Innate resistance against Toxoplasma gondii: an evolutionary tale of mice, cats, and men

Ricardo T Gazzinelli; Rondon Mendonça-Neto; Jingtao Lilue; Jonathan Howard; Alan Sher

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2014.01.004

Innate resistance against Toxoplasma gondii: an evolutionary tale of mice, cats, and men

Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Feb 12;15(2):132-8. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.01.004.

Authors

Ricardo T Gazzinelli¹, Rondon Mendonça-Neto², Jingtao Lilue³, Jonathan Howard⁴, Alan Sher⁵

Affiliations

¹ Immunopathology Laboratory, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-Minas Gerais, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605-02324, USA. Electronic address: ritoga@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
² Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
³ Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
⁴ Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal. Electronic address: jhoward@igc.gulbenkian.pt.
⁵ Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: asher@niaid.nih.gov.

Abstract

Recent studies have revealed remarkable species specificity of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) TLR11 and TLR12 and the immunity-related GTPase (IRG) proteins that are essential elements for detection and immune control of Toxoplasma gondii in mice, but not in humans. The biological and evolutionary implications of these findings for the T. gondii host-pathogen relationship and for human disease are discussed.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Biological Evolution*
Cats
Humans
Immunity, Innate*
Mice
Receptors, Immunologic / immunology*
Receptors, Immunologic / metabolism
Toxoplasma / immunology*
Toxoplasmosis / immunology*
Toxoplasmosis / parasitology
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / immunology*
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology

Substances

Receptors, Immunologic

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding