Abstract
The goose (Anser cygnoides), having high nutritional value, high-quality feathers and high economic benefit, is an economically important poultry species. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the higher susceptibility to pathogens in goslings than in adult geese remains poorly understood. In this study, the histological sections of spleen tissue from a two-week-old gosling and an adult goose, respectively, were subjected to comparative analysis. The spleen of gosling was mainly composed of mesenchyma, accompanied by scattered lymphocytes, whereas the spleen parenchyma was well developed in the adult goose. To investigate goose immune-related genes, we performed deep transcriptome and gene expression analyses of the spleen samples using paired-end sequencing technology (Illumina). In total, 50,390 unigenes were assembled using Trinity software and TGICL software. Moreover, these assembled unigenes were annotated with gene descriptions and gene ontology (GO) analysis was performed. Through Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis, we investigated 558 important immune-relevant unigenes and 23 predicted cytokines. In addition, 22 immune-related genes with differential expression between gosling and adult goose were identified, among which the three genes showing largest differences in expression were immunoglobulin alpha heavy chain (IgH), mannan-binding lectin serine protease 1 isoform X1 (MASP1) and C–X–C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4). Finally, of these 22 differentially expressed immune-related genes, seven genes, including tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 13B (TNFRSF13B), C-C motif chemokine 4-like (CCL4), CXCR4, interleukin 2 receptor alpha (IL2RA), MHC class I heavy chain (MHCIα), transporter of antigen processing 2 (TAP2) IgH, were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression levels of all the candidate unigenes were up-regulated in adult geese other than that of TNFRSF13B. The comparative analysis of the spleen transcriptomes of gosling and adult goose may promote better understanding of immune molecular development in goose.
Highlights
The goose (Anas cygnoides), an economically important poultry species, is cultivated widely in China which has become the country breeding the most geese in the world
We identified seven unigenes, tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 13B (TNFRSF13B), C–C motif chemokine 4-like (CCL4), C–X–C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), interleukin 2 receptor alpha (IL2RA), MHC class I heavy chain (MHCIα), transporter of antigen processing 2 (TAP2) and immunoglobulin alpha heavy chain (IgH), that have been reported to play important roles in the immune response
IgH is expressed in parallel with Immunoglobulin light chain (IgL), but we only found IgH to be markedly up-regulated in adult goose
Summary
The goose (Anas cygnoides), an economically important poultry species, is cultivated widely in China which has become the country breeding the most geese in the world. Compared with other avian terrestrials, the waterfowl shows asymptomatic and long-lasting infection when infected with avian viruses, such as the avian influenza virus. Once an avian virus invades host cells, the first steps of the cellular defense mechanisms involve the sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs). A thorough understanding of the waterfowl immune system will help us better understand the molecular mechanisms of the host-pathogen interaction. As a potential transmitter of avian viruses, goose can provide an invaluable model for studies on waterfowl immunology. Goslings have a low ability to resist disease compared to adult geese because goslings have an underdeveloped immune system. The discovery of immune-relevant genes may facilitate the elucidation of immunological responses
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