Differential mRNA and miRNA Profiles Reveal the Potential Roles of Genes and miRNAs Involved in LPS Infection in Chicken Macrophages

• Main Authors: Qi Zhang, Jie Wang, Jin Zhang, Jie Wen, Guiping Zhao, Qinghe Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Genes
• Subjects: chicken; HD11; lipopolysaccharide; gene; miRNA
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/5/760

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, and triggers an inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we used LPS from <i>Escherichia coli</i> serotype enteritidis to stimulate chicken macrophages (HD11) and conducted the transcriptome analysis using a bioinformatics approach to explore the functions of immune-related genes and miRNAs. In total, 1759 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 18 differentially expressed (DE)-miRNAs were detected during LPS infection. At 6 h post infection, 1025 DEGs and 10 miRNAs were up-regulated, and 734 DEGs and 8 DE-miRNAs were down-regulated. Based on both RNA hybrid and miRanda systems, 55 DEGs could be targeted by 14 DE-miRNAs. The target genes were related to the immune response, such as <i>IRF8</i>, <i>STAT3</i>, <i>TRAF7</i>, and other potential candidate genes. The DE-miRNAs miR146a-3p, miR6583-5p, and miR30c-2-3p were investigated further. They were predicted to target 34 genes that may also be candidates for immune-related miRNAs and genes. Our results enhanced our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of Gram-negative bacteria in chickens.