Summary: TheJournalofExperimentalMedicine
ARTICLE
www.jem.org/cgi/doi/
Cite by DOI: 10.1084/jem.20070634 1 of 12
10.1084/jem.20070634
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular
pathogen capable of infecting a variety of phago-
cytic and nonphagocytic host cells by an active
penetration process leading to the formation
of a parasitophorous vacuole that remains seg-
regated from host endocytic/lysosomal com-
partments (1­4). Although T. gondii produces
an asymptomatic infection in most immuno-
competent hosts, encysted parasites may reacti-
vate in immunocompromised individuals, leading
to uncontrolled parasite growth and severe
tissue damage (5­7). During the acute phase,
T. gondii triggers a strong innate response me-
diated by macrophages, DCs, neutrophils, and
NK cells (8­13). The latter cell population is

Source: Arnold, Jonathan - Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center & Department of Genetics, University of Georgia

Collections: Biotechnology