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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346996
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Control Endemic and New and Emerging Viral Diseases of Swine

Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Identification of small non-coding RNA classes expressed in swine whole blood during HP-PRRSV infection

Author
item FLEMING, DAMARIUS - ORISE FELLOW
item MILLER, LAURA

Submitted to: Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2018
Publication Date: 4/1/2018
Citation: Fleming, D.S., Miller, L.C. 2018. Identification of small non-coding RNA classes expressed in swine whole blood during HP-PRRSV infection. Virology. 517:56-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2018.01.027.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2018.01.027

Interpretive Summary: The battle between a pig and a pathogen includes many factors. Understanding how these factors might help the pig defeat the pathogen is a critical step in developing strategies that may protect it from future infection and disease. This study used new techniques to characterize a group of molecules that are produced in a pig's cell in response to infection with a pathogen, in this case porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). This group of molecules includes several classes or types of RNA, a molecule that is similar to DNA and is normally found in cells. The goal of the study was to discover the changes in several types of RNA over the course of a PRRSV infection in swine. These changes provide insight into how the virus manipulates the pig's cells, how the pig tries to defend itself against infection, and how new vaccines may be developed to prevent PRRSV disease in swine.

Technical Abstract: It has been established that reduced susceptibility to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has a genetic component. This genetic component may take the form of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNA), which are molecules that function as regulators of gene expression. Various sncRNAs have emerged as having an important role in the immune system in humans. The study uses transcriptomic read counts to profile the type and quantity of both well and lesser characterized sncRNAs, such as microRNAs and small nucleolar RNAs to identify and quantify the classes of sncRNA expressed in whole blood between healthy and highly pathogenic PRRSV-infected pigs. Our results returned evidence on nine classes of sncRNA, four of which were consistently statistically significantly different based on Fisher's Exact Test, that can be detected and possibly interrogated for their effect on host dysregulation during PRRSV infections.