Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Key Gene Expressions and Signaling Pathways Involved in Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn...

Polysaccharides are essential but undefined active components of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn (PPD). The present study was to explore the immunomodulatory effects of PPD polysaccharides on the lymphocytes and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that PPDs could significantly promote the lymphocyte proliferation and the secretions of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-12 p40, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor -α(TNF-α), and immunoglobulin G (IgG), regulate the proportion of T cell subsets, and augment the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, ERK, STAT1, and STAT3. RNA-seq showed the significantly different gene expression patterns of PPDs-treated lymphocytes and identified 5951 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 2561 significantly enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms, and 81 significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Besides, the specific pathway inhibitors suppressed the PPDs-stimulated TNF-α and IL-6 production. In summary, PPDs exhibited immunomodulatory properties on lymphocytes, which were closely associated with the activation of MAPK and JAK-STAT signaling pathways.