ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Parasitology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1595384
Knockdown of Annexin A2 enhances the host cell apoptosis induced by Eimeria tenella
Provisionally accepted
Jixia WangMingxiao WangYuting WangMengbo XuYang Liu
Ming Xue ZhengRui Zhao
Rui BaiYanping ZhaoLi ZhangXiaoling Lv
Yu YangWenchao Guan
Xiaozhen Cui*- Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
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Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a multifunctional protein involved in host-pathogen interactions during viral and parasitic infections. To investigate the role of ANXA2 in host cell apoptosis induced by Eimeria tenella, RNA interference (RNAi) was employed to specifically downregulate ANXA2 expression. Primary cultures of chicken embryonic cecal epithelial cells were established and subjected to E. tenella sporozoite infection. A comprehensive analytical approach integrating hematoxylin-eosin staining, Hoechst-Annexin V-PI triple-staining, and caspase-3 activity quantification was used. Western-blot and RT-qPCR were performed to assess transcriptional and translational changes in key apoptosis-related factors, including B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2associated X protein (Bax). Additionally, the dynamic expression of ANXA2 was analyzed to clarify its function in the parasite-host interaction. The results showed that the ANXA2 expression in the E.tenella group increased at 4 h after inoculation but decreased at 24 to 96 h compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Following ANXA2 knockdown, the cell apoptosis rate, caspase-3 activity, and Bax expression levels were significantly increased (P < 0.01), whereas the infection rate and Bcl-2 expression levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.01) compared to the group infected with E. tenella alone. In conclusion, ANXA2 serves as a critical regulator of host cell responses during E. tenella infection. RNAi-mediated suppression of ANXA2 expression significantly enhances apoptosis induced by E. tenella. This study establishes a foundation for further exploration of therapeutic targets to reduce host tissue damage, indicating that targeting ANXA2 may be a viable approach for controlling coccidiosis.
Keywords: Eimeria tenella, cell apoptosis, RNA Interference, Primary Cell Culture, Annexin A2
Received: 18 Mar 2025; Accepted: 01 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Wang, Wang, Xu, Liu, Zheng, Zhao, Bai, Zhao, Zhang, Lv, Yang, Guan and Cui. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaozhen Cui, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
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