Fig 1.
The interferon-γ-knockout (GKO) mouse model is susceptible to Cryptosporidium parvum isolates and can distinguish isolate-specific differences at the pathological level.
(A) Oocyst shedding patterns of IIdA19G1-HN-infected GKO mice, IIdA19G1-HN-infected wild-type (WT) mice, IIa-Waterborne-infected GKO mice, and IIa-Waterborne-infected wild-type (WT) mice. Fecal samples were considered oocyst-negative when the number of OPG (log) was lower than 2.0 (indicated with a dotted line). (B) Body weight changes in these mice. (C) Hematoxylin and eosin microscopy (upper and middle panels) and scanning electron microscopy (lower panel) images of the terminal ileum and colon of GKO mice infected with IIdA19G1-HN and IIa-Waterborne isolates in comparison with the uninfected control (parasites are indicated with arrowheads).
Fig 2.
Virulence differed among Cryptosporidium parvum IId isolates.
(A) Oocyst shedding patterns of interferon-γ-knockout (GKO) mice infected with four IId isolates and the reference IIa-Waterborne isolate. The detection threshold is indicated with a dotted line. (B) Body weight changes in GKO mice infected with four IId isolates and the IIa-Waterborne isolate.
Fig 3.
Oocyst shedding patterns of interferon-γ-knockout (GKO) mice infected with different doses of four Cryptosporidium parvum IId isolates.
The detection threshold is indicated with a dotted line.
Table 1.
Infectivity of four IId isolates of Cryptosporidium parvum in interferon-γ-knockout mice.
Fig 4.
Genetic differences among Cryptosporidium parvum isolates.
(A) Insertions and deletion in four IId genomes at the 5′ end of chromosome 5 compared with the genome of IIa-Waterborne (indicated by small red and blue blocks, respectively). (B) Confirmation of the gene insertions in four IId genomes at the 5′ end of chromosome 5 using read mapping. (C) Distribution of single nucleotide variants in IIdA19G1-GD, IIdA19G1-HN, IIdA20G1-HLJ and IIdA20G1-HB compared with the IIa-Waterborne genome. (D) Distribution of single nucleotide variants in IIdA19G1-HN, IIdA20G1-HLJ and IIdA20G1-HB compared with the IIdA19G1-GD genome.
Table 2.
Copy number variations in subtelomeric genes between IIa and IId isolates of Cryptosporidium parvum.
Table 3.
Potential virulence-associated genes among four IId Isolates of Cryptosporidium parvum.