Unveiling Shared Immune Responses in Porcine Alveolar Macrophages during ASFV and PRRSV Infection Using Single-Cell...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• African swine fever virus (ASFV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) cause severe respiratory diseases in pigs.
• These infections result in substantial economic losses globally.
• Previous research focused on individual gene functions, lacking a comparative analysis of shared immune responses in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the shared immune responses in PAMs following ASFV and PRRSV infections.
• To identify common molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for both viral diseases.

Main Methods:

• Single-cell transcriptomic (scRNA-seq) data analysis of PAMs infected with ASFV and PRRSV.
• Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).
• Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis.

Main Results:

• Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) like RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2 were identified as key sensors for both ASFV and PRRSV.
• Upregulation of cytokine families (CCL, CXCL, IL, TNF) and induction of pyroptosis were common defense responses.
• Thirteen shared gene/protein interactions were identified, suggesting antiviral capabilities.
• Six proteins (PARP12, PARP14, HERC5, DDX60, RSAD2, MNDA) were identified as potential inhibitors of ASFV and PRRSV replication in PAMs.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a detailed characterization of shared immune responses in PAMs during ASFV and PRRSV infections.
• Identified proteins offer potential targets for developing novel therapeutic strategies against these economically significant swine viruses.