Abstract
The aim of the present study was to characterize in vivo genome-wide transcriptional responses to immune stimulation in order to get insight into the resulting changes of allocation of resources. Vaccination with tetanus toxoid was used as a model for a mixed Th1 and Th2 immune response in pig. Expression profiles of PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) before and at 12 time points over a period of four weeks after initial and booster vaccination at day 14 were studied by use of Affymetrix GeneChip microarrays and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). The transcriptome data in total comprised more than 5000 genes with different transcript abundances (DE-genes). Within the single time stages the numbers of DE-genes were between several hundred and more than 1000. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis mainly revealed canonical pathways of cellular immune response and cytokine signaling as well as a broad range of processes in cellular and organismal growth, proliferation and development, cell signaling, biosynthesis and metabolism. Significant changes in the expression profiles of PBMCs already occurred very early after immune stimulation. At two hours after the first vaccination 679 DE-genes corresponding to 110 canonical pathways of cytokine signaling, cellular immune response and other multiple cellular functions were found. Immune competence and global disease resistance are heritable but difficult to measure and to address by breeding. Besides QTL mapping of immune traits gene expression profiling facilitates the detection of functional gene networks and thus functional candidate genes.
Highlights
In pig farming, the incidence and severeness of infectious diseases has direct influence on animal welfare, product quality and economics
High immune responsiveness may be associated with a corresponding allocation of resources on the costs of productivity
We performed a microarray study of 12 sampling time points over a period of four weeks to get a comprehensive overview of gene expression changes during immune stimulation with tetanus toxoid (TT) as a model antigen
Summary
The incidence and severeness of infectious diseases has direct influence on animal welfare, product quality and economics. Since both intensive and organic production systems are faced with multiple infectious diseases, there is a need for animals endogenously protected against a broad range of pathogens. Sustaining the pig’s genetic resistance to infection has been considered as a key breeding goal to improve disease prophylaxis [1]. High immune responsiveness may be associated with a corresponding allocation of resources on the costs of productivity. In the pig selection for high immune response was associated with enhanced weight gain [5,6]. In order to identify genotypes for selection the investigation of underlying immunogenetic fundamentals plays a major role
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