Tissue-specific transcriptomic responses to early Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep during congenital toxoplasmosis

At 6 days post-infection in pregnant ewes infected with Toxoplasma gondii strain TgShSp1, mesenteric lymph nodes show strong interferon- and cytokine-pathway activation.

• Why it matters: Early molecular host–parasite interactions in pregnant hosts are poorly defined, yet they likely shape outcomes in ovine congenital toxoplasmosis and human disease risk.
• What they did: Pregnant ewes were experimentally infected with TgShSp1, and RNA-seq profiled small intestine, mesenteric lymph nodes, and placenta at 3 and 6 dpi.
• The result: Placenta displayed modest interferon-associated responses despite no detectable parasite DNA, alongside suppression of cell-cycle and extracellular matrix remodeling and inhibition of angiogenesis and hypoxia pathways.

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