Molecular mechanism for the control of virulent Toxoplasma gondii infections in wild-derived mice

Some strains of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (such as RH) are virulent in laboratory mice because they are not restricted by the Immunity-Related GTPase (IRG) resistance system in these mouse strains. In some wild-derived Eurasian mice (such as CIM) on the other hand, polymorphic IRG proteins inhibit the replication of such virulent T. gondii strains. Here we show that this resistance is due to direct binding of the IRG protein Irgb2-b1CIM to the T. gondii virulence effector ROP5 isoform B. The Irgb2-b1 interface of this interaction is highly polymorphic and under positive selection. South American T. gondii strains are virulent even in wild-derived Eurasian mice. We were able to demonstrate that this difference in virulence is due to polymorphic ROP5 isoforms that are not targeted by Irgb2-b1CIM, indicating co-adaptation of host cell resistance GTPases and T. gondii virulence effectors.

Keywords

Animals Disease Resistance Female Fibroblasts GTP Phosphohydrolases HEK293 Cells Host-Parasite Interactions Humans Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Protein Isoforms Protozoan Proteins Selection, Genetic Toxoplasma Toxoplasmosis, Animal Virulence

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.7/930

Citation

Murillo-León M, Müller UB, Zimmermann I, et al. Molecular mechanism for the control of virulent Toxoplasma gondii infections in wild-derived mice [published correction appears in Nat Commun. 2019 Apr 4;10(1):1645]. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):1233. Published 2019 Mar 15