ArticlePLoS pathogens2012
GABAergic signaling is linked to a hypermigratory phenotype in dendritic cells infected by Toxoplasma gondii.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 84 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
84 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 167 citations in OpenAlex.
- Toxoplasmosis and epilepsy--systematic review and meta analysis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2015Pooled it
- Restoration of gamma-aminobutyric acid homeostasis: A novel approach to alleviating central nervous system injury-associated immunodepression syndrome.Neural regeneration research · 2026Article
- Peripheral GABA Signaling in Metabolic Adaptation and Maladaptation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
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- Brain endothelial spheroids and cortical organoids reveal the impact of Toxoplasma gondii lineage and host-phagocyte-pathogen interactions on colonization.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026Article
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- Neurotransmitters and Immunity: Molecular Mechanisms, Biological Functions, Diseases, and Potential Therapeutic Targets.MedComm · 2025Review
- Comprehensive analysis of Toxoplasma gondii migration routes and tissue dissemination in the host.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Review
- ICAM-1/CD18-mediated sequestration of parasitized phagocytes in cortical capillaries promotes neuronal colonization by Toxoplasma gondii.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Cytoskeletal alterations in neuronal cells implicate Toxoplasma gondii secretory machinery and host microRNA-containing extracellular vesicles.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Targeting GABA signaling in the tumor microenvironment: implications for immune cell regulation and immunotherapy resistance.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Contemporary insights into neuroimmune interactions across development and aging.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Review
- Diseases Caused by and Behaviors Associated withPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- The Toxoplasma secreted effector TgWIP modulates dendritic cell motility by activating host tyrosine phosphatases Shp1 and Shp2.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2024Article
- The Toxoplasma secreted effector TgWIP modulates dendritic cell motility by activating host tyrosine phosphatases Shp1 and Shp2.Research square · 2024Article
- Review
- Silent Infections are not So Silent: The Emerging Role of Combined Infections, Inflammation, and Vitamin Levels in OCD.Clinical neuropsychiatry · 2024Article
- Prevalence ofMicroorganisms · 2024Article
- Toxoplasma-induced behavior changes - is microbial dysbiosis the missing link?Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2024Review
- Article
24 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
During acute infection in human and animal hosts, the obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii infects a variety of cell types, including leukocytes. Poised to respond to invading pathogens, dendritic cells (DC) may also be exploited by T. gondii for spread in the infected host. Here, we report that human and mouse myeloid DC possess functional γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors and the machinery for GABA biosynthesis and secretion. Shortly after T. gondii infection (genotypes I, II and III), DC responded with enhanced GABA secretion in vitro. We demonstrate that GABA activates GABA(A) receptor-mediated currents in T. gondii-infected DC, which exhibit a hypermigratory phenotype. Inhibition of GABA synthesis, transportation or GABA(A) receptor blockade in T. gondii-infected DC resulted in impaired transmigration capacity, motility and chemotactic response to CCL19 in vitro. Moreover, exogenous GABA or supernatant from infected DC restored the migration of infected DC in vitro. In a mouse model of toxoplasmosis, adoptive transfer of infected DC pre-treated with GABAergic inhibitors reduced parasite dissemination and parasite loads in target organs, e.g. the central nervous system. Altogether, we provide evidence that GABAergic signaling modulates the migratory properties of DC and that T. gondii likely makes use of this pathway for dissemination. The findings unveil that GABA, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, has activation functions in the immune system that may be hijacked by intracellular pathogens.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.