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Microorganisms
Volume 13
Issue 9
10.3390/microorganisms13091970
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Distribution of Neospora caninum Secretory Proteins in Mouse and Calf Brains

by
Nanako Ushio-Watanabe
1,
Rio Fujiwara
2,
Kenichi Watanabe
3,
Manabu Yamada
3,
Yoshiyasu Kobayashi
3 and
Yoshifumi Nishikawa
1,*
1
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-0834, Japan
2
Kochi Seibu Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Kochi 787-0019, Japan
3
Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-0834, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2025, 13(9), 1970; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13091970
Submission received: 9 July 2025 / Revised: 15 August 2025 / Accepted: 18 August 2025 / Published: 22 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Veterinary Microbiology)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Neospora caninum, as well as Toxoplasma gondii, secrete proteins that facilitate the invasion of host cells and the regulation of host immune response and metabolism. However, the localization of the secretory proteins in infected animal brains has not been studied in detail. Here, we investigate the brain and intracellular distribution of the secretory proteins in experimentally infected mice and naturally infected calves through histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect surface antigen 1 (NcSAG1), cyclophilin (NcCYP), profilin (NcPF), dense granule protein 6 (NcGRA6), and NcGRA7. These methods revealed that numerous tachyzoites positive for NcSAG1, NcCYP, NcPF, NcGRA6, and NcGRA7 were localized in and around the animals’ necrotic lesions, and NcGRA7 was diffusely observed in the necrotic lesions of the infected mice. Moreover, IHC revealed that NcGRA6 and NcGRA7 were distributed in the cytoplasm of infected neurons around the parasites in the infected mice and calves. This suggests that NcGRA6 and NcGRA7 might be directly related to the alteration of neuronal metabolism and activity, and that NcGRA7 might be related to the formation of necrotic lesions.
Keywords: Neospora caninum; encephalitis; secretory proteins; dense granule proteins Neospora caninum; encephalitis; secretory proteins; dense granule proteins

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ushio-Watanabe, N.; Fujiwara, R.; Watanabe, K.; Yamada, M.; Kobayashi, Y.; Nishikawa, Y. The Distribution of Neospora caninum Secretory Proteins in Mouse and Calf Brains. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1970. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13091970

AMA Style

Ushio-Watanabe N, Fujiwara R, Watanabe K, Yamada M, Kobayashi Y, Nishikawa Y. The Distribution of Neospora caninum Secretory Proteins in Mouse and Calf Brains. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(9):1970. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13091970

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ushio-Watanabe, Nanako, Rio Fujiwara, Kenichi Watanabe, Manabu Yamada, Yoshiyasu Kobayashi, and Yoshifumi Nishikawa. 2025. "The Distribution of Neospora caninum Secretory Proteins in Mouse and Calf Brains" Microorganisms 13, no. 9: 1970. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13091970

APA Style

Ushio-Watanabe, N., Fujiwara, R., Watanabe, K., Yamada, M., Kobayashi, Y., & Nishikawa, Y. (2025). The Distribution of Neospora caninum Secretory Proteins in Mouse and Calf Brains. Microorganisms, 13(9), 1970. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13091970

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