title: Identification of avian RIG-I responsive genes during influenza infection.
abstract: Ducks can survive infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses that are lethal to chickens. We showed that the influenza detector, RIG-I can initiate antiviral responses in ducks, but this gene is absent in chickens. We can reconstitute this pathway by transfecting chicken DF-1 embryonic fibroblast cells with duck RIG-I, which augments their antiviral response to influenza and decreases viral titer. However, the genes downstream of duck RIG-I that mediate this antiviral response to influenza are not known. Using microarrays, we compared the transcriptional profile of chicken embryonic fibroblasts transfected with duck RIG-I or empty vector, and infected with low or highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Transfected duck RIG-I expressed in chicken cells was associated with the marked induction of many antiviral innate immune genes upon infection with both viruses. We used real-time PCR to confirm upregulation of a subset of these antiviral genes including MX1, PKR, IFIT5, OASL, IFNB, and downregulation of the influenza matrix gene. These results provide some insight into the genes induced by duck RIG-I upon influenza infection, and provide evidence that duck RIG-I can function to elicit an interferon-driven, antiviral response against influenza in chicken embryonic fibroblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
authors.forename: Megan R W
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: Jerry R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Aldridge
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fleming-Canepa
authors.forename: Yong-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Katharine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Magor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000502:physiology*; D004372:Ducks / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D046228:Microarray Analysis
chemical_list: D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases