Journal
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 174, Issue 6, Pages 3148-3152Publisher
AMER ASSOC IMMUNOLOGISTS
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.174.6.3148
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NIAID NIH HHS [AI062921, AI50617] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Infection of mouse macrophages by Toxoplasma gondii renders the cells resistant to proinflammatory effects of LPS triggering. In this study, we show that cell invasion is accompanied by rapid and sustained activation of host STAT3. Activation of STAT3 did not occur with soluble T. gondii extracts or heat-killed tachyzoites, demonstrating a requirement for live parasites. Parasite-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and suppression of LPS-triggered TNF-alpha and IL-12 was intact in IL-10-deficient macrophages, ruling out a role for this anti-inflammatory cytokine in the suppressive effects of T. gondii. Most importantly, Toxoplasma could not effectively suppress LPS-triggered TNF-alpha and IL-12 synthesis in STAT3-deficient macrophages. These results demonstrate that T. gondii exploits host STAT3 to prevent LPS triggered IL-12 and TNF-alpha production, revealing for the first time a molecular mechanism underlying the parasite's suppressive effect on macrophage proinflammatory cytokine production.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available