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"Ji-Eun Lee"

Original Article
Toxoplasma gondii IST suppresses inflammatory and apoptotic responses by inhibiting STAT1-mediated signaling in IFN-γ/TNF-α-stimulated hepatocytes
Seung-Hwan Seo, Ji-Eun Lee, Do-Won Ham, Eun-Hee Shin
Parasites Hosts Dis 2024;62(1):30-41.
Published online February 23, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/PHD.23129
The dense granule protein of Toxoplasma gondii, inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (IST) is an inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) transcriptional activity that binds to STAT1 and regulates the expression of inflammatory molecules in host cells. A sterile inflammatory liver injury in pathological acute liver failures occurs when excessive innate immune function, such as the massive release of IFN-γ and TNF-α, is activated without infection. In relation to inflammatory liver injury, we hypothesized that Toxoplasma gondii inhibitor of STAT1 transcription (TgIST) can inhibit the inflammatory response induced by activating the STAT1/IRF-1 mechanism in liver inflammation. This study used IFN-γ and TNF-α as inflammatory inducers at the cellular level of murine hepatocytes (Hepa-1c1c7) to determine whether TgIST inhibits the STAT1/IRF-1 axis. In stable cells transfected with TgIST, STAT1 expression decreased with a decrease in interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1 levels. Furthermore, STAT1 inhibition of TgIST resulted in lower levels of NF-κB and COX2, as well as significantly lower levels of class II transactivator (CIITA), iNOS, and chemokines (CLXCL9/10/11). TgIST also significantly reduced the expression of hepatocyte proapoptotic markers (Caspase3/8/9, P53, and BAX), which are linked to sterile inflammatory liver injury. TgIST also reduced the expression of adhesion (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and infiltration markers of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) induced by hepatocyte and tissue damage. TgIST restored the cell apoptosis induced by IFN-γ/TNF-α stimulation. These results suggest that TgIST can inhibit STAT1-mediated inflammatory and apoptotic responses in hepatocytes stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines.

Citations

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  • T. gondii CLPTM1 enhances in vivo virulence through activation of the NF-κB/chemokine/macrophage signaling axis
    Zhengming He, Di Zhang, Xinru Yue, Min Zhang, Yulian Wei, Junlong Zhao, Rui Fang
    Animal Diseases.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Host kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO) serves as a critical immune defense factor restricting Toxoplasma gondii proliferation
    Sheng-Jie Tang, Zhong-Yang Chen, Ya-Fei Song, Yanlong Gu, Yanmin You, Dong-Hui Zhou
    Acta Tropica.2026; 275: 108012.     CrossRef
  • Dense granule proteins: key mediators of Toxoplasma gondii pathogenesis and therapeutic targets
    Ruiming Zeng, Hammad Bacha, Shams Uz Zaman, Mohammed Abohashrh, Rasha Alonaizan, Khalid J. Alzahrani, Khalaf F. Alsharif, Fuad M. Alzahrani, Abdul Qadeer, Qingming Fu
    Frontiers in Medicine.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Toxoplasma GRA16 attenuates Tau hyperphosphorylation and enhances autophagy in thrombin-treated HT-22 hippocampal neuronal cells
    Seung-Hwan Seo, Do-Won Ham, Ji-Eun Lee, Eun-Hee Shin
    Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Toxoplasma gondii GRA16 Suppresses Aerobic Glycolysis by Downregulating c-Myc and TERT Expressions in Colorectal Cancer Cells
    Ji-Eun Lee, Seung-Hwan Seo, Do-Won Ham, Eun-Hee Shin
    Biomolecules & Therapeutics.2025; 33(4): 621.     CrossRef
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