The IL-12- and IL-23-Dependent NK Cell Response Is Essential for Protective Immunity against Secondary Toxoplasma gondii Infection.

NK cells can develop cell-intrinsic memory-like characteristics. Whether they develop these characteristics during Toxoplasma gondii infection is unknown. We addressed this question and dissected the mechanisms involved in secondary NK cell responses using a vaccine-challenge mouse model of T. gondii infection. NK cells were required for control of and survival after secondary T. gondii infection. NK cells increased in number at the reinfection site and produced IFN-γ. To test if these T. gondii experienced NK cells were intrinsically different from naive NK cells, we performed NK cell adoptive transfer into RAG2/cγ-chain-/- mice, NK cell fate mapping, and RAG1-/- mice vaccine-challenge experiments. Although NK cells contributed to immunity after reinfection, they did not develop cell-intrinsic memory-like characteristics after T. gondii vaccination. The mechanisms required for generating these secondary NK cell responses were investigated. Secondary NK cell responses were CD4+ or CD8+ T cell independent. Although IL-12 alone is required for NK cell IFN-γ production during primary T. gondii infection, in the absence of IL-12 using IL-12p35-/- mice or anti-IL-12p70, secondary NK cell responses were only partially reduced after reinfection. IL-23 depletion with anti-IL-23p19 in vivo also significantly reduced the secondary NK cell response. IL-12 and IL-23 blockade with anti-IL-12p40 treatment completely eliminated secondary NK cell responses. Importantly, blockade of IL-12, IL-23, or both significantly reduced control of parasite reinfection and increased parasite burden. Our results define a previously unknown protective role for NK cells during secondary T. gondii infection that is dependent on IL-12 and IL-23.

Control of Toxoplasma reactivation by rescue of dysfunctional CD8+ T-cell response via PD-1-PDL-1 blockade.

In this study, we document that Toxoplasma gondii differentiation and reactivation are mediated by systemic CD8 T-cell dysfunction during chronic infection. We demonstrate that CD8(+) T-cell exhaustion occurs despite control of parasitemia during early-chronic toxoplasmosis. During later phases, these cells become exhausted, leading to parasite reactivation and mortality. Concomitant with increased CD8(+) T-cell apoptosis and decreased effector response, this dysfunction is characterized by a graded elevation in expression of inhibitory receptor PD-1 on these cells in both lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissue. Blockade of the PD-1-PDL-1 pathway reinvigorates this suboptimal CD8(+) T-cell response, resulting in control of parasite reactivation and prevention of mortality in chronically infected animals. To the best of our knowledge, this report is unique in showing that exposure to a persistent pathogen despite initial control of parasitemia can lead to CD8(+) T-cell dysfunction and parasite reactivation.

Robust inducible gene expression in intracellular Listeria monocytogenes in vivo.

Attenuated strains of the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes can deliver genetically encoded payloads inside tumor cells. L. monocytogenes preferentially accumulates and propagates inside immune-suppressed tumor microenvironments. To maximize the payload impact in tumors and minimize damage to healthy tissues, it is desirable to induce payload synthesis when bacteria are eliminated from the healthy tissues but are grown to high numbers intratumorally. Here, we have engineered a tightly controlled gene expression system for intracellular L. monocytogenes inducible with a cumin derivative, cumate. Upon cumate addition, expression of a reporter gene is increased in L. monocytogenes growing in vitro by 80-fold, and in intracellular L. monocytogenes in murine tumors by 10-fold. This study demonstrates the feasibility of activating gene expression in intracellular bacteria in live animals using an edible inducer. The system is expected to enhance the efficacy and safety of the attenuated L. monocytogenes strains as antitumor payload delivery bacterial drones.

Differential genetic expression within reward-specific ensembles in mice.

Maladaptive reward seeking is a hallmark of cocaine use disorder. To develop therapeutic targets, it is critical to understand the neurobiological changes specific to cocaine-seeking without altering the seeking of natural rewards, e.g., sucrose. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) are known regions associated with cocaine- and sucrose-seeking ensembles, i.e., a sparse population of co-activated neurons. Within ensembles, transcriptomic alterations in the PFC and NAcore underlie the learning and persistence of cocaine- and sucrose-seeking behavior. However, transcriptomes exclusively driving cocaine seeking independent from sucrose seeking have not yet been defined using a within-subject approach. Using Ai14:cFos-TRAP2 transgenic mice in a dual cocaine and sucrose self-administration model, we fluorescently sorted (FACS) and characterized (RNAseq) the transcriptomes defining cocaine- and sucrose-seeking ensembles. We found reward- and region-specific transcriptomic changes that will help develop clinically relevant genetic approaches to decrease cocaine-seeking behavior without altering non-drug reward-based positive reinforcement.

Cutting edge: CD40-CD40 ligand pathway plays a critical CD8-intrinsic and -extrinsic role during rescue of exhausted CD8 T cells.

CD8 exhaustion mediated by an inhibitory programmed death-1-programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway occurs in several chronic infections, including toxoplasmosis. Although blockade of the programmed death-1-PD-L1 pathway revives this response, the role of costimulatory receptors involved in this rescue has not been ascertained in any model of CD8 exhaustion. This report demonstrates that one such costimulatory pathway, CD40-CD40L, plays a critical role during rescue of exhausted CD8 T cells. Blockade of this pathway abrogates the ameliorative effects of anti-PD-L1 treatment on CD8 T cells. Additionally, we demonstrate in an infectious disease model that CD8-intrinsic CD40 signaling is important for optimal CD8 polyfunctionality, proliferation, T-bet upregulation, and IL-21 signaling, albeit in the context of CD8 rescue. The critical role of CD40 during the rescue of exhausted CD8 T cells may provide a rational basis for designing novel therapeutic vaccination approaches.

PD-1-mediated attrition of polyfunctional memory CD8+ T cells in chronic toxoplasma infection.

We reported earlier that during chronic toxoplasmosis CD8(+) T cells become functionally exhausted with concomitant PD-1 upregulation, leading to eventual host mortality. However, how immune exhaustion specifically mediates attrition of CD8 polyfunctionality, a hallmark of potent T-cell response, during persistent infections has not been addressed. In this study, we demonstrate that PD-1 is preferentially expressed on polyfunctional memory CD8(+) T cells, which renders them susceptible to apoptosis. In vitro blockade of the PD-1-PD-L1 pathway dramatically reduces apoptosis of polyfunctional and interferon γ(+)/granzyme B(-) memory but not effector CD8(+) T cells. In summary, the present report underscores the critical role of the PD-1-PD-L1 pathway in mediating attrition of this important CD8(+) T-cell subset and addresses the mechanistic basis of how αPD-L1 therapy reinvigorates polyfunctional CD8 response during chronic infections. The conclusions of this study can have profound immunotherapeutic implications in combating recrudescent toxoplasmosis as well other chronic infections.

Host ranges of Sf-rhabdoviruses harbored by lepidopteran insects and insect cell lines.

Cell lines derived from Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf), which are the most widely used hosts in the baculovirus-insect cell system, are contaminated with Sf-rhabdoviruses (Sf-RVs). In this study, we identified a closely related virus (Sf-CAT-RV) in the caterpillar species used to isolate the original Sf cell line. We then evaluated the Sf-RV and Sf-CAT-RV host ranges, found Sf-CAT-RV could infect Vero cells, and obtained results suggesting both variants can infect mouse ear fibroblasts. In addition, we found both variants could establish pantropic infections in severely immunocompromised (RAG2/IL2RG-/-) mice. However, both variants were cleared by two weeks post-inoculation and neither produced any symptoms or obvious adverse outcomes in these hosts. We conclude the caterpillars used to isolate Sf21 cells were the most likely source of the Sf-RV contaminant, Sf-RVs and their Sf-CAT-RV progenitor have broader host ranges than expected from previous work, but neither variant poses a serious threat to human health.

Type II Toxoplasma gondii KU80 knockout strains enable functional analysis of genes required for cyst development and latent infection.

Type II Toxoplasma gondii KU80 knockouts (Δku80) deficient in nonhomologous end joining were developed to delete the dominant pathway mediating random integration of targeting episomes. Gene targeting frequency in the type II Δku80 Δhxgprt strain measured at the orotate (OPRT) and the uracil (UPRT) phosphoribosyltransferase loci was highly efficient. To assess the potential of the type II Δku80 Δhxgprt strain to examine gene function affecting cyst biology and latent stages of infection, we targeted the deletion of four parasite antigen genes (GRA4, GRA6, ROP7, and tgd057) that encode characterized CD8(+) T cell epitopes that elicit corresponding antigen-specific CD8(+) T cell populations associated with control of infection. Cyst development in these type II mutant strains was not found to be strictly dependent on antigen-specific CD8(+) T cell host responses. In contrast, a significant biological role was revealed for the dense granule proteins GRA4 and GRA6 in cyst development since brain tissue cyst burdens were drastically reduced specifically in mutant strains with GRA4 and/or GRA6 deleted. Complementation of the Δgra4 and Δgra6 mutant strains using a functional allele of the deleted GRA coding region placed under the control of the endogenous UPRT locus was found to significantly restore brain cyst burdens. These results reveal that GRA proteins play a functional role in establishing cyst burdens and latent infection. Collectively, our results suggest that a type II Δku80 Δhxgprt genetic background enables a higher-throughput functional analysis of the parasite genome to reveal fundamental aspects of parasite biology controlling virulence, pathogenesis, and transmission.

Functional and immunological peculiarities of peripheral nerve allografts.

This review addresses the accumulating evidence that live (not decellularized) allogeneic peripheral nerves are functionally and immunologically peculiar in comparison with many other transplanted allogeneic tissues. This is relevant because live peripheral nerve allografts are very effective at promoting recovery after segmental peripheral nerve injury via axonal regeneration and axon fusion. Understanding the immunological peculiarities of peripheral nerve allografts may also be of interest to the field of transplantation in general. Three topics are addressed: The first discusses peripheral nerve injury and the potential utility of peripheral nerve allografts for bridging segmental peripheral nerve defects via axon fusion and axon regeneration. The second reviews evidence that peripheral nerve allografts elicit a more gradual and less severe host immune response allowing for prolonged survival and function of allogeneic peripheral nerve cells and structures. Lastly, potential mechanisms that may account for the immunological differences of peripheral nerve allografts are discussed.

Cell-mediated immunity to Toxoplasma gondii develops primarily by local Th1 host immune responses in the absence of parasite replication.

A single inoculation of mice with the live, attenuated Toxoplasma gondii uracil auxotroph strain cps1-1 induces long-lasting immunity against lethal challenge with hypervirulent strain RH. The mechanism for this robust immunity in the absence of parasite replication has not been addressed. The mechanism of long-lasting immunity, the importance of route of immunization, cellular recruitment to the site of infection, and local and systemic inflammation were evaluated. Our results show that infection with cps1-1 elicits long-lasting CD8+ T cell- mediated immunity. We show that immunization with cps1-1-infected dendritic cells elicits long-lasting immunity. Intraperitoneal infection with cps1-1 induced a rapid influx of GR1+ neutrophils and two stages of GR1+CD68+ inflammatory monocyte infiltration into the site of inoculation. CD19+ B cells and CD3+ T cells steadily increase for 8 days after infection. CD8+ T cells were rapidly recruited to the site of infection and increased faster than CD4+ T cells. Surprisingly, cps1-1 infection induced high systemic levels of bioactive IL-12p70 and a very low level and transient systemic IFN-gamma. Furthermore, we show significant levels of these inflammatory cytokines were locally produced at the site of cps1-1 inoculation. These findings offer new insight into immunological mechanisms and local host responses to a non-replicating type I parasite infection associated with development of long-lasting immunity to Toxoplasma gondii.

Iron activates microglia and directly stimulates indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase activity in the N171-82Q mouse model of Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a dominant CAG-repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. Microglial activation is a key feature of HD pathology, and is present before clinical disease onset. The kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan degradation is activated in HD, and is thought to contribute to disease progression. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) catalyzes the first step in this pathway; this and other pathway enzymes reside with microglia. While HD brain microglia accumulate iron, the role of iron in promoting microglial activation and KP activity is unclear. Here we utilized the neonatal iron supplementation model to investigate the relationship between iron, microglial activation and neurodegeneration in adult HD mice. We show in the N171-82Q mouse model of HD microglial morphologic changes consistent with immune activation. Neonatal iron supplementation in these mice promoted neurodegeneration and resulted in additional microglial activation in adults as determined by increased soma volume and decreased process length. We further demonstrate that iron activates IDO, both in brain lysates and purified recombinant protein (EC50 = 1.24 nM). Brain IDO activity is increased by HD. Neonatal iron supplementation further promoted IDO activity in cerebral cortex, altered KP metabolite profiles, and promoted HD neurodegeneration as measured by brain weights and striatal volumes. Our results demonstrate that dietary iron is an important activator of microglia and the KP pathway in this HD model, and that this occurs in part through a direct effect on IDO. The findings are relevant to understanding how iron promotes neurodegeneration in HD.

Nuclear Transport Factor 2 (NTF2) suppresses WM983B metastatic melanoma by modifying cell migration, metastasis, and gene expression.

While changes in nuclear structure and organization are frequently observed in cancer cells, relatively little is known about how nuclear architecture impacts cancer progression and pathology. To begin to address this question, we studied Nuclear Transport Factor 2 (NTF2) because its levels decrease during melanoma progression. We show that increasing NTF2 expression in WM983B metastatic melanoma cells reduces cell proliferation and motility while increasing apoptosis. We also demonstrate that increasing NTF2 expression in these cells significantly inhibits metastasis and prolongs survival of mice. NTF2 levels affect the expression and nuclear positioning of a number of genes associated with cell proliferation and migration, and increasing NTF2 expression leads to changes in nuclear size, nuclear lamin A levels, and chromatin organization. Thus, ectopic expression of NTF2 in WM983B metastatic melanoma abrogates phenotypes associated with advanced stage cancer both in vitro and in vivo, concomitantly altering nuclear and chromatin structure and generating a gene expression profile with characteristics of primary melanoma. We propose that NTF2 is a melanoma tumor suppressor and could be a novel therapeutic target to improve health outcomes of melanoma patients.

Efficient gene replacements in Toxoplasma gondii strains deficient for nonhomologous end joining.

A high frequency of nonhomologous recombination has hampered gene targeting approaches in the model apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. To address whether the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway could be disrupted in this obligate intracellular parasite, putative KU proteins were identified and a predicted KU80 gene was deleted. The efficiency of gene targeting via double-crossover homologous recombination at several genetic loci was found to be greater than 97% of the total transformants in KU80 knockouts. Gene replacement efficiency was markedly increased (300- to 400-fold) in KU80 knockouts compared to wild-type strains. Target DNA flanks of only approximately 500 bp were found to be sufficient for efficient gene replacements in KU80 knockouts. KU80 knockouts stably retained a normal growth rate in vitro and the high virulence phenotype of type I strains but exhibited an increased sensitivity to double-strand DNA breaks induced by treatment with phleomycin or gamma-irradiation. Collectively, these results revealed that a significant KU-dependent NHEJ DNA repair pathway is present in Toxoplasma gondii. Integration essentially occurs only at the homologous targeted sites in the KU80 knockout background, making this genetic background an efficient host for gene targeting to speed postgenome functional analysis and genetic dissection of parasite biology.

NK Cells Negatively Regulate CD8 T Cells to Promote Immune Exhaustion and Chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection.

NK cells regulate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in acute viral infection, vaccination, and the tumor microenvironment. NK cells also become exhausted in chronic activation settings. The mechanisms causing these ILC responses and their impact on adaptive immunity are unclear. CD8+ T cell exhaustion develops during chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection resulting in parasite reactivation and death. How chronic T. gondii infection impacts the NK cell compartment is not known. We demonstrate that NK cells do not exhibit hallmarks of exhaustion. Their numbers are stable and they do not express high PD1 or LAG3. NK cell depletion with anti-NK1.1 is therapeutic and rescues chronic T. gondii infected mice from CD8+ T cell exhaustion dependent death, increases survival after lethal secondary challenge and alters cyst burdens in brain. Anti-NK1.1 treatment increased polyfunctional CD8+ T cell responses in spleen and brain and reduced CD8+ T cell apoptosis in spleen. Chronic T. gondii infection promotes the development of a modified NK cell compartment, which does not exhibit normal NK cell characteristics. NK cells are Ly49 and TRAIL negative and are enriched for expression of CD94/NKG2A and KLRG1. These NK cells are found in both spleen and brain. They do not produce IFNγ, are IL-10 negative, do not increase PDL1 expression, but do increase CD107a on their surface. Based on the NK cell receptor phenotype we observed NKp46 and CD94-NKG2A cognate ligands were measured. Activating NKp46 (NCR1-ligand) ligand increased and NKG2A ligand Qa-1b expression was reduced on CD8+ T cells. Blockade of NKp46 rescued the chronically infected mice from death and reduced the number of NKG2A+ cells. Immunization with a single dose non-persistent 100% protective T. gondii vaccination did not induce this cell population in the spleen, suggesting persistent infection is essential for their development. We hypothesize chronic T. gondii infection induces an NKp46 dependent modified NK cell population that reduces functional CD8+ T cells to promote persistent parasite infection in the brain. NK cell targeted therapies could enhance immunity in people with chronic infections, chronic inflammation and cancer.

Long-term immunity to lethal acute or chronic type II Toxoplasma gondii infection is effectively induced in genetically susceptible C57BL/6 mice by immunization with an attenuated type I vaccine strain.

C57BL/6 (B6) mice are genetically highly susceptible to chronic type II Toxoplasma gondii infections that invariably cause lethal toxoplasmic encephalitis. We examined the ability of an attenuated type I vaccine strain to elicit long-term immunity to lethal acute or chronic type II infections in susceptible B6 mice. Mice immunized with the type I cps1-1 vaccine strain were not susceptible to a lethal (100-cyst) challenge with the type II strain ME49. Immunized mice challenged with 10 ME49 cysts exhibited significant reductions in brain cyst and parasite burdens compared to naive mice, regardless of the route of challenge infection. Remarkably, cps1-1 strain-immunized B6 mice chronically infected with ME49 survived for at least 12 months without succumbing to the chronic infection. Potent immunity to type II challenge infections persisted for at least 10 months after vaccination. While the cps1-1 strain-elicited immunity did not prevent the establishment of a chronic infection or clear established brain cysts, cps1-1 strain-elicited CD8(+) immune T cells significantly inhibited recrudescence of brain cysts during chronic ME49 infection. In addition, we show that uracil starvation of the cps1-1 strain induces early markers of bradyzoite differentiation. Collectively, these results suggest that more effective immune control of chronic type II infection in the genetically susceptible B6 background is established by vaccination with the nonreplicating type I uracil auxotroph cps1-1 strain.

Lung injury, inflammation and Akt signaling following inhalation of particulate hexavalent chromium.

Certain particulate hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] compounds are human respiratory carcinogens that release genotoxic soluble chromate, and are associated with fibrosis, fibrosarcomas, adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the lung. We postulate that inflammatory processes and mediators may contribute to the etiology of Cr(VI) carcinogenesis, however the immediate (0-24 h) pathologic injury and immune responses after exposure to particulate chromates have not been adequately investigated. Our aim was to determine the nature of the lung injury, inflammatory response, and survival signaling responses following intranasal exposure of BALB/c mice to particulate basic zinc chromate. Factors associated with lung injury, inflammation and survival signaling were measured in airway lavage fluid and in lung tissue. A single chromate exposure induced an acute immune response in the lung, characterized by a rapid and significant increase in IL-6 and GRO-alpha levels, an influx of neutrophils, and a decline in macrophages in lung airways. Histological examination of lung tissue in animals challenged with a single chromate exposure revealed an increase in bronchiolar cell apoptosis and mucosal injury. Furthermore, chromate exposure induced injury and inflammation that progressed to alveolar and interstitial pneumonitis. Finally, a single Cr(VI) challenge resulted in a rapid and persistent increase in the number of airways immunoreactive for phosphorylation of the survival signaling protein Akt, on serine 473. These data illustrate that chromate induces both survival signaling and an inflammatory response in the lung, which we postulate may contribute to early oncogenesis.

Innate Lymphoid Cells in Protection, Pathology, and Adaptive Immunity During Apicomplexan Infection.

Apicomplexans are a diverse and complex group of protozoan pathogens including Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Eimeria spp., and Babesia spp. They infect a wide variety of hosts and are a major health threat to humans and other animals. Innate immunity provides early control and also regulates the development of adaptive immune responses important for controlling these pathogens. Innate immune responses also contribute to immunopathology associated with these infections. Natural killer (NK) cells have been for a long time known to be potent first line effector cells in helping control protozoan infection. They provide control by producing IL-12 dependent IFNγ and killing infected cells and parasites via their cytotoxic response. Results from more recent studies indicate that NK cells could provide additional effector functions such as IL-10 and IL-17 and might have diverse roles in immunity to these pathogens. These early studies based their conclusions on the identification of NK cells to be CD3-, CD49b+, NK1.1+, and/or NKp46+ and the common accepted paradigm at that time that NK cells were one of the only lymphoid derived innate immune cells present. New discoveries have lead to major advances in understanding that NK cells are only one of several populations of innate immune cells of lymphoid origin. Common lymphoid progenitor derived innate immune cells are now known as innate lymphoid cells (ILC) and comprise three different groups, group 1, group 2, and group 3 ILC. They are a functionally heterogeneous and plastic cell population and are important effector cells in disease and tissue homeostasis. Very little is known about each of these different types of ILCs in parasitic infection. Therefore, we will review what is known about NK cells in innate immune responses during different protozoan infections. We will discuss what immune responses attributed to NK cells might be reconsidered as ILC1, 2, or 3 population responses. We will then discuss how different ILCs may impact immunopathology and adaptive immune responses to these parasites.

Microbiome Composition in Both Wild-Type and Disease Model Mice Is Heavily Influenced by Mouse Facility.

Murine models have become essential tools for understanding the complex interactions between gut microbes, their hosts, and disease. While many intra-facility factors are known to influence the structure of mouse microbiomes, the contribution of inter-facility variation to mouse microbiome composition, especially in the context of disease, remains under-investigated. We replicated microbiome experiments using identical mouse lines housed in two separate animal facilities and report drastic differences in composition of microbiomes based upon animal facility of origin. We observed facility-specific microbiome signatures in the context of a disease model [the Ednrb (endothelin receptor type B) Hirschsprung disease mouse] and in normal C57BL/6J mice. Importantly, these facility differences were independent of cage, sex, or sequencing-related influence. In addition, we investigated the reproducibility of microbiome dysbiosis previously associated with Ednrb-/- (knock-out; KO) mice. While we observed genotype-based differences in composition between wild-type (WT) and KO mice, these differences were inconsistent with the previously reported conclusions. Furthermore, the genotype-based differences were not identical across animal facilities. Despite this, through differential abundance testing, we identified several conserved candidate taxa and candidate operational taxonomic units that may play a role in disease promotion or protection. Overall, our findings raise the possibility that previously reported microbiome-disease associations from murine studies conducted in a single facility may be heavily influenced by facility-specific effects. More generally, these results provide a strong rationale for replication of mouse microbiome studies at multiple facilities, and for the meticulous collection of metadata that will allow the confounding effects of facility to be more specifically identified.

Comparative Analysis of Conventional Natural Killer Cell Responses to Acute Infection with Toxoplasma gondii Strains of Different Virulence.

Conventional natural killer (cNK) cells, members of group 1 innate lymphoid cells, are a diverse cell subpopulation based on surface receptor expression, maturation, and functional potential. cNK cells are critical for early immunity to Toxoplasma gondii via IFNγ production. Acute cNK cell responses to infection with different strains of T. gondii have not yet been characterized in detail. Here, we comprehensively performed this analysis with Type I virulent RH, Type II avirulent ME49, and fully attenuated Type I cps1-1 strains. In response to these three parasite strains, murine cNK cells produce IFNγ and become cytotoxic and polyfunctional (IFNγ+CD107a+) at the site of infection. In contrast to virulent RH and avirulent ME49 T. gondii strains, attenuated cps1-1 induced only local cNK cell responses. Infections with RH and ME49 parasites significantly decreased cNK cell frequency and numbers in spleen 5 days post infection compared with cps1-1 parasites. cNK cell subsets expressing activating receptors Ly49H, Ly49D, and NKG2D and inhibitory receptors Ly49I and CD94/NKG2A were similar when compared between the strains and at 5 days post infection. cNK cells were not proliferating (Ki67-) 5 days post infection with any of the strains. cNK cell maturation as measured by CD27, CD11b, and KLRG1 was affected after infection with different parasite strains. RH and ME49 infection significantly reduced mature cNK cell frequency and increased immature cNK cell populations compared with cps1-1 infection. Interestingly, KLRG1 was highly expressed on immature cNK cells after RH infection. After RH and ME49 infections, CD69+ cNK cells in spleen were present at higher frequency than after cps1-1 infection, which may correlate with loss of the mature cNK cell population. Cytokine multiplex analysis indicated cNK cell responses correlated with peritoneal exudate cell, spleen, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels, including IL-12. qPCR analysis of parasite-specific B1 gene revealed that parasite burdens may affect cNK cell responses. This study demonstrates infection with RH and ME49 parasites impacts cNK cell maturation during acute T. gondii infection. Different cNK cell responses could impact early immunity and susceptibility to these strains.