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MULTIPLE INVASION STEPS. "Toxoplasma hijacks host organelles and cytoskeleton. Toxoplasma invasion is a complex process consisting of multiple, independently regulated steps." http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0463.2009.02453.x/full View in LinkedIn

"TOXOPLASMA infection in mice so radically alters the rodent's behavior that instead of being severely afraid of cats, they make themselves available to predation, thereby completing the life cycle of the parasite in the cat host." The parasite completely takes over the host behavior. https://lnkd.in/eqqmfxE View in LinkedIn

MODULATING THE HOST. "The success of Toxoplasma as a widespread pathogen is due to the ease in which it can be transmitted between intermediate hosts. The ability of the parasite to replicate within a host cell, evade immune responses, and undergo bradyzoite development requires that the parasite effectively modulates its host." http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0463.2009.02453.x/full View in LinkedIn

"ERV ENVELOPE PROTEINS Syncytin-1 and -2 have been clearly shown to be implicated in normal placenta function through their fusogenic ability to drive cytotrophoblast fusion to the syncytiotrophoblast layer. Through their active immunosuppression domain, these proteins might also modulate the immune response, which otherwise would harm the fetus." https://lnkd.in/eNxap6v View in LinkedIn

"TOXOPLASMA GONDII is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that can infect most warm-blooded animals. It is ubiquitous throughout the world and estimated to infect approximately half of the world's population. Toxoplasma has a complex life cycle consisting of a sexual cycle in its feline definitive hosts and an asexual cycle in its intermediate hosts. Intermediate hosts, including humans, can be infected by ingestion of oocysts shed in cat feces." https://lnkd.in/egUG5qe View in LinkedIn

INFECTIOUS ORIGIN. "The layer of fused cells that forms the membrane between mother and fetus is the key histological feature of the placenta. Cell-cell fusion is not a common feature of mammalian cells, but it is the basis of how retroviruses and other enveloped viruses enter host cells during an infection." https://lnkd.in/e6q2jTP View in LinkedIn

GUNS AND PLOUGHSHARES. "The generation of nitric oxide from arginine is responsible for efficient immune response and cytotoxicity of host cells to kill the invading pathogens. On the other hand, the conversion of arginine to ornithine and urea via the arginase pathway can support the growth of bacterial and parasitic pathogens." https://lnkd.in/ecC5-SQ View in LinkedIn

FUSOGENIC PROTEINS. "Syncytin proteins are typical retroviral-like envelope proteins and have retained the general structure of these glycoproteins. Even though they originate from exogenous retroviruses having infected primate ancestors over several million years ago, these proteins have remarkably conserved their fusogenic potential." https://lnkd.in/eNxap6v View in LinkedIn

"ARGININE is a crucial amino acid that serves to modulate the cellular immune response during infection. Arginine is also a common substrate for both inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and arginase. The competition between iNOS and arginase for arginine can thus contribute to the outcome of several parasitic and bacterial infections." https://lnkd.in/ecC5-SQ View in LinkedIn

IMPLANTATION PROTEIN. "Syncytin-1 is responsible for the fusion of fetal trophoblasts into the placental syncytiotrophoblast layer, which allows for embryo implantation." https://lnkd.in/eZe8TGB View in LinkedIn