MicroRNA transcriptome analysis in chicken kidneys in response to differing virulent infectious bronchitis virus

Xin Yang1, Wenqian Gao1, Hui Liu1

  • 1School of Life Science, Sichuan University, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China.

Archives of Virology
|August 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

This study reveals that different infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains cause distinct microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns in chicken kidneys, impacting immune responses and host-virus interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Poultry immunology
  • Virology
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes acute respiratory disease in poultry.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression, including immune responses and virus defense.
  • Understanding miRNA roles in chickens during IBV infection is crucial for disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differential microRNA expression in chicken kidneys following infection with distinct IBV strains.
  • To identify specific miRNAs involved in the host response to varying IBV virulence.

Main Methods:

  • High-throughput sequencing of small RNA libraries from chicken kidneys infected with SCK2, SCDY2, and LDT3-A IBV strains.
  • Comparison of miRNA expression profiles between infected and healthy chickens.
  • Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and miRNA-mRNA conjoint analysis.

Main Results:

  • 58 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in response to IBV infection.
  • DE miRNAs were associated with metabolic processes, catalytic activity, gene expression, binding, and immune responses.
  • Seven highly expressed miRNAs showed inverse correlation with target mRNAs, suggesting a role in IBV-host interactions and virulence.

Conclusions:

  • This is the first study demonstrating that different virulent IBV strains induce unique miRNA expression profiles in chicken kidneys.
  • The observed miRNA expression patterns are linked to IBV virulence.
  • These findings provide insights into miRNA-mediated immune responses and chicken-IBV interactions.

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