Peroral infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii in bile and feces of interferon-γ knockout mice

Abstract

Toxoplasama gondii appeared in the bile and feces of interferon-γ knockout (GKO) bet not wild type mice on days 7-8 after peroral infection with T. gondii cysts of Fekaya strain. Both tachyzoite-specific SAG1 and bradyzoite-specific T.g.HSP30 mRNAs were detected in the bile and feces of GKO mice. Tachyzoites converted to bradyzoites by centering in the bile. By feeding uninfected mice with the bile and washed feces of T. gondii-infected GKO mice, T. gondii-specific antibody formation in the serum and cyst formation in the brain were observed. The novel migration route of T. gondii from liver to bile and feces in GKO mice was confirmed.