AUTHOR=Song Lingling , Wang Ruoyu , Cao Yuanyuan , Yu Li 

TITLE=Mutual regulations between Toxoplasma gondii and type I interferon

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1428232

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2024.1428232

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>In the decades since the discovery, Type I interferon (IFN-I) has been intensively studied for their antiviral activity. However, increasing evidences suggest that it may also play an important role in the infection of <italic>Toxoplasma gondii</italic>, a model organism for intracellular parasites. Recent studies demonstrated that the induction of IFN-I by the parasite depends on cell type, strain genotype, and mouse strain. IFN-I can inhibit the proliferation of <italic>T. gondii</italic>, but few studies showed that it is beneficial to the growth of the parasite. Meanwhile, <italic>T. gondii</italic> also can secrete proteins that impact the pathway of IFN-I production and downstream induced interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) regulation, thereby escaping immune destruction by the host. This article reviews the major findings and progress in the production, function, and regulation of IFN-I during <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection, to thoroughly understand the innate immune mechanism of <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection, which provides a new target for subsequent intervention and treatment.</p>