Coxsackievirus B3 infection induces changes in the expression of numerous piRNAs

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play pivotal roles in spermatogenesis and are widely distributed among somatic tissues. However, little is known about piRNAs in HeLa cells infected with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). In this study, we systematically investigated changes in piRNA expression in HeLa cells infected with CVB3 using high-throughput sequencing technology. piRNA expression profiles in CVB3-infected HeLa cells were examined at 3, 6 and 9 h postinfection (pi). Of the 32,826 piRNAs that were annotated in the NCBI database, 151,571, 89,698 and 76,626 piRNAs were detected in CVB3-infected HeLa cells at 3, 6 and 9 h pi, respectively. Compared with normal cells, 211, 72 and 94 piRNAs were differentially expressed in CVB3-infected HeLa cells at 3, 6 and 9 h pi, respectively. Thirteen piRNAs, including four novel piRNAs, exhibited concurrent changes in CVB3-infected HeLa cells. The changes in the expression of these 13 piRNAs was confirmed in CVB3-infected HeLa cells and 293T cells by stem-loop RT-qPCR at 3, 6 and 9 h pi. The target genes of 13 piRNAs were predicted. The four novel piRNAs were associated with LTR/ERV, LINE/L1 and LTR/ERVK repetitive elements located on different chromosomes. These findings may promote a better understanding of the regulatory mechanism of pathophysiological changes induced by CVB3 infection.