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Title:   Author  item
                                            WINIECKA-KRUSNELL, JADWIGA - SWEDISH INS. SOLNA,SWEDENitem
                                            DELLACASA-LINDBERG, ISABEL - SWEDISH INS. SOLNA,SWEDENitem
                                            Dubey, Jitenderitem
                                            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.


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