Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can infect many host species and is a cause of significant human morbidity worldwide. T. gondii secretes a diverse array of effector proteins into the host cell which are critical for infection. The vast majority of these secreted proteins have no...

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Main Authors: Simon Butterworth, Francesca Torelli, Eloise J Lockyer, Jeanette Wagener, Ok-Ryul Song, Malgorzata Broncel, Matt R G Russell, Aline Cristina A Moreira-Souza, Joanna C Young, Moritz Treeck
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-12-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1011021&type=printable
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author Simon Butterworth
Francesca Torelli
Eloise J Lockyer
Jeanette Wagener
Ok-Ryul Song
Malgorzata Broncel
Matt R G Russell
Aline Cristina A Moreira-Souza
Joanna C Young
Moritz Treeck
author_facet Simon Butterworth
Francesca Torelli
Eloise J Lockyer
Jeanette Wagener
Ok-Ryul Song
Malgorzata Broncel
Matt R G Russell
Aline Cristina A Moreira-Souza
Joanna C Young
Moritz Treeck
author_sort Simon Butterworth
collection DOAJ
description Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can infect many host species and is a cause of significant human morbidity worldwide. T. gondii secretes a diverse array of effector proteins into the host cell which are critical for infection. The vast majority of these secreted proteins have no predicted functional domains and remain uncharacterised. Here, we carried out a pooled CRISPR knockout screen in the T. gondii Prugniaud strain in vivo to identify secreted proteins that contribute to parasite immune evasion in the host. We demonstrate that ROP1, the first-identified rhoptry protein of T. gondii, is essential for virulence and has a previously unrecognised role in parasite resistance to interferon gamma-mediated innate immune restriction. This function is conserved in the highly virulent RH strain of T. gondii and contributes to parasite growth in both murine and human macrophages. While ROP1 affects the morphology of rhoptries, from where the protein is secreted, it does not affect rhoptry secretion. Finally, we show that ROP1 co-immunoprecipitates with the host cell protein C1QBP, an emerging regulator of innate immune signaling. In summary, we identify putative in vivo virulence factors in the T. gondii Prugniaud strain and show that ROP1 is an important and previously overlooked effector protein that counteracts both murine and human innate immunity.
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spelling doaj-art-1ef7567a322246b68d3ab5f125e50e7c2025-08-20T02:31:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742022-12-011812e101102110.1371/journal.ppat.1011021Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.Simon ButterworthFrancesca TorelliEloise J LockyerJeanette WagenerOk-Ryul SongMalgorzata BroncelMatt R G RussellAline Cristina A Moreira-SouzaJoanna C YoungMoritz TreeckToxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can infect many host species and is a cause of significant human morbidity worldwide. T. gondii secretes a diverse array of effector proteins into the host cell which are critical for infection. The vast majority of these secreted proteins have no predicted functional domains and remain uncharacterised. Here, we carried out a pooled CRISPR knockout screen in the T. gondii Prugniaud strain in vivo to identify secreted proteins that contribute to parasite immune evasion in the host. We demonstrate that ROP1, the first-identified rhoptry protein of T. gondii, is essential for virulence and has a previously unrecognised role in parasite resistance to interferon gamma-mediated innate immune restriction. This function is conserved in the highly virulent RH strain of T. gondii and contributes to parasite growth in both murine and human macrophages. While ROP1 affects the morphology of rhoptries, from where the protein is secreted, it does not affect rhoptry secretion. Finally, we show that ROP1 co-immunoprecipitates with the host cell protein C1QBP, an emerging regulator of innate immune signaling. In summary, we identify putative in vivo virulence factors in the T. gondii Prugniaud strain and show that ROP1 is an important and previously overlooked effector protein that counteracts both murine and human innate immunity.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1011021&type=printable
spellingShingle Simon Butterworth
Francesca Torelli
Eloise J Lockyer
Jeanette Wagener
Ok-Ryul Song
Malgorzata Broncel
Matt R G Russell
Aline Cristina A Moreira-Souza
Joanna C Young
Moritz Treeck
Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.
PLoS Pathogens
title Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.
title_full Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.
title_fullStr Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.
title_full_unstemmed Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.
title_short Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction.
title_sort toxoplasma gondii virulence factor rop1 reduces parasite susceptibility to murine and human innate immune restriction
url https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1011021&type=printable
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