In vitro observation of the stage conversion of transgenic Toxoplasma gondii RH strain expressing dual fluorescent proteins

Acta Parasitologica - Tập 61 - Trang 456-460 - 2016
Qijun Song1, Ximeng Sun1, Yongsheng Ji1, Xinlei Yan1, Jun Zou1, Shiyun Zhao1, Xun Suo1, Xingquan Zhu2, Xianyong Liu1
1National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
2State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China

Tóm tắt

Toxoplasma gondii converts from tachyzoites to bradyzoites after acute infection and thus survives the attack of the host immune responses. In this study, we observed the conversion of tachyzoites to bradyzoites in cell cultures using a transgenic T. gondii RH strain. The transgenic parasites continuously express yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) but only express red fluorescent protein (RFP) at the bradyzoite stage. Red fluorescent bradyzoite-containing cysts were found in transgenic parasite infected cells cultured with atmospheric CO2 supply, indicating the successful induction of the stage conversion. In cell culture with alkalic medium (pH 8.1) and atmospheric CO2 supply, only part of the YFP-expressing parasites in a cyst express RFP marker, suggesting the asynchronous development of T. gondii in vitro. This study provides a possibility for further studies of the gene expression profile during stage conversion and the genes involved.

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