Characterising the Transcriptomic Response to Interferon and Infection in European Domestic Ferret Respiratory...

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Genomics

Background:

• The domestic ferret is a key model for influenza virus studies.
• Limited data exists on the ferret's transcriptomic response to interferon (IFN) and influenza infection.
• Most interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in ferrets are computationally predicted, not experimentally verified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess the ferret transcriptome response to IFN-α stimulation and influenza A virus (IAV) infection.
• To identify experimentally validated ferret ISGs and novel interferon-stimulated transcripts.
• To explore the role of poly(A) tail elongation in the ferret's antiviral response.

Main Methods:

• Utilized long-read RNA sequencing for transcriptome-wide analysis.
• Investigated ferret lung (FRL) cell lines treated with IFN-α in vitro.
• Analyzed nasal turbinate tissues from IAV-infected ferrets in vivo.

Main Results:

• Identified ferret genes orthologous to human ISGs upregulated by both IFN-α and IAV.
• Discovered novel interferon-stimulated genes and transcripts in ferrets.
• Observed poly(A) tail elongation in ribosome and COVID-19 pathways following IFN-α treatment, linking it to antiviral responses.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a detailed map of the ferret's transcriptional innate immune response.
• Identified validated ISGs and novel transcripts enhance the ferret model for influenza research.
• Findings suggest poly(A) tail elongation is involved in the host's antiviral mechanisms.