Primary Chicken and Duck Endothelial Cells Display a Differential Response to Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus.

Zhen Wei Marcus Tong,Michelle L Baker,Jane E Sinclair,Anjana C Karawita,Huaijun Zhou,Sue Lowther,Karel A Schat,Limin Yan,Lee Trinidad,Kirsty R Short,Colin Kern,Keng Yih Chew,Arjun Challagulla

doi:10.3390/genes12060901

Abstract

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) in gallinaceous poultry are associated with viral infection of the endothelium, the induction of a ‘cytokine storm, and severe disease. In contrast, in Pekin ducks, HPAIVs are rarely endothelial tropic, and a cytokine storm is not observed. To date, understanding these species-dependent differences in pathogenesis has been hampered by the absence of a pure culture of duck and chicken endothelial cells. Here, we use our recently established in vitro cultures of duck and chicken aortic endothelial cells to investigate species-dependent differences in the response of endothelial cells to HPAIV H5N1 infection. We demonstrate that chicken and duck endothelial cells display a different transcriptional response to HPAI H5N1 infection in vitro—with chickens displaying a more pro-inflammatory response to infection. As similar observations were recorded following in vitro stimulation with the viral mimetic polyI:C, these findings were not specific to an HPAIV H5N1 infection. However, similar species-dependent differences in the transcriptional response to polyI:C were not observed in avian fibroblasts. Taken together, these data demonstrate that chicken and duck endothelial cells display a different response to HPAIV H5N1 infection, and this may help account for the species-dependent differences observed in inflammation in vivo.

Highlights

Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) represent an ongoing threat to the poultry industry, impacting animal health and causing major economic losses worldwide
Avian IAVs are categorised into low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) based on their disease profile in gallinaceous poultry
We once again confirmed that this methodology resulted in a pure population of primary duck and chicken endothelial cells (Figure S1)

Summary

Introduction

Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) represent an ongoing threat to the poultry industry, impacting animal health and causing major economic losses worldwide. Avian IAVs are categorised into low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) based on their disease profile in gallinaceous poultry. LPAIVs are often subclinical or cause only mild clinical symptoms. HPAIVs in gallinaceous poultry can cause severe and fatal disease, often resulting in death within the first 24 h of infection. HPAIVs emerge in poultry following the insertion of a multi-basic cleavage site in the viral HA gene of low pathogenic H5 or H7 strains. Following their emergence in chickens, HPAIVs can spread to other avian or non-avian hosts (including humans) [1,2,3]

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