Mutual regulation between chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase and the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway inhibits apoptosis and promotes the replication of ALV-J in LMH cells

A Comprehensive Analysis of the ceRNA Network and Hub Genes in Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup J and Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Superinfection

In the realm of poultry production, viral superinfections pose significant challenges, causing substantial economic losses worldwide. Among these, avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) are particularly concerning as they frequently lead to superinfections in chicken, further exacerbating production losses and health complications. Our previous research delved into the pathogenicity and immunosuppressive effects of these superinfections through in vitro and in vivo analyses. Yet, the underlying key genes and pathways governing this phenomenon remained elusive. In this study, we randomly selected three chickens at 21 days post infection from each treatment group (ALV-J, IBDV, ALV-J+IBDV, and control group) to collect the bursa of Fabricius samples for full transcriptome analysis. Utilizing these data, we constructed a comprehensive circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network which elucidated both synergistic and specific activations during the superinfection. Notably, three pivotal genes (FILIP1L, DCX, and MYPN) were pinpointed in datasets reflecting synergistic activations. Conversely, four other genes (STAP, HKR6, XKR4, and TLR5) emerged in datasets associated with specific activations. Further exploration revealed diverse significant GO terms and pathways associated with both synergistic and distinct activation processes. These ceRNA network and core genes potentially wield substantial influence over the synergistic or specific activation of tumorigenesis and pathogenesis induced by ALV-J and IBDV. These findings could help develop targeted therapies and improve disease control in poultry, reducing economic losses.

Establishment and Characterization of a Chicken Myoblast Cell Line

Skeletal muscle, which is predominantly constituted by multinucleated muscle fibers, plays a pivotal role in sustaining bodily movements and energy metabolism. Myoblasts, which serve as precursor cells for differentiation and fusion into muscle fibers, are of critical importance in the exploration of the functional genes associated with embryonic muscle development. However, the in vitro proliferation of primary myoblasts is inherently constrained. In this study, we achieved a significant breakthrough by successfully establishing a chicken myoblast cell line through the introduction of the exogenous chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase (chTERT) gene, followed by rigorous G418-mediated pressure screening. This newly developed cell line, which was designated as chTERT-myoblasts, closely resembled primary myoblasts in terms of morphology and exhibited remarkable stability in culture for at least 20 generations of population doublings without undergoing malignant transformation. In addition, we conducted an exhaustive analysis that encompassed cellular proliferation, differentiation, and transfection characteristics. Our findings revealed that the chTERT-myoblasts had the ability to proliferate, differentiate, and transfect after multiple rounds of population doublings. This achievement not only furnished a valuable source of homogeneous avian cell material for investigating embryonic muscle development, but also provided valuable insights and methodologies for establishing primary cell lines.

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway facilitates pseudorabies virus proliferation and enhances virus-induced autophagy

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a swine herpesvirus with a broad host range that causes significant economic losses worldwide. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is reportedly involved in multiple viruses' proliferation. In this study, we demonstrated that PRV infection significantly activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling and promoted the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. Applying specific chemical inhibitors (FH535 and iCRT14) caused a remarkable decrease in PRV titers in various cell lines. Knockdown of β-catenin by siRNA also reduced the proliferation of PRV. On the contrary, treatment with lithium chloride (LiCl), an inhibitor of GSK3β, stimulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and enhanced the PRV proliferation. Similarly, overexpression of β-catenin promoted PRV proliferation and reversed the antiviral effect of FH535. Moreover, LiCl promoted PRV-induced autophagy, whereas FH535 and iCRT14 showed converse effects. These findings suggest that PRV infection stimulates the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, facilitating PRV proliferation and regulating virus-induced autophagy. These data also provide potential targets for developing antiviral agents against PRV.

The expression level of chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase in tumors induced by ALV-J is positively correlated with methylation and mutation of its promoter region

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) can cause neoplastic diseases in poultry and is still widely prevalent in China. Chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase (chTERT) is the core component of telomerase, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. Our previous studies showed that chTERT is overexpressed in ALV-J tumors, but the mechanism is still not completely clear. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the possible molecular mechanism of chTERT overexpression in ALV-J tumors from the perspective of DNA methylation and promoter mutation. Methylation sequencing of the chTERT amplicon showed that ALV-J replication promoted the methylation level of the chTERT promoter. And the methylation level of the chTERT promoter in ALV-J tumors was significantly higher than that in tumor-adjacent and normal tissues. Compared with the tumor-adjacent and normal tissues, the chTERT promoter in each ALV-J tumors tested had a mutation of -183 bp C > T, and 36.0% (9/25) of the tumors also had mutations of -184 bp T > C, -73 bp::GGCCC and -56 bp A > T in the chTERT promoter, which formed the binding sites for the transcription factors NFAT5, TFAP2A and ZEB1, respectively. The results of RT-qPCR and Western blotting showed that the occurrence of these mutations significantly increased the expression level of chTERT. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the high expression of chTERT in ALV-J tumors is positively correlated with the level of hypermethylation and mutation in its promoter, which provides a new perspective for further research on the molecular mechanism of chTERT in ALV-J tumorigenesis.

Avian Leucosis Virus-Host Interaction: The Involvement of Host Factors in Viral Replication

Avian leukosis virus (ALV) causes various diseases associated with tumor formation and decreased fertility. Moreover, ALV induces severe immunosuppression, increasing susceptibility to other microbial infections and the risk of failure in subsequent vaccination against other diseases. There is growing evidence showing the interaction between ALV and the host. In this review, we will survey the present knowledge of the involvement of host factors in the important molecular events during ALV infection and discuss the futuristic perspectives from this angle.

TELOMERASE MEDIATEDS PYROPTOSIS BY NF-κB Chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase mediates LMH cell pyroptosis by regulating the nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway

The activation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase is regulated by the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway to various degrees to promote the occurrence and development of tumors. However, the regulatory roles of chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase (chTERT) and the NF-κB signaling pathway in chickens are still elusive, particularly in respect to the regulation of cell pyroptosis. In this study, we found that chTERT upregulated the expression of p65 and p50, downregulated the expression of IκBα, promoted the phosphorylation of p65, p50, and IκBα, and significantly increased the transcript levels of the inflammatory cytokines IFNγ, TNFα, and IL-6 in LMH cells. The activity of NF-κB was significantly decreased after siRNA-mediated chTERT silencing. The expression of chTERT and telomerase activity were also significantly decreased when the NF-κB signaling pathway was blocked by p65 siRNA, MG132 or BAY 11-7082. In cells treated with LPS, the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway and the expression of chTERT were significantly upregulated. All of the results suggested that chTERT and the NF-κB pathway could regulate each other, reciprocally. Moreover, the expression of Caspase-1, NLRP3, GSDMA, IL-18, and IL-1β and caused membrane perforation, suggesting the development of pyroptosis by chTERT in LMH cells. And the expression of caspase-11 did not significantly increased in chTERT overexpression group. Genetic silence of NF-κB p65 or chTERT gene by siRNA suppressed the expression of these proinflammatory cytokines, indicating that chTERT mediates pyroptosis by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway in LMH cells.

Chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase promotes the tumorigenicity of avian leukosis virus subgroup J by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

This research aimed to analyze the regulatory effect of chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase (chTERT) on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and its effect on the tumorigenicity of avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) through in vivo experiments. The chTERT eukaryotic expression plasmid and its recombinant lentivirus particles were constructed for in vivo transfection of chTERT to analyze the effect of chTERT continuously overexpressed in chickens on the tumorigenicity of ALV-J. During 156 days of the artificial ALV-J tumor-inducing process, 7 solid tumors developed in 3 chickens in the chTERT-overexpression group (n = 26*2) and no tumors developed in the control group (n = 26*2). Another 18 tumors induced by ALV-J were confirmed and collected from breeding poultry farms. And we confirmed that chTERT was significantly highly expressed in ALV-J tumors. The ELISA data suggested that the protein levels of β-catenin and c-Myc in the chicken plasma of the chTERT-overexpressing group with ALV-J infected were consistently and significantly higher than those of the control group. Compared with that of the tumor-adjacent tissues, the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and expression of the c-Myc was significantly increased in ALV-J tumors. And the percentage of apoptosis in ALV-J tumors significantly lower than that in tumor-adjacent tissues. Immunohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-qPCR suggested that the replication level of ALV-J in tumors was significantly higher than that in tumor-adjacent tissues. This study suggests that chTERT plays a critical role in the tumorigenicity of ALV-J by enhancing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which will contribute to further elucidating the tumor-inducing mechanism of ALV-J.