Mechanisms of parasite migration across biological barriers
Traversal of cellular barriers permits rapid dissemination of parasitic pathogens to gain access to biologically restricted organs. This ability is often associated to severe pathology in the human host. We are studying determinants of host immunity and parasite virulence factors involved in the process of parasite dissemination.
Our research is focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of severe Toxoplasma infection. Toxoplasma gondii is an important opportunistic pathogen and a model for studying intracellular parasitism by a group of parasites called the Apicomplexa that also includes Plasmodium, the causative agent of human malaria and Cryptosporidium, an emerging cause of water borne diarrheal disease. These parasites share important features relating to their intracellular existence including a novel means of cell locomotion and the ability to actively penetrate their host cells.
In vivo bioluminescence imaging, real-time confocal microscopy, 3D cell culture, ex vivo tissue cell migration, parasite transfection
 | Lambert H, Hitziger N, Dellacasa I, Svensson M, and A Barragan. 2006 Induction of dendritic cell migration upon Toxoplasma gondii infection potentiates parasite dissemination. Cell Microbiol 2006. doi:10.1111/j.1462-5822.2006.00735.x
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| Hitziger, N., Dellacasa, I., Albiger, B. and A. Barragan. 2005 Dissemination of Toxoplasma gondii to immunopriveleged organs and role of Toll/interleukin-1 receptor signaling for host resistance assessed by in vivo bioluminescence imaging. Cell Microbiol. 7(6):837-48
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| Barragan, A., Brossier, F. and L.D. Sibley. 2005 Transepithelial migration of Toxoplasma gondii involves an interaction of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) with the parasite adhesin MIC2. Cell Microbiol 7:561-568.
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| Barragan A, Sibley LD, 2003. Transmigration of Toxoplasma gondii across biological barriers. Trends in Microbiol. 11(9):426-30.
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| Vogt A, Barragan A, Qijun C, Spillmann D, Wahlgren M. 2003 Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes adhere to heparan sulfate on endothelial cells via the DBL1a domain of PfEMP1, Blood, 101(6):2405-11.
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| Barragan A, Sibley LD. 2002 Transepithelial migration of Toxoplasma gondii is linked to parasite motility and virulence. J. Exp. Med. 195, 1625-33 (C. Schubert, Nat Med, News & Views, (8)7: 2002) .
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| Barragan A, Kremsner P, Wahlgren M, Carlson J. 2000 Blood group A antigen is a co-receptor in Plasmodium falciparum rosetting. Infect Immun. 68 (5),2971-2975.
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| Barragan A, Fernandez V, Chen Q, Wahlgren M, Spillmann D. 2000 The duffy-binding-like domain 1 of the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) is a heparan sulfate ligand that requires 12-mers for binding. Blood, 95 (11),3594-3599.
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| Chen Q, Heddini A, Barragan A, Fernandez, Pearce SFA, Wahlgren M. 2000 The semi-conserved head structure of PfEMP1, DBL-1-CIDR, mediates binding of Plasmodium-falciparum-infected erythrocytes to six independent host receptors. J. Exp. Med. 192, 1-9
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| Chen Q., Barragan A., Fernandez V., Sundström A., Schlichtherle M., Sahlén A., Carlson J., Datta S., Wahlgren M. 1999 Identification of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) as the rosetting ligand of the malaria parasite P. falciparum. J. Exp. Med. 187, 15-23.
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