Transcriptional profiling reveals T cells cluster around neurons injected with Toxoplasma gondii proteins

Like other persistent intracellular pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii, a unicellular parasite, has evolved to evade the immune system and establish a chronic infection in specific cells and organs, including neurons in the CNS. Understanding Toxoplasma persistence in neurons holds the potential for identify novel, curative drug targets that are currently lacking. The work presented here offers new insights into the neuron-Toxoplasma interaction in vivo. The goal of this project was to determine how genetically distinct strains of the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii differentially manipulate neurons in vivo via injected polymorphic effector proteins. To accomplish this goal, we sought to couple laser capture microdissection (LCM) and RNA-seq to isolate and transcriptionally profile Toxoplasma-injected neurons (TINs) and nearby uninfected neurons from murine brain tissue infected with type II (Prugniaud) or type III (CEP)-infected parasites.