Toxoplasma gondii ME49 infections are typically diagnosed by serological tests. However, serological diagnosis of RH strain-induced toxoplasmosis remains unknown. In order to develop seradiagnosis of above 2 kinds of infections, we generated recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) displaying the T. gondii rhoptry protein 4 (ROP4) and evaluated their potential in T. gondii ME49 or RH strain infection diagnostics. Mice were orally infected with either the tachyzoites of T. gondii (RH) or cysts of T. gondii (ME49) at various dosages, and sera were collected at regular intervals. ELISA-based serological tests were performed to assess IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody responses against ROP4 VLP antigen and tissue lysate antigen (TLA). Compared to TLA, IgG, IgM, and IgA levels to ROP4 VLP antigen were significantly higher in the sera of T. gondii RH-infected mice 1 and 2 week post-infection (PI). T. gondii-specific IgG antibody was detected at 1, 2, 4, and 8 week PI in the T. gondii ME49-infected mice with infection dose-dependent manner. These results indicated that the ROP4 VLP antigen was highly sensitive antigens detecting T. gondii RH and ME49 antibodies at an early stage.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
IgM Antibody Detection as a Diagnostic Marker for Acute Toxoplasmosis: Current Status of Studies and Main Limitations Karolina Sołowińska, Lucyna Holec-Gąsior Antibodies.2025; 14(2): 44. CrossRef
Could metformin modulate the outcome of chronic murine toxoplasmosis? Maha Mohamed Gomaa, Samar Nabil El Achy, Nehal Nassef Hezema Acta Tropica.2024; 258: 107339. CrossRef
Trend in serological and molecular diagnostic methods for Toxoplasma gondii infection Min-ju Kim, Soeun J. Park, Hyunwoo Park European Journal of Medical Research.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Recombinant AMA1 Virus-like Particle Antigen for Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii Infection Min-Ju Kim, Ki-Back Chu, Jie Mao, Hae-Ji Kang, Gi-Deok Eom, Keon-Woong Yoon, Su-Hwa Lee, Eun-Kyung Moon, Young-Ha Lee, Fu-Shi Quan Biomedicines.2022; 10(11): 2812. CrossRef
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite responsible for causing toxoplasmosis. Preventive measures for toxoplasmosis are currently lacking and as such, development of novel vaccines are of urgent need. In this study, we generated 2 virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccines expressing T. gondii rhoptry protein 4 (ROP4) or rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18) using influenza matrix protein (M1) as a core protein. Mice were intranasally immunized with VLPs vaccines and after the last immunization, mice were challenged with ME49 cysts. Protective efficacy was assessed and compared by determining serum antibody responses, body weight changes and the reduction of cyst counts in the brain. ROP18 VLPs-immunized mice induced greater levels of IgG and IgA antibody responses than those immunized with ROP4 VLPs. ROP18 VLPs immunization significantly reduced body weight loss and the number of brain cysts in mice compared to ROP4 VLPs post-challenge. These results indicate that T. gondii ROP18 VLPs elicited better protective efficacy than ROP4 VLPs, providing important insight into vaccine design strategy.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Evaluation of a DNA vector plasmid encoding a partial rop18 gene from toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats as a vaccine candidate Ana Flávia Minutti, João Pedro Sasse, Ana Clécia dos Santos Silva, Thais Agostinho Martins, Valentina Martinez, Beatriz de Souza Lima Nino, Fernando de Souza Rodrigues, Luiz Daniel de Barros, João Luis Garcia Vaccine.2025; 54: 126965. CrossRef
Applications of virus-like particles in the prevention of protozoan parasite infection Ki Back Chu, Fu-Shi Quan Nanomedicine.2025; 20(13): 1573. CrossRef
Recent progress in vaccine development targeting pre-clinical human toxoplasmosis Ki-Back Chu, Fu-Shi Quan Parasites, Hosts and Diseases.2023; 61(3): 231. CrossRef
Orally Administrated Recombinant Vaccinia Virus Displaying ROP4 Induces Protection against Toxoplasma gondii Challenge Infection Keon-Woong Yoon, Ki-Back Chu, Hae-Ji Kang, Min-Ju Kim, Gi-Deok Eom, Fu-Shi Quan Vaccines.2022; 10(2): 152. CrossRef
Protective immunity induced by CpG ODN‐adjuvanted virus‐like particles containing Toxoplasma gondii proteins Hae‐Ji Kang, Ki‐Back Chu, Min‐Ju Kim, Su‐Hwa Lee, Hyunwoo Park, Hui Jin, Eun‐Kyung Moon, Fu‐Shi Quan Parasite Immunology.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
A peptide originated from Toxoplasma gondii microneme 8 displaying serological evidence to differentiate recent from chronic human infection Silas Silva Santana, Vinícius Fernandes Paiva, Fernando Reis Carvalho, Heber Leão Silva Barros, Tamires Lopes Silva, Patrício Silva Cardoso Barros, Ana Cláudia Arantes Marquez Pajuaba, Geisa Baptista Barros, Reynaldo Dietze, Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo, Parasitology International.2021; 84: 102394. CrossRef
Evaluation of CpG-ODN-Adjuvanted Toxoplasma gondii Virus-Like Particle Vaccine upon One, Two, and Three Immunizations Hae-Ji Kang, Ki-Back Chu, Min-Ju Kim, Hyunwoo Park, Hui Jin, Su-Hwa Lee, Eun-Kyung Moon, Fu-Shi Quan Pharmaceutics.2020; 12(10): 989. CrossRef
Previous Infection with Plasmodium berghei Confers Resistance to Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Mice Dong-Hun Lee, Ki-Back Chu, Hae-Ji Kang, Su-Hwa Lee, Fu-Shi Quan The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2019; 57(2): 93. CrossRef
Influenza Virus-Like Particles Presenting both Toxoplasma gondii ROP4 and ROP13 Enhance Protection against T. gondii Infection Hae-Ji Kang, Su-Hwa Lee, Min-Ju Kim, Ki-Back Chu, Dong-Hun Lee, Manika Chopra, Hyo-Jick Choi, Hyunwoo Park, Hui Jin, Fu-Shi Quan Pharmaceutics.2019; 11(7): 342. CrossRef
Virus-like particles containing multiple antigenic proteins of Toxoplasma gondii induce memory T cell and B cell responses Su-Hwa Lee, Ki-Back Chu, Hae-Ji Kang, Fu-Shi Quan, Paulo Lee Ho PLOS ONE.2019; 14(8): e0220865. CrossRef
First
Prev
