AUTHOR=Jebessa Endashaw , Bello Semiu Folaniyi , Guo Lijin , Tuli Merga Daba , Hanotte Olivier , Nie Qinghua 

TITLE=MicroRNA expression profile of chicken jejunum in different time points Eimeria maxima infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1331532

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1331532

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Coccidiosis stands as a protozoan disease of notable economic impact, characterized by an intracellular parasite that exerts substantial influence over poultry production. This invasion disrupts the integrity of the enteric mucosa, leading to the emergence of severe lesions and diminishing the efficiency of feed utilization in chickens. Micro RNA (miRNA) are short, non-coding RNA molecules with approximately 21-24 nucleotides long in size that play essential roles in various infectious diseases and inflammatory responses. However, miRNA's expression patterns and roles in the context of Eimeria maxima infection of chicken intestinal remain unclear. miRNA sequencing was employed to assess the miRNA expression profile in chicken jejunum during Eimeria maxima infection. In this study, we analyzed miRNA expression profiles related to the host's immune response in the chicken jejunum during Eimeria maxima infection. At 4 days infection and control (J4I versus J4C), 21 This is a provisional file, not the final typeset article differentially expressed miRNAs in the jejunum were identified, comprising 9 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated miRNAs. Further, in the jejunum, at 7 days infection and control (J7I versus J7C) groups, a total of 35 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were observed, with 13 upregulated and 22 down-regulated miRNAs. The regulatory networks were constructed between differentially expressed miRNA and mRNAs to offer insight into the interaction mechanisms between chickens and Eimeria maxima coccidian infection. Furthermore, within the comparison group, we obtained 946, 897, and 281 GO terms that exhibited significant enrichment associated with host immunity in the following scenarios, J4I vs J4C, J7I vs J7C, and J4I vs J7I, respectively. The KEGG pathway analysis indicated notable enrichment of differentially expressed miRNAs in the jejunum, particularly in J4I vs J4C; enriched pathways included Metabolic pathways, Endocytosis, MAPK signaling pathway, Regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.Moreover, in J7I vs J7C, the KEGG pathway was significantly enriched, including Metabolic pathways, Protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and FoxO signaling pathway. A comprehensive understanding of the host genetic basis of resistance with a combination of time-dependent infection to the Eimeria parasite is crucial for pinpointing resistance biomarkers for poultry production.