RNA‐Seq analysis reveals the different mechanisms triggered by bovine and equine after infection with FMDV

• Published in: Veterinary medicine and science Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. e1569 - n/a
• Main Authors: Wu, Yi, Li, Lu, Bai, Wanfu, Li, Tao, Qian, Xiaoying, Liu, Yiyi, Wang, Shenyuan, Liu, Chunxia, Wan, Fang, Zhang, Dong, Liu, Yingchun, Wu, Kaifeng, Ling, Yu, Zhou, Huanmin, Meng, Fanhua, Zhang, Yanru, Cao, Junwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Caspase; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - genetics; Cattle Diseases - metabolism; Cattle Diseases - virology; Cytochrome c; Disease prevention; Disease resistance; Down-regulation; EQUINE; FMDV; Foot & mouth disease; Foot-and-Mouth Disease - virology; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus - genetics; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus - physiology; Gene expression; Horse Diseases - genetics; Horse Diseases - metabolism; Horse Diseases - virology; Horses; Host range; Immunohistochemistry; Infections; Infectious diseases; Integrins; Livestock; Medical research; Milk production; miRNA; Original; Pathogens; Physiology; Plant diseases; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA viruses; RNA-Seq - veterinary; RNA‐Seq; Transcriptomes; Ungulates; Viral infections; Mongolia; China; FMDV; apoptosis; autophagy; RNA‐Seq
• ISSN: 2053-1095; 2053-1095
• DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1569

Background Foot‐and‐mouth disease virus (FMDV) is an important pathogen of the MicroRNA virus family. Infection of livestock can cause physical weakness, weight loss, reduced milk production, and a significant reduction in productivity for an extended period. It also causes a high mortality rate in young animals, seriously affecting livestock production. The host range of FMDV is mainly limited to cloven‐hoofed animals such as cattle and sheep, while odd‐toed ungulates such as horses and donkeys have natural resistance to FMDV. The mechanism underlying this resistance in odd‐toed ungulates remains unclear. Objective This study aimed to analyze the differences between FMDV‐infected cattle and horses to provide valuable insights into the host‐FMDV interaction mechanisms, thereby contributing to the control of foot‐and‐mouth disease and promoting the development of the livestock industry. Methods We observed the distribution of integrins, which help FMDV enter host cells, in the nasopharyngeal tissues of cattle and horses using immunohistochemistry. Then, we employed high‐throughput RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq) to study the changes in host gene expression in the nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues of cattle and horses after FMDV infection. We performed enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG pathways after FMDV infection and validated related genes through qPCR. Results The immunohistochemical results showed that both cattle and horses had four integrin receptors that could assist FMDV entry into host cells. The transcriptome analysis revealed that after FMDV infection, pro‐apoptotic genes such as caspase‐3 (CASP3) and cytochrome C (CYCS) were upregulated in cattle, while apoptosis‐inhibiting genes such as NAIP and BCL2A1 were downregulated. In contrast, the expression trend of related genes in horses was opposite to that in cattle. Additionally, autophagy‐related genes such as beclin 1, ATG101, ATG4B, ATG4A, ATG13, and BCL2A1 were downregulated in cattle after FMDV infection, indicating that cattle did not clear the virus through autophagy. However, key autophagy genes including ATG1, ATG3, ATG9, ATG12, and ATG16L1 were significantly upregulated in horses after viral infection. Conclusion Both water buffaloes and Mongolian horses express integrin receptors that allow FMDV entry into cells. Therefore, the resistance of Mongolian horses to FMDV may result from more changes in intracellular mechanisms, including processes such as autophagy and apoptosis. Significant differences were observed between water buffaloes and Mongolian horses in these processes, suggesting that these processes influence FMDV replication and synthesis. Both nonsusceptible animals (horses) and susceptible animals (cows) have integrin receptors in their nasopharyngeal tissues that can help FMDV enter cells. Infection with the FMDV promotes apoptosis in cows, while the opposite is true for horses. Autophagy‐related genes show a significant increase in expression in horses infected with FMDV.