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Title: TOXOPLASMA GONDII : UPTAKE AND SURVIVAL OF OOCYSTS IN FREE-LIVING AMOEBAE

Author
item WINIECKA-KRUSNELL, JADWIGA - SWEDISH INS. SOLNA,SWEDEN
item DELLACASA-LINDBERG, ISABEL - SWEDISH INS. SOLNA,SWEDEN
item Dubey, Jitender
item BARRAGAN, ANTONIO - SWEDISH INS. SOLNA,SWEDEN

Submitted to: Experimental Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2008
Publication Date: 5/1/2009
Citation: Winiecka-Krusnell, J., Dellacasa-Lindberg, I., Dubey, J.P., Barragan, A. 2009. Toxoplasma gondii: Uptake and survival of oocysts in free-living amoebae. Experimental Parasitology. 121:124-131.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating undercooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and an Institute in Sweden report transmission of Toxoplasma oocysts by free living amoebae. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: Waterborne transmission of the oocyst stage of Toxoplasma gondii can cause outbreaks of clinical toxoplasmosis in humans and infection of marine mammals. In water-related environments and soil, free-living amoebae are considered potential carriers of various pathogens, but knowledge on interactions with parasitic protozoa remains elusive. In the present study, we assessed whether the free-living Acanthamoeba castellanii, due to its phagocytic activity, can interact with T. gondii oocysts. We report that amoebae can internalize T. gondii oocysts by active uptake. Intracellular oocysts in amoebae rarely underwent phagocytic lysis, retained viability and established infection in mice. Interaction of T. gondii with amoebae did not reduce the infectivity and pathogenicity of oocysts even after prolonged co-cultivation. Our results show that uptake of oocysts by A. castellani does not restrain the transmission of T. gondii in a murine infection model.