Molecular mechanism of LRRC15 protein regulating Treg/Th17 cell imbalance through the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway in Taenia solium cysticercus infection

Taenia solium (T. solium) and its larval infections cause cysticercosis and taeniasis, posing serious threats to human health and livestock industry development. Our research group has, for the first time, successfully identified a leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 (LRRC15) from the (excretory secretory antigens, ESAs) of T. solium and demonstrated its ability to regulate the differentiation of host regulatory T cells (Tregs). This protein may be a critical factor in the pathogenicity of T. solium and its larvae. Our findings reveal that LRRC15 induces an immune differentiation between Tregs and T helper type 17 cells (Th17), and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unreported. Through transcriptomic analysis, we identified the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway, which is associated with Treg and Th17 cell differentiation. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot were employed to validate key targets and critical factors within this signaling pathway. This study aims to provide a scientific foundation for elucidating the immune pathogenic mechanisms of cysticercosis.