Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40420177›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2025

Effects of latent infection of Toxoplasma gondii strains with different genotypes on mouse behavior and brain transcripts.

Bei-Bei Zhou, Hong-Jie Dong, Hang Sun, Xiao-Man Xie, Huan-Huan Xie, Wen-Ju Zhu, Ya-Nan Li, Chao Xu, Jian-Ping Cao, Gui-Hua Zhao and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Population genetic structure of zoonoticScience in One Health · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Bei-Bei Zhou *National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Hong-Jie Dong *National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Hang SunNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Xiao-Man XieNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Huan-Huan XieNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Wen-Ju ZhuNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Ya-Nan LiNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Chao XuNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China.
Jian-Ping CaoNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China. caojp@chinacdc.cn.
Gui-Hua ZhaoNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China. zhgh20151201@163.com.
Kun YinNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jining, 272033, China. kyin@sdfmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Key Research and Development Plan of Jining 2022YXNS152Medical and Health Science and Technology Program of Shandong Province 202401050156Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province ZR2022MH197Parasitic Pathogens of National Health Committee and Vector Biology Key Laboratory Open Research Topic NHCKFKT2022-15Taishan Scholars Project of Shandong Province tsqn202103186
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundToxoplasma gondii can cause severe damage to immunodeficient hosts, and also compromise brain structure and function in immunocompetent hosts during latent infection. In China, the two different isolates, Chinese I (ToxoDB#9) and Chinese III are dominant epidemic strains widely spreading in humans and domestic animals and can lead to latent infection in host brain tissues, but the comparison of their manipulation patterns and mechanisms remains unclear.

methodsTachyzoites of the TgWh6 (Wh6) strain and the TgCtLHG (LHG) strain were used for establishing in vitro infection models within mouse microglia BV2 cells, and the differences in their invasion and proliferation patterns were observed. C57BL/6 J mice were used to establish in vivo latent infection models. After behavioral tests, the differential expressed transcripts (DETs) of the infected and control animals' cerebral cortex were sequenced by Nanopore RNA-seq. Functional differences of DETs were analyzed by Gene Ontology enrichment analysis (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) and cluster analysis. Expression of the key candidates were verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

resultsIn our infection models, we found that Wh6 had more vigorous invasion and proliferation abilities in vitro, while LHG had a greater ability to form cysts in vivo. In the latent infection phase, behavioral changes, including spatial working memory, cognitive and motor abilities, and anxiety, were observed in both Wh6 and LHG infected mice; however, the LHG group showed more serious anxiety. Among DETs, genes related to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules were significantly upregulated in the infected mice, while genes related to synaptic transmission and neurodegenerative diseases were downregulated in the infected groups. The downregulated DETs of Sept4, Kcng4, Unc13c, and Prkcg in the WH6 group, which are related to synaptic transmission, and Ndrg2 and Arc in the LHG group, which are related to neurodegenerative diseases, were selected to be the key candidates in the latent infection phase.

conclusionsCompared with WH6, although LHG has a milder invasion ability, it can cause increased behavioral disorders in hosts. Genes related to synaptic transmission and neurodegenerative diseases may be the main causes of host mental and behavioral disorders.

Indexed as

Behavior, AnimalBrainGenotypeToxoplasmaToxoplasmosis, AnimalAnimalsCell LineDisease Models, AnimalMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMicrogliaCerebral cystsDifferentially expressed transcriptsMental and behavioral disordersNanopore RNA-seqToxoplasma gondii

Identifiers

PMID40420177
PMCPMC12107737

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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.