Abstract
Ducks are the natural host and reservoir of influenza A virus (IAV), and as such are permissive to viral replication while being unharmed by most strains. It is not known which mechanisms of viral control are globally regulated during infection, and which are specific to tissues during infection. Here we compare transcript expression from tissues from Pekin ducks infected with a recombinant H5N1 strain A/Vietnam 1203/04 (VN1203) or an H5N2 strain A/British Columbia 500/05 using RNA-sequencing analysis and aligning reads to the NCBI assembly ZJU1.0 of the domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos) genome. Highly pathogenic VN1203 replicated in lungs and showed systemic dissemination, while BC500, like most low pathogenic strains, replicated in the intestines. VN1203 infection induced robust differential expression of genes all three days post infection, while BC500 induced the greatest number of differentially expressed genes on day 2 post infection. While there were many genes globally upregulated in response to either VN1203 or BC500, tissue specific gene expression differences were observed. Lungs of ducks infected with VN1203 and intestines of birds infected with BC500, tissues important in influenza replication, showed highest upregulation of pattern recognition receptors and interferon stimulated genes early in the response. These tissues also appear to have specific downregulation of inflammatory components, with downregulation of distinct sets of proinflammatory cytokines in lung, and downregulation of key components of leukocyte recruitment and complement pathways in intestine. Our results suggest that global and tissue specific regulation patterns help the duck control viral replication as well as limit some inflammatory responses in tissues involved in replication to avoid damage.
Highlights
Influenza A virus (IAV) causes disease in both humans and animals, resulting in periodic epidemics and potentially global pandemics
Our aim is to extend this study by aligning pair-ended RNA-seq data to the current Pekin duck genome assembly (ZJU1.0) to analyze the global differential expression patterns in tissues involved in viral replication and the lymphatic response and identify novel candidate genes for future exploration
We look at the global differential expression (DE) in lung and spleen of Pekin ducks infected with Vietnam 1203/04 (VN1203); and lung, spleen and intestines of ducks infected with BC500
Summary
Influenza A virus (IAV) causes disease in both humans and animals, resulting in periodic epidemics and potentially global pandemics. HPAI strains replicate in the lungs of infected ducks and chickens causing more pathology to infected animals, and these strains can cause systemic dissemination of viral particles [7, 9]. LPAI strains replicate in the intestines of ducks to high titers without causing serious lesions [1, 10]. This adaption allows the virus to be spread in excrement, and transferred through shared waterways, or when ducks fly over poultry farms, giving the ducks the moniker of the “Trojan horses” of infection [11]. H5Ny strains of influenza continue to be enzootic in ducks and remain of concern for their pandemic potential [12]
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