Abstract
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), one of the most pathogenic Mycoplasma, has caused tremendous economic loss in the poultry industry. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are involved in microbial pathogenesis. However, little is known about potential roles of miRNAs in MG infection of chicken. In the present study, using miRNA Solexa sequencing we have found that gga-miR-101-3p was up-regulated in the lungs of MG-infected chicken embryos. Moreover, gga-miR-101-3p regulated expression of the host enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) through binding to the 3’ un-translated region (3’-UTR) of EZH2 gene. Over-expression of gga-miR-101-3p significantly inhibited EZH2 expression and hence inhibited proliferation of chicken embryonic fibroblast (DF-1 cells) by blocking the G1-to-S phase transition. Similar results were obtained in MG-infected chicken embryos and DF-1 cells, where gga-miR-101-3p was significantly up-regulated, while EZH2 was significantly down-regulated. This study reveals that gga-miR-101-3p plays an important role in MG infection through regulation of EZH2 expression and provides a new insight into the mechanisms of MG pathogenesis.
Highlights
Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less prokaryotes that are widespread in nature either as parasites or as commensals in eukaryotic hosts
We found that gga-miR-101-3p was up-regulated in the lungs of the infected chicken embryos by micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) solexa sequencing
Since it is well documented that miRNAs exert their function through regulating expression of their target gene(s) [45], we sought to identify the direct target of gga-miR-101-3p involved in Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)-HS infection
Summary
Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less prokaryotes that are widespread in nature either as parasites or as commensals in eukaryotic hosts. Mycoplasmosis, the diseases caused by Mycoplasmas occur in animals and humans and have multiple clinical appearances [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. As one of the most important Mycoplasma species [8], MG causes for avian chronic respiratory diseases, especially in chickens and turkeys in the world [9,10,11], with featured inflammation in the trachea, air sacs and lungs [12]. MG-HS strain is a virulence strain isolated from the chicken farms in Hubei Province of China [17,18]. MG infection in chicken farms usually lasts for a long time and is very difficult to be eliminated completely.
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