NIAB scientists perform CRISPR-based gene manipulation to identify proteins to prevent zoonotic infection of “toxoplasmosis”

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonotic infection that can be transmitted through contaminated food, especially undercooked meat. Parasitic infections caused by Toxoplasma gondii gondii may lead to abortion and neonatal mortality in humans and animals, resulting in substantial economic losses to the livestock industry due to reproductive failures.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ranked it the fourth among food-borne infections of major concern. The infection is endemic in India, with seropositivity rates reportedly higher than 20% in humans and animals. Overall, India’s climate is said to be conducive to spreading infections.

In this case, the latest research from Abhijit S. Deshmukh’s laboratory at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) is of great significance. Mr. Deshmukh and his team – Poonam Kashyap and Kalyani R. Aswale – performed CRISPR-based gene manipulation of the parasite and demonstrated that the depleted “Cdc5” of the essential splicing protein was destroyed – resulting in parasite parasite parasite parasite parasite in parasite in parasite in parasite in parasite in parasite.

Toxoplasma gonzoThe genome is rich in intronic or non-coding DNA sequences, making efficient splicing crucial. The splicing factor protein “CDC5” is crucial for the survival of parasites. Depletion of TGCDC5 can lead to false splicing, which can have a catastrophic effect on the parasite. Experiments performed on mice at the NIAB laboratory in Hyderabad showed that these defective parasites lacking key proteins undergo a non-productive phase transition.

The researchers found that this has led to a slower growth phase that triggers a strong immune response from mouse hosts and protects them from future Toxoplasma infections. “When the protein ‘TgCdc5’ is depleted upon the parasite infection in mice, these mice generate a protective immunity not only for future infections but also in providing partial protection during pregnancy. These findings suggest that targeting ‘TgCdc5’ protein could be a viable vaccine strategy for toxoplasmosis,” said Mr. Deshmukh.

The disease is currently treated with a combination of ethylamine, sulfazine and clindamycin drugs. The scientist explains that the infection is more severe through the intake of contaminated food and water, such as small ruminants such as sheep and goats.

Published in the latest issue of Magazine Natural communication, NIAB director G. Taru Sharma said the research work provides valuable information to develop vaccine development for drug development. Biotechnology Research and Innovation Commission (BRIC) – NIAB is an autonomous institute under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology.