CD40, autophagy and Toxoplasma gondii

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
• Main Author: Carlos S Subauste
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2009
• Subjects: macrophage; lysosome; endosome; IFN-³; nitric oxide; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Microbiology; QR1-502; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02762009000200020; https://doaj.org/article/8c5f20bfd8d3469e9cb4d186974a4dbe

Toxoplasmagondii represents a pathogen that survives within host cells by preventing the endosomal-lysosomal compartments from fusing with the parasitophorous vacuoles. The dogma had been that the non-fusogenic nature of these vacuoles is irreversible. Recent studies revealed that this dogma is not correct. Cell-mediated immunity through CD40 re-routes the parasitophorous vacuoles to the lysosomal compartment by a process called autophagy. Autophagosome formation around the parasitophorous vacuole results in killing of the T. gondii. CD40-induced autophagy likely contributes to resistance against T. gondii particularly in neural tissue.