Project description:Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder for which a definitive cure is still missing. This is characterized by an overwhelming inflammatory milieu in the colonic tract where a composite set of immune and non-immune cells orchestrate its pathogenesis. Over the last years, a growing body of evidence has been pinpointing gut virome dysbiosis as underlying its progression. Nonetheless, its role during the early phases of chronic inflammation is far from being fully defined. Here we show the gut virome-associated Hepatitis B virus protein X, most likely acquired after an event of zoonotic spillover, to be associated with the early stages of ulcerative colitis and to induce colonic inflammation in mice. It acts as a transcriptional regulator in epithelial cells, provoking barrier leakage and altering mucosal immunity at the level of both innate and adaptive immunity. This study paves the way to the comprehension of the aetiopathogenesis of intestinal inflammation and encourages further investigations of the virome as a trigger also in other scenarios. Moreover, it provides a brand-new standpoint that looks at the virome as a target for tailored treatments, blocking the early phases of chronic inflammation and possibly leading to better disease management.
Project description:We used the high-throughput sequencing and inhibitors to screen microRNAs that play the role in anti-porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) responses in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs).
Project description:The pig is important for agriculture and as an animal model in human and veterinary medicine, yet, despite over 20 years of effort, it has proved a difficult species from which to generate pluripotent stem cells analogous to those derived from mouse embryos. Here we report the production of LIF-dependent, so called naïve type, pluripotent stem cells from the inner cell mass of porcine blastocysts by up-regulating expression of KLF4 and POU5F1. These cells resemble mouse ES cells and are distinct from the FGF2-dependent, induced pluripotent cell type derived from porcine somatic cells. High throughput SNP chip genotyping was conducted on Illumina's Porcine SNP60 BeadChip (WG-410, a service provided by Geneseek, NE, http://www.neogen.com/GeneSeek/). The results exhibited that the two lines pluripotent stem cells from the inner cell mass of porcine blastocysts were porcine origin and genetically distinct.
Project description:We performed small RNA-seq on Dicer KD and control porcine oocyte, and report endo-siRNAs corresponding to SINE1B are significantly down-regulated by Dicer knockdown and are essential for in vitro maturation of porcine oocyte
Project description:Porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV; genus Cytomegalovirus, subfamily Betaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae) is an immunosuppressive virus that mainly inhibits the immune function of T lymphocytes and macrophages, which has caused great distress to the farming industry. In this study, we obtained the miRNA expression profiles of PCMV-infected and control porcine macrophages, PCMV-infected and control porcine tissues via high-throughput sequencing. The comprehensive analysis of miRNA profiles showed that 306 miRNA database annotated and 295 novel pig-encoded miRNAs were detected. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the target genes of miRNAs in PCMV infected porcine macrophages showed that the differentially expressed miRNAs are mainly involved in immune and metabolic process. This is the first report of the miRNA transcriptome in PCMV infected porcine macrophages and PCMV infected tissues and the analysis of the miRNA regulatory mechanism during PCMV infection. Further research into the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs during immunosuppressive viral infections will contribute to the treatment and prevention of immunosuppressive viruses.