Pathogenic and genetic analysis of Toxoplasma by Japan, China and South Korea

• Project/Area Number: 18KK0226
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (B))
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 49:Pathology, infection/immunology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMOTO Masahiro 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 教授 (00444521)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 笹井 美和 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 准教授 (30631551) ; 馬 知秀 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 助教 (90755266)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-10-09 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,140,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥7,150,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,650,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥7,150,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,650,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000)
• Keywords: トキソプラズマ / 中国 / 韓国 / 共同研究 / 中国株 / 韓国株 / 日本株 / 系統解析 / インターフェロン / 武漢株Ａ / 病原性 / 北東アジア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is known that Toxoplasma still exists in Japan, congenital and acquired toxoplasmosis still develops, and miscarriage, stillbirth, and death occur almost every year, but the properties of isolated Japanese Toxoplasma. It was one of the main factors that hindered comprehensive measures against toxoplasmosis in Japan. As a means of understanding parasite immunological properties such as phylogenetic classification and pathogenicity of Japanese Toxoplasma, in addition to comparison with standard strains from North America and Europe far from Japan, with Toxoplasma from China It was possible to compare and the genomic structure was clarified. In addition, joint research with the Chinese side revealed a new Toxoplasma-host immune interaction of iNOS.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

欧米や申請者のグループから見れば、中国や韓国研究グループは基礎研究力が依然として低いため、アジア由来のトキソプラズマは材料が極めてユニークであるにもかかわらず、その素材のポテンシャルを十分に引き出せていなかったが、本共同研究によりそのポテンシャルを引き出すことができた。また、北朝鮮情勢など歴史的激動期を迎えつつある昨今の東アジア情勢を考えると、地理的だけなく、歴史的にも恩讐含めて極めて繋がりが緊密な日本・中国・韓国の3か国が手を携えて行う本国際共同研究は、単に寄生虫学という医学生物学研究の範疇を超えて、民間親善外交の一翼を担い、我が国の国益にも十分利した。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] 安徽医科大学/中山大学/中国農業大学(中国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ジョンス・ホプキンス大学(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] 中山大学/寧波大学/安徽医科大学(中国)
• [Journal Article] High resistance to Toxoplasma gondii infection in inducible nitric oxide synthase knockout rats (2021)
  • Author(s): Wang Zhen-Jie、Yu Shao-Meng、Gao Jiang-Mei、Zhang Peng、Hide Geoff、Yamamoto Masahiro、Lai De-Hua、Lun Zhao-Rong
  • Journal Title: iScience Volume: 24 Issue: 11 Pages: 103280-103280
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103280
• [Journal Article] T cell-derived interferon-γ is required for host defense to (2020)
  • Author(s): Nishiyama Saishi、Pradipta Ariel、Ma Ji Su、Sasai Miwa、Yamamoto Masahiro
  • Journal Title: Parasitology International Volume: 75 Pages: 102049-102049
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102049
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Initial phospholipid-dependent Irgb6 targeting to Toxoplasma gondii vacuoles mediates host defense. (2019)
  • Author(s): Lee, Y., Yamada, H., Pradipta, A., Ma, J.S., Okamoto, M., Nagaoka, H., Takashima, E., Standley, D.M., Sasai, M., Takei, K., Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: Life Science Alliance Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Pages: 000-000
  • DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900549
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] CXCR4 regulates Plasmodium development in mouse and human hepatocytes (2019)
  • Author(s): Bando Hironori、Pradipta Ariel、Iwanaga Shiroh、Okamoto Toru、Okuzaki Daisuke、Tanaka Shun、Vega-Rodr?guez Joel、Lee Youngae、Ma Ji Su、Sakaguchi Naoya、Soga Akira、Fukumoto Shinya、Sasai Miwa、Matsuura Yoshiharu、Yuda Masao、Jacobs-Lorena Marcelo、Yamamoto Masahiro
  • Journal Title: Journal of Experimental Medicine Volume: 216 Issue: 8 Pages: 1733-1748
  • DOI: 10.1084/jem.20182227
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Toxoplasma Effector GRA15-Dependent Suppression of IFN-γ-Induced Antiparasitic Response in Human Neurons (2019)
  • Author(s): Bando Hironori、Lee Youngae、Sakaguchi Naoya、Pradipta Ariel、Sakamoto Ryoma、Tanaka Shun、Ma Ji Su、Sasai Miwa、Yamamoto Masahiro
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology Volume: 9 Pages: 140-140
  • DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00140
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Is a Key Host Factor for Toxoplasma GRA15-Dependent Disruption of the Gamma Interferon-Induced Antiparasitic Human Response (2018)
  • Author(s): Bando Hironori、Lee Youngae、Sakaguchi Naoya、Pradipta Ariel、Ma Ji Su、Tanaka Shun、Cai Yihong、Liu Jianfa、Shen Jilong、Nishikawa Yoshifumi、Sasai Miwa、Yamamoto Masahiro
  • Journal Title: mBio Volume: 9 Issue: 5 Pages: 5-5
  • DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01738-18
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Toxoplasma Effector TgIST Targets Host IDO1 to Antagonize the IFN-γ-Induced Anti-parasitic Response in Human Cells (2018)
  • Author(s): Bando Hironori、Sakaguchi Naoya、Lee Youngae、Pradipta Ariel、Ma Ji Su、Tanaka Shun、Lai De-Hua、Liu Jianfa、Lun Zhao-Rong、Nishikawa Yoshifumi、Sasai Miwa、Yamamoto Masahiro
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Immunology Volume: 9 Pages: 2073-2073
  • DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02073
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Targeted disruption of IFN-γ-induced IDO1-dependent anti-parasitic response in human cells by Toxoplasma effector TgIST (2018)
  • Author(s): Masahiro Yamamoto
  • Organizer: The 3rd Asian Congress of Protistology & 10th Asian Conference of Ciliate Biology & 2nd International Symposium on Biodiversity and Evolution of Protozoa
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited