The life-cycle of Toxoplasma gondii reviewed using animations
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Parasites & Vectors Open Access
REVIEW
The life‑cycle of Toxoplasma gondii reviewed using animations Márcia Attias1,2* , Dirceu E. Teixeira3, Marlene Benchimol4, Rossiane C. Vommaro1, Paulo Henrique Crepaldi1 and Wanderley De Souza1,2
Abstract Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, an infection with high prevalence worldwide. Most of the infected individuals are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, but T. gondii can cause severe neurologic damage and even death of the fetus when acquired during pregnancy. It is also a serious condition in immunodeficient patients. The life-cycle of T. gondii is complex, with more than one infective form and several transmission pathways. In two animated videos, we describe the main aspects of this cycle, raising questions about poorly or unknown issues of T. gondii biology. Original plates, based on electron microscope observations, are also available for teachers, students and researchers. The main goal of this review is to provide a source of learning on the fundamental aspects of T. gondii biology to students and teachers contributing for better knowledge and control on this important parasite, and unique cell model. In addition, drawings and videos point to still unclear aspects of T. gondii lytic cycle that may stimulate further studies. Keywords: Apicomplexa, Parasitology, Parasite, Toxoplasmosis, Protozoology, Cell biology, Life-cycle Background Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis that is a zoonosis of significant medical and veterinary importance and is transmitted by several pathways. Marked advances regarding the control of several infectious diseases caused by parasitic protozoa have taken place in the last decades, especially those that spend part of their life-cycle inside host cells. Nevertheless, the epidemiological control and development of new chemotherapeutic agents with low toxicity and high specificity continue to constitute great challenges. Some of these diseases are restricted to specific areas of the world, as in the case of Chagas disease. Others, like toxoplasmosis, are widely distributed throughout the world [1]. Indeed, T. gondii, a member of the phylum Apicomplexa, developed the ability to infect almost any cell type of mammals *Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
and birds [2, 3]. In the USA, it was estimated that 11% of the population aged six years and older have been infected with T. gondii. In several countries throughout the world, it has been shown that more than 60% of the people have been infected with T. gondii [4]. In some geographical areas (e.g. Brazil), up to 60% of the population is seropositive for T. gondii antigens [5]. The environmental conditions and dietary habits can impact infection rates. For example, the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat is associated with T. gondii
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