Unveiling the long non-coding RNA profile of Aeromonas veronii-infected mouse abdominal macrophages

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in the host's defense against pathogenic infection. Aeromonas veronii is a zoonotic pathogen capable of provoking severe inflammatory responses. However, the function of lncRNAs in A. veronii infected mouse abdominal macrophages (MAMs) remains poorly understood. MAMs serve as the primary defense against bacterial infection and play critical roles in the anti-infectious immune response. Here, we profiled lncRNAs from MAMs infected with A. veronii. RNA sequencing identified a total of 1628 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), comprising 680 up-regulated and 948 down-regulated genes. An integrated analysis of lncRNA-mRNA interaction networks identified 4888 target genes of DElncRNAs (DETGs). Of these, 55 DElncRNAs were found to be involved in the regulation of seven immune pathways by regulating 41 DETGs. Furthermore, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that DETGs were significantly enriched in clusters or pathways associated with immune regulation. These findings provide the transcriptomic profile of MAMs. A comprehensive analysis of DElncRNAs in MAMs was conducted in response to A. veronii infection. Co-expression analysis indicates that lncRNAs are serving as vital regulators of immune gene activity through their critical influence on MAMs during A. veronii infection.