Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Avian Disease and Oncology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333785
Title: GADD45ß, an anti-tumor gene, inhibits avian leukosis virus subgroup J replication in chickens

Author
item ZHANG, XINHENG - South China Agricultural University
item YAN, ZHUANQIANG - South China Agricultural University
item LI, XINJIAN - South China Agricultural University
item LIN, WENCHENG - South China Agricultural University
item DAI, ZHENKAI - South China Agricultural University
item YAN, YIMING - South China Agricultural University
item LU, PIAOPIAO - South China Agricultural University
item CHEN, WEIGUO - South China Agricultural University
item Zhang, Huanmin
item CHEN, FENG - South China Agricultural University
item MA, JINGYUN - South China Agricultural University
item XIE, QINGMEI - South China Agricultural University

Submitted to: Oncotarget
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2016
Publication Date: 9/15/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5642514
Citation: Zhang, X., Yan, Z., Li, X., Lin, W., Dai, Z., Yan, Y., Lu, P., Chen, W., Zhang, H., Chen, F., Ma, J., Xie, Q. 2016. GADD45ß, an anti-tumor gene, inhibits avian leukosis virus subgroup J replication in chickens. Oncotarget. 7(42):68883-68893. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.12027.

Interpretive Summary: Subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) is one of the most contagious and oncogenic subgroups of avian leukosis viruses that cause neoplasia in both broiler and egg-type chickens. Current management measures in place have had the disease under control in the U.S., but, like in most other places in the world, the majority flocks of chickens, if not all chickens, are highly susceptible to ALV-J. Genetic resistance is a very attractive approach to control or to augment the current measure to control the disease. This study has identified a functional gene, known as growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 beta (GADD45ß) gene. Data from this study showed GADD45ß gene suppresses ALV-J infection. The finding of this study could be an important milestone in development of the genetic resistance strategy against ALV-J in chickens.

Technical Abstract: Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) is a retrovirus that induces neoplasia, hepatomegaly, immunosuppression and poor performance in chickens. The tumorigenic and pathogenic mechanisms of ALV-J remain a hot topic. To explore anti-tumor genes that confer genetic resistance to ALV-J infection in chickens, we bred ALV-J resistant and susceptible chickens. RNA-sequencing of liver tissue from the ALV-J resistant and susceptible chickens identified 216 differentially expressed genes; 88 of those genes were up-regulated in the ALV-J resistant chickens in contrast to the susceptible ones. We screened for significantly up-regulated genes (P < 0.01) of interest in the ALV-J resistant chickens, based on their involvement in biological signaling pathways. Functional analyses showed that overexpression of GADD45ß inhibited ALV-J replication. GADD45ß could enhance defense against ALV-J infection and may be used as a molecular marker to identify ALV-J infections.