Folia Parasitologica 57[2] 151-155 (2010) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2010.019

Toxoplasma gondii strain-dependent effects on mouse behaviour

Geetha Kannan^1,4, Krisztina Moldovan¹, Jian-Chun Xiao⁵, Robert H. Yolken⁵, Lorraine Jones-Brando⁵, Mikhail V. Pletnikov^1,2,3,4

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,

² Department of Neuroscience, and

³ Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

⁴ Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

⁵ Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Toxoplasma gondii reportedly manipulates rodent behaviour to increase transmission to its definitive feline host. We compared the effects of mouse infection by two Type II strains of T. gondii, Prugniaud (PRU) and ME49, on attraction to cat odour, locomotor activity, anxiety, sensorimotor gating, and spatial working and recognition memory 2 months post-infection (mpi). Attraction to cat odour was reassessed 7 mpi. At 2 mpi, mice infected with either strain exhibited significantly more attraction to cat odour than uninfected animals did, but only PRU-infected mice exhibited this behaviour 7 mpi. PRU-infected mice had significantly greater body weights and hyperactivity, while ME49-infected mice exhibited impaired spatial working memory. No differences in parasite antibody titres were seen between PRU- and ME49-infected mice. The present data suggest the effect of T. gondii infection on mouse behaviour is parasite strain-dependent.

Keywords: Toxoplasma, behaviour, strain dependency

Received: November 19, 2009; Accepted: March 30, 2010; Published: June 1, 2010  Show citation