• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.920-929
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• 2017

Objective: The bursa of Fabricius (BF) is a central humoral immune organ belonging specifically to avians. Recent studies had suggested that miRNAs were active regulators involved in the immune processes. This study was to investigate the possible differences of the BF at miRNA level between two genetically disparate duck breeds. Methods: Using Illumina next-generation sequencing, the miRNAs libraries of ducks were established. Results: The results showed that there were 66 differentially expressed miRNAs and 28 novel miRNAs in bursa. A set of abundant miRNAs (i.e., let-7, miR-146a-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-17~92) which are involved in immunity and disease were detected and the predicted target genes of the novel miRNAs were associated with duck high anti-adversity ability. By gene ontology analysis and enriching KEGG pathway, the targets of differential expressed miRNAs were mainly involved in immunity and disease, supporting that there were differences in the BF immune functions between the two duck breeds. In addition, the metabolic pathway had the maximum enriched target genes and some enriched pathways that were related to cell cycle, protein synthesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis. It indicted that the difference of metabolism may be one of the reasons leading the immune difference between the BF of two duck breeds. Conclusion: This data lists the main differences in the BF at miRNAs level between two genetically disparate duck breeds and lays a foundation to carry out molecular assisted breeding of poultry in the future.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 2009

The cytoskeletal $\beta$-actin gene and its 5'-upstream region were isolated and characterized in the rockbream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). Complementary DNA of the rockbream $\beta$-actin represented a 1,125 bp of an open reading frame encoding 375 amino acids, and the rockbream $\beta$-actin cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences were highly homologous to those of other vertebrate orthologs. At the genomic level, the $\beta$-actin gene also exhibited an organization typical of vertebrate cytoskeletal actin genes (2,159 bp composed of five translated exons interrupted by four introns) with a conserved GT/AG exon-intron splicing rule. The putative non-translated exon predicted in the rockbream $\beta$-actin gene was much more homologous with those of teleostean $\beta$-actin genes than those of mammals. The 5'-upstream regulatory region isolated by genome walking displayed conserved and essential elements such as TATA, CArG and CAAT boxes in its proximal part, while several other immune- or stress-related motifs such as those for NF-kappa B, USF, HNF, AP-1 and C/EBP were in the distal part. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay results demonstrated that the rockbream $\beta$-actin transcripts were ubiquitously but different-tially expressed across the tissues of juveniles.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.130-134
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• 2003

Proinflammatory effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have been assessed by analysing the induction of two inflammatory genes, $interleukin-1\beta$ $(IL-1\beta)$ and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) macrophage cells. Production of a metabolite of arachidonic acid by COX-2, prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$, was also analysed in macrophage cells after LPS stimulation. Northern blot analysis revealed that LPS $(5{\mu}g/mL)$ significantly upregulated $IL-1\beta$ (54 times) and COX-2 (40.7 times) gene expression in macrophage cells after 4 h stimulation. According to RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) analysis, $IL-1\beta$ gene induction in LPS stimulated macrophage cells was started within 1h and significantly increased thereafter until 4h. Meanwhile, COX-2 gene induction by LPS was delayed in comparison with $IL-1\beta$ gene induction as a faint band was observed after 4h stimulation in head kidney macrophage cells. LPS also significantly increased $PGE_2$ production in head kidney leucocytes, presumably via activating COX-2 expression that metabolites arachidonic acid to $PGE_2$. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that LPS could induce two main inflammatory and immune related genes, $IL-1\beta$ and COX-2, and increase $PGE_2$ production in trout head kidney macrophage cells, representing a strong inflammatory activity.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.303-310
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• 2011

We characterized a cytoplasmic actin gene locus in greenling Hexagrammos otakii (Scorpaeniformes). Genomic clones isolated from the greenling DNA library contained two homologous cytoplasmic actin gene copies (HObact2.1 and HObact2.2) in a tail-to-head orientation. Their gene structure is characterized by six translated exons and one non-translated exon. Exon-intron organization and the nucleotide sequences of the two actin gene isoforms are very similar. However, only the HObact2.1 isoform contains microsatellite-like, dinucleotide repeats in the 5'-flanking region (named HOms2002) and intron 1 following the non-translated exon 1 (named HOms769). One microsatellite locus (HOms769) was highly polymorphic while the other (HOms2002) was not. Based on bioinformatic analysis, different transcription factor binding motifs are related to stress and immune responses in the two actin isoforms. Semiquantitative and real-time reverse transcription-PCR assays showed that both isoform transcripts were detectable ubiquitously in all the tissues examined. However, the basal expression levels of each isoform varied across tissues. Overall, the two isoforms showed a similar, but not identical, expression pattern. Our data suggest that the cytoplasmic actin genes may be the result of a recent duplication event in the greenling genome, which has not experienced significant subfunctionalization in their housekeeping roles.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2009

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is known to cause severe hepatotoxicity mainly through the depletion of glutathione. In this study, we compared the cytotoxic effects of APAP on both a normal murine hepatic cell line, BNL CL.2, and its SV40-transformed cell line, BNL SV A.8. Gene expression profiles for APAP-treated cells were also obtained using microarray and analyzed to identify differences in genes or profiles that may explain the differences of susceptibility to APAP in these cell lines. These two cell lines exhibited different susceptibilities to APAP (0-$5,000{\mu}M$); BNL SV A.8 cells were more susceptible to APAP treatment compared to BNL CL.2 cells. A dose of $625{\mu}M$ APAP, which produced significant differences in cytotoxicity in these cell lines, was tested. Microarray analysis was performed to identify significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) irrespective of APAP treatment. Genes up-regulated in BNL SV A.8 cells were associated with immune response, defense response, and apoptosis, while down-regulated genes were associated with catalytic activity, cell adhesion and the cytochrome P450 family. Consistent with the cytotoxicity data, no significant DEGs were found in BNL CL.2 cells after treatment with $625{\mu}M$ APAP, while cell cycle arrest and apoptosis-related genes were up-regulated in BNL SV A.8 cells. Based on the significant fold-changes in their expression, a genes were selected and their expressions were confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR; there was a high correlation between them. These results suggest that gene expression profiles may provide a useful method for evaluating drug sensitivity of cell lines and eliciting the underlying molecular mechanism. We further compared the genes identified from our current in vitro studies to the genes previously identified in our lab as regulated by APAP in both C57BL/6 and ICR mice in vivo. We found that a few genes are regulated in a similar pattern both in vivo and in vitro. These genes might be useful to develop as in vitro biomarkers for predicting in vivo hepatotoxicity. Based on our results, we suggest that gene expression profiles may provide useful information for elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of drug susceptibility and for evaluating drug sensitivity in vitro for extrapolation to in vivo.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2006

Toxoplasma gondii has been shown to result in life-threatening encephalitis in immunocompromised patients after reactivation of dormant parasites. In order to obtain information on immune responses related to this phenomenon, BALB/c mice were infected with 25 cysts of the 76K strain of T. gondii, then, treated orally with dexamethasone (Toxo/Dexa-treated group) in order to reactivate the chronic toxoplasmosis. None of the T. gondii-infected mice died during the experimental periods, whereas the Toxo/Dexa-treated mice evidenced a significant attenuation of survival periods. Toxoplasma-specific IgG2a, IgA and IgM titers in sera were significantly depressed in the Toxo/Dexa-treated mice; however, the IgG1 sera titers were similar to those seen in the Toxoplasma-infected mice. The percentages of CD4+ and $CD8\alpha+$ T cells in the Toxo/Dexa-treated mice were significantly reduced 2 weeks after dexamethasone treatment. $IFN-\gamma$ and IL-10 production levels in the Toxo/Dexa-treated mice were depressed significantly, whereas IL-4 production was increased temporarily. The expression levels of the Toxoplasma-specific P30 and B1 genes were found to have been increased in the Toxo/Dexa-treated mice in comparison with the Toxoplasma-infected mice. Collectively, the findings of this study demonstrate that reactivation of murine toxoplasmosis as the result of dexamethasone treatment induced a depression in Th1 immune responses, whereas Th2 immune responses were not significantly influenced.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.364-368
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• 2012

Bovine lactoferrin is well known as biological activator in defense mechanism related some cells. In this study, we was investigated about the immune modulator as a role of lactoferrin through the transcriptional regulation of genes associated with hypersensitivity such as allergy, athma and inflammatory disease. Effects of inflammatory reaction of bovine lactoferrin was carried out by RT-PCR analysis from isolated total RNA treated with lactoferrin 0, 10, 50, 100, 500 ${\mu}g/mL$ and PMA 100 ng/mL. The expression of the TYROBP, PITPNA, IL-10, SLP1, DC-stamp and ICAM-1 mRNA were increased by synergy effect of bovine lactoferrin and PMA. The results of RT-PCR showed that bovine lactoferrin and PMA had an effect of immune modulator by enhancement of TYROBP, PITPNA, SLP1, DC-stamp, IL-10 and ICAM-1 gene transcription in U937, Mutz-3 and NK92 cells, respectively. Bovine lactoferrin showed a potential of biological function which could be used for industrial applications as a material of food and pharmaceutical.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2018

The assessment of level of health of the tidal flats can be evaluate by health of organisms inhabit the tidal flats. It is possible to evaluate the precise health level of organisms inhabit the tidal flats using analysis of expression of biomarker genes. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the health of the tidal flats on the west coast using biomarker genes such as heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), glutathione S-transferases (GST) and thioredoxin (TRX). These genes are stress, immune, and antioxidant related genes that can be used to look at the health of an organism through gene expression. In this study, we collected manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) in 8 analysis areas on the west coast. Expression of the genes was analyzed by RT-qPCR method. Results showed that, the expression of Hsp70, Hsp90, GST and TRX genes were differentially expressed in the 8 analysis areas. In particular, the expression of Hsp90 and GST or the expression of Hsp70 and TRX were similar. This means that there is a substance that reacts specifically to each gene. Therefore, I think suggest that the based on the results of physicochemical analysis, it can be selected genes suitable for analysis. These results suggest that Hsp70, Hsp90, GST and TRX were played roles in biomarker for assessment of the health of tidal flats.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 2024

Plasmodium vivax variant interspersed repeats (vir) refer to the key protein used for escaping the host immune system. Knowledge in the genetic variation of vir genes can be used for the development of vaccines or diagnostic methods. Therefore, we evaluated the genetic diversity of the vir genes of P. vivax populations of several Asian countries, including Pakistan, which is a malaria-endemic country experiencing a significant rise in malaria cases in recent years. We analyzed the genetic diversity and population structure of 4 vir genes (vir 4, vir 12, vir 21, and vir 27) in the Pakistan P. vivax population and compared these features to those of the corresponding vir genes in other Asian countries. In Pakistan, vir 4 (S=198, H=9, Hd=0.889, Tajima's D value=1.12321) was the most genetically heterogenous, while the features of vir 21 (S=8, H=7, Hd=0.664, Tajima's D value =-0.63763) and vir 27 (S =25, H =11, Hd =0.682, Tajima's D value=-2.10836) were relatively conserved. Additionally, vir 4 was the most genetically diverse among Asian P. vivax populations, although within population diversity was low. Meanwhile, vir 21 and vir 27 among all Asian populations were closely related genetically. Our findings on the genetic diversity of vir genes and its relationships between populations in diverse geographical locations contribute toward a better understanding of the genetic characteristics of vir. The high level of genetic diversity of vir 4 suggests that this gene can be a useful genetic marker for understanding the P. vivax population structure. Longitudinal genetic diversity studies of vir genes in P. vivax isolates obtained from more diverse geographical areas are needed to better understand the function of vir genes and their use for the development of malaria control measures, such as vaccines.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1217-1225
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• 2015

Chicken is a major food source for humans, hence it is important to understand the mechanisms involved in nutrient absorption in chicken. In the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), the microbiota plays a central role in enhancing nutrient absorption and strengthening the immune system, thereby affecting both growth and health of chicken. There is little information on the diversity and functions of chicken GIT microbiota, its impact on the host, and the interactions between the microbiota and host. Here, we review the recent metagenomic strategies to analyze the chicken GIT microbiota composition and its functions related to improving metabolism and health. We summarize methodology of metagenomics in order to obtain bacterial taxonomy and functional inferences of the GIT microbiota and suggest a set of indicator genes for monitoring and manipulating the microbiota to promote host health in future.