Coordinated Role of Toll-Like Receptor-3 and Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene-I in the Innate Response of Bovine Endometrial Cells to Virus

Development and assessment of a new bioassay for accurate quantification of Type I interferons induced by bovine respiratory viruses

Type I interferon (IFN-I) plays a major role in antiviral and inflammatory processes of the infected host. In the bovine industry, the bovine respiratory disease complex is a major cause of economic and health problems. This disease is caused by interactions of pathogens, together with environmental and host factors. Several pathogens have been identified as causal agents of respiratory diseases in cattle. To better understand how primary infections by viruses predispose animals to further infections by pathogenic bacteria, tools to accurately detect antiviral and immunoregulatory cytokines are needed. To facilitate the detection and quantification of bovine IFN-I, we have established a new specific and sensitive bioassay studies in the bovine host. This assay is based on a Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell line that carries a luciferase gene under the control of the IFN-I inducible bovine Mx1 promoter. Specific luciferase activity was measured after stimulation with serial dilutions of recombinant bovine alpha and beta IFNs and human IFN-α. With this novel bioassay we have successfully measured IFN-I production in supernatant from MDBK cells after stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLR3, TLR7 and TLR8) and RIG-I-like receptors (RIG-I and MDA5), after viral infection with bovine respiratory pathogens, but also in samples from infected calves. Finally, this new bioassay is an easy-to-use and low cost tool to measure the production of bovine Type-I Interferon.

Applications of Nanovaccines for Disease Prevention in Cattle

Vaccines are one of the most important tools available to prevent and reduce the incidence of infectious diseases in cattle. Despite their availability and widespread use to combat many important pathogens impacting cattle, several of these products demonstrate variable efficacy and safety in the field, require multiple doses, or are unstable under field conditions. Recently, nanoparticle-based vaccine platforms (nanovaccines) have emerged as promising alternatives to more traditional vaccine platforms. In particular, polymer-based nanovaccines provide sustained release of antigen payloads, stabilize such payloads, and induce enhanced antibod- and cell-mediated immune responses, both systemically and locally. To improve vaccine administrative strategies and efficacy, they can be formulated to contain multiple antigenic payloads and have the ability to protect fragile proteins from degradation. Nanovaccines are also stable at room temperature, minimizing the need for cold chain storage. Nanoparticle platforms can be synthesized for targeted delivery through intranasal, aerosol, or oral administration to induce desired mucosal immunity. In recent years, several nanovaccine platforms have emerged, based on biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, liposomes, and virus-like particles. While most nanovaccine candidates have not yet advanced beyond testing in rodent models, a growing number have shown promise for use against cattle infectious diseases. This review will highlight recent advancements in polymeric nanovaccine development and the mechanisms by which nanovaccines may interact with the bovine immune system. We will also discuss the positive implications of nanovaccines use for combating several important viral and bacterial disease syndromes and consider important future directions for nanovaccine development in beef and dairy cattle.

Analysis of Transcriptomic Changes in Bovine Endometrial Stromal Cells Treated With Lipopolysaccharide

Endometritis adversely affects the ability of cattle to reproduce and significantly reduces milk production. The is mainly composed of epithelial and stromal cells, and they produce the first immune response to invading pathogens. However, most of the epithelial cells are disrupted, and stromal cells are exposed to an inflammatory environment when endometritis occurs, especially postpartum. Many bacteria and toxins start attacking stromal cell due to loss of epithelium, which stimulates Toll-like receptor (TLRs) on stromal cells and causes upregulated expression of cytokines. Understanding the genome-wide characterization of bovine endometritis will be beneficial for prevention and treatment of endometritis. In this study, whole-transcriptomic gene changes in bovine endometrial stromal cells (BESCs) treated with LPS were compared with those treated with PBS (control group) and were analyzed by RNA sequencing. Compared with the control group, a total of 366 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the LPS-induced group (234 upregulated and 132 downregulated genes), with an adjusted P < 0.05 by DESeq. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were most enriched in interleukin-1 receptor binding, regulation of cell activation, and lymphocyte-activated interleukin-12 production. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed DEGs were most enriched in the TNF signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, NF-κB signaling pathway, and chemokine signaling pathway. The results of this study unraveled BESCs affected with LPS transcriptome profile alterations, which may have a significant effect on treatment inflammation by comprehending molecular mechanisms and authenticating unique genes related to endometritis.

Transcriptome, Spliceosome and Editome Expression Patterns of the Porcine Endometrium in Response to a Single Subclinical Dose of Salmonella Enteritidis Lipopolysaccharide

Endometrial infections at a young age can lead to fertility issues in adulthood. Bacterial endotoxins, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can participate in long-term molecular changes even at low concentrations. Lipopolysaccharide plays a crucial role in the progression of septic shock, inflammation and auto-immune diseases. The aim of this study was to describe transcriptomic modulations in the porcine endometrium, induced in vivo by a single subclinical dose of LPS from Salmonella Enteritidis. which did not produce clinical symptoms of toxicity. The RNA-seq methodology was applied to reveal 456 differentially expressed regions, including 375 genes, four long noncoding RNAs, and 77 other unclassified transcripts. Two independent methods confirmed 118 alternatively spliced genes that participate i.a., in the formation of the MHC-I complex and the adaptive immune response. Single nucleotide variant-calling algorithms supported the identification of 3730 allele-specific expression variants and 57 canonical A-to-I RNA editing sites. The results demonstrated that the differential expression of genes involved in inflammation, immune response, angiogenesis and endometrial development may be maintained for up to 7 days after exposure to LPS. RNA editing sites and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in transcriptional regulatory machinery in the porcine endometrium in response to LPS administration.

Retinoic acid receptor β, a potential therapeutic target in the inhibition of adenovirus replication

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) usually cause mild respiratory infections, but they can also lead to fatal outcomes for immunosuppressive patients. Unfortunately, there has been no specific anti-HAdV drug approved for medical use. A better understanding of the nature of virus-host interactions during infection is beneficial to the discovery of potential antiviral targets and new antiviral drugs. In this study, a time-course transcriptome analysis of HAdV-infected human lung epithelial cells (A549 cells) was performed to investigate virus-host interactions, and several key host molecules involved in the HAdV infection process were identified. The RARβ (retinoic acid receptor β) molecule, one of the upstream regulatory factors of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), played important roles in HAdV replication. The results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting showed that RARβ mRNA and protein were downregulated by HAdV infection in the A549 cells. The knockdown of RARβ by RARβ siRNA increased the HAdV production and the overexpression of RARβ decreased the HAdV production. Furthermore, FDA-approved Tazarotene, which is an RAR selective agonist with relatively more selectivity for RARβ, was found to inhibit HAdV replication in vitro. Taken together, our study presents a key host molecule in adenovirus infection, which could be developed as a potential host target to an anti-adenovirus drug. In addition, this study provides evidence for the re-exploitation of an FDA-approved small molecule for therapeutic applications in adenovirus replication.