See how a dangerous parasite hijacks cells to get to the brain

The parasite Toxoplasma gondii affects up to a third of the world's population. People usually become infected with it through contact with

cat excrement where he passes through hisreproductive phases. The infection can also be contracted by consuming contaminated food and water. The parasite causes life-threatening problems in some patients due to its ability to enter the brain. In the brain and other tissues, the parasite persists as a latent cyst, awaiting reactivation if the immune system is weakened.

The parasite, in fact, captures human cells,using them as vehicles to access various organ systems, including the brain. One of the key challenges in fighting an infection such as toxoplasmosis is controlling its spread to other parts of the body, scientists say.

When it enters the body, the parasite invadesimmune cells and makes them move - a behavior called hypermigration activity. How these parasites cause infected cells to migrate is largely unknown.

This image shows two different Toxoplasma host cells changing shape to migrate. Credit: Indiana University School of Medicine

New research sheds light on this importantclinical question. Scientists have found that the parasite turns off the signaling system in the host cell that activates a protein called IRE1. The IRE1 protein helps the cell deal with stress, which can involve moving it to another location. In cells infected with Toxoplasma, IRE1 connects to the cytoskeleton, a network of structural proteins that shapes the cell and coordinates movement. By attracting this network through IRE1, Toxoplasma induces hypermigration.

These results show a new mechanism underlyingat the heart of the host-pathogen interaction, demonstrating how host cells co-opt to spread persistent infection. A better understanding of the activation and movement of this pathogen throughout the body is useful in the development of new drugs to reduce the spread of Toxoplasma gondii infection throughout the body.

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