Infection and characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in human induced neurons from patients with brain disorders and healthy controls

Eleonora Passeri, Lorraine Jones-Brando, Claudia Bordón, Srona Sengupta, Ashley M. Wilson, Amedeo Primerano, Judith L. Rapoport, Koko Ishizuka, Shin ichi Kano, Robert H. Yolken, Akira Sawa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite capable of establishing persistent infection within the brain. Serological studies in humans have linked exposure to Toxoplasma to neuropsychiatric disorders. However, serological studies have not elucidated the related molecular mechanisms within neuronal cells. To address this question, we used human induced neuronal cells derived from peripheral fibroblasts of healthy individuals and patients with genetically-defined brain disorders (i.e. childhood-onset schizophrenia with disease-associated copy number variations). Parasite infection was characterized by differential detection of tachyzoites and tissue cysts in induced neuronal cells. This approach may aid study of molecular mechanisms underlying individual predisposition to Toxoplasma infection linked to neuropathology of brain disorders.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)153-158
Number of pages6
JournalMicrobes and Infection
Volume18
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2016

Keywords

  • Brain disorders
  • Cysts
  • Induced neuronal cells
  • Schizophrenia
  • Tachyzoites
  • Toxoplasma gondii

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

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