linkedin post 2016-03-27 06:08:14

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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
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linkedin post 2016-03-28 05:44:19

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"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
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linkedin post 2016-03-27 06:02:58

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"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
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linkedin post 2016-03-28 05:40:48

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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
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linkedin post 2016-03-27 05:59:53

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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
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linkedin post 2016-03-28 05:37:17

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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
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linkedin post 2016-03-27 05:56:29

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"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
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linkedin post 2016-03-27 05:53:54

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AMPLIFIED COMPLEXITY. "The nature of the interaction between the parasite and the host cell's apoptotic machinery is significantly dependent on its biology and the life cycle stage in question. These factors exponentially increase the complexity inherent in mammalian apoptotic regulatory pathways." http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05714.x/full View in LinkedIn
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linkedin post 2016-03-27 06:43:43

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SO ENDS this excursion into viral then parasitic attempts to enter their hosts, hijack their metabolic machinery, change their body forms, or go into chronic stealth mode to reproduce their kind. In extreme cases, such as toxoplasma Gondi, the host is a mere pawn in the parasite lifestyle. In other cases, the pathology is benign. This fascinating and complicated relationship shows the ingenuity of adaptive evolution. View in LinkedIn
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