted to: Conference Research Workers Disease Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that is a frequent cause of diarrheal disease in young calves. In laboratory models of infection, infant mice are susceptible to C. parvum infection, while normal adult mice are not. Various immunodeficient strains of mice are, however, susceptible to infection as adults. To begin to elucidate differences that may account for innate or acquired resistance to C. parvum infection, we used micro-array technology to compare gene expression between normal infant mice and immunodeficient adult mice either infected or not infected with C. parvum. Intestinal tissues were collected from infected mice and age-matched controls and total RNA prepared using commercial reagents. Samples were enriched for poly A+ RNA, 32-P-labeled cDNA probes were prepared, and then hybridized to Atlas**TM Mouse cDNA Expression Arrays. Hybridization was detected by exposure of membranes to x-ray film. Thirteen genes were up-regulated in adult TCR-alpha-deficient mice infected with C. parvum compared with non-infected controls. Two genes were up-regulated and 3 down-regulated in adult TCR-alpha-deficient x B cell-deficient mice compared with controls. Thirty-one genes were up-regulated and 2 genes down-regulated in normal infant mice infected with C. parvum compared with non-infected controls. Interestingly, the gene for Interleukin-11 was up-regulated in both strains of infected immunodeficient adult mice, but not in infected normal infant mice. No genes were consistently up- or down-regulated in all 3 sets of infected mice. These results suggest that none of the genes included in the array share a common response to infection in both adult and infant mice exposed to C. parvum.