The effect of Toxoplasma gondii infection on galectin-9 expression in decidual macrophages contributing to dysfunction of decidual NK cells during pregnancy

Background Toxoplasma gondii infection causes adverse pregnancy outcomes by affecting the expression of immunotolerant molecules in decidual immune cells. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is widely expressed in decidual macrophages (dM phi) and is crucial for maintaining normal pregnancy by interacting with the immunomodulatory protein T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule 3 (Tim-3). However, the effects of T. gondii infection on Gal-9 expression in dM phi, and the impact of altered Gal-9 expression levels on the maternal-fetal tolerance function of decidual natural killer (dNK) cells, are still unknown. Methods Pregnancy outcomes of T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 and Lgals9(-/-) pregnant mice models were recorded. Expression of Gal-9, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK), and Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) was detected by western blotting, flow cytometry or immunofluorescence. The binding of FOXO1 to the promoter of Lgals9 was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-PCR). The expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK), cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated CREB (p-CREB), T-box expressed in T cells (T-bet), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in dNK cells was assayed by western blotting. Results Toxoplasma gondii infection increased the expression of p-JNK and FOXO1 in dM phi, resulting in a reduction in Gal-9 due to the elevated binding of FOXO1 with Lgals9 promoter. Downregulation of Gal-9 enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK, inhibited the expression of p-CREB and IL-10, and promoted the expression of T-bet and IFN-gamma in dNK cells. In the mice model, knockout of Lgals9 aggravated adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by T. gondii infection during pregnancy. Conclusions Toxoplasma gondii infection suppressed Gal-9 expression in dM phi by activating the JNK/FOXO1 signaling pathway, and reduction of Gal-9 contributed to dysfunction of dNK via Gal-9/Tim-3 interaction. This study provides new insights for the molecular mechanisms of the adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by T. gondii.