Altered microRNA expression signature in Chikungunya-infected mammalian fibroblast cells

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection can cause severe arthralgia and chronic arthritis in humans. MicroRNAs (miRNA) have demonstrated their potential use as biomarker in variety of human pathologies and infections. This study was conducted to understand the miRNA signature in early CHIKV infection stages. In the current study, we used TaqMan-based quantitative PCR method to identify the miRNA signature of host response upon CHIKV infection in human and mouse fibroblast cells. The GO enrichment analysis suggests that the putative target genes of these differentially expressed miRNAs are to be involved in RIG-I pathway, TGF-beta-signaling pathway, JAK-STAT-signaling pathway, MAPK-signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, and Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis. The results obtained in the current study and earlier studies indicate the potential use of miR15, miR-16, miR-17, let-7e, miR-125, miR-99, and miR-23a as a biomarker in CHIKV infection. miRNAs such as miR-15a, miR-16, miR-140, miR-146a, miR-155, miR203, miR223, miR-499, and miR-363 which are implicated in rheumatoid arthritis showed differential regulation in CHIKV infection. The data obtained in this study provide valuable information on CHIKV-induced miRNA expression in mammalian fibroblast cells, and suggest that CHIKV may establish infection by regulating miRNA expression profile.