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Model Systems for Studying Mechanisms of Ocular Toxoplasmosis

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Toxoplasma gondii

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2071))

Abstract

The most common human disease caused by infection with Toxoplasma gondii is ocular toxoplasmosis, which typically is manifest as recurrent attacks of necrotizing retinal inflammation with subsequent scarring. The multilayered retina contains specialized cell populations, including endothelial cells, epithelial cells, neurons and supporting cells, all of which may be involved in this condition. In vitro investigations of basic mechanisms operating in human ocular toxoplasmosis use cellular and molecular methods that are common to the study of many pathological processes, and the novel aspect of this research is the use of human retinal cell subsets. Most in vivo research on ocular toxoplasmosis is conducted in the laboratory mouse. Experimental models involve local or systemic inoculation of parasites to induce acute disease, or sequential systemic and local parasite inoculations to trigger recurrent disease. We present methods for in vitro and in vivo studies of ocular toxoplasmosis, including dissection of the human eye, and culture and infection of differentiated cell populations from the retina, as well as induction of mouse ocular toxoplasmosis by intraocular, or sequential systemic and intraocular, inoculations, and imaging of toxoplasmic retinal lesions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Australian Research Council (FT130101648 to JRS) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (GNT1066235 to JRS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia

    Justine R. Smith, Liam M. Ashander, Yuefang Ma & Elise Rochet

  2. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    João M. Furtado

Authors
  1. Justine R. Smith
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  2. Liam M. Ashander
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  3. Yuefang Ma
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  4. Elise Rochet
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  5. João M. Furtado
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justine R. Smith .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Christopher J. Tonkin

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Smith, J.R., Ashander, L.M., Ma, Y., Rochet, E., Furtado, J.M. (2020). Model Systems for Studying Mechanisms of Ocular Toxoplasmosis. In: Tonkin, C. (eds) Toxoplasma gondii. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2071. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9857-9_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9857-9_17

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9856-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9857-9

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