Project description:Transcriptional profiling of the host cell response to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection. Feline T-cells were infected with FIV and virus-induced gene expression changes were investigated at 24 hours post infection.
Project description:The purpose of this study was to characterize the transcriptomic alterations accompanying the inflammation involved in feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS). Towards this goal next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based gene expression profiling (RNA-Sequencing; RNA-Seq) was performed on matched pairs of FCGS diseased and healthy tissues obtained from three feline subjects.
Project description:Purpose:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are members of a rapidly growing class of small endogenous non-coding RNAs that play crucial roles in post-transcriptional regulator of gene expression in many biological processes. Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) is a highly infectious pathogen that causes severe disease in pets, economically important animals and wildlife in worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of FPV have not been completely clear. To study the involvement of miRNAs in the FPV infection process, miRNAs expression profiles were identified via deep sequencing in the feline kidney cell line (F81) infected and uninfected with FPV. Methods:miRNA-sequencing analysis was performed on an Illumina Hiseq 2500 (LC Sciences, USA) following the vendor's recommended protocol Results:As a result, 673 known miRNAs belonging to 210 families and 278 novel miRNAs were identified. Then we found 57 significantly differential expression miRNAs by comparing the results between uninfected and FPV-infected groups. Furthermore, stem-loop qRT-PCR was applied to validate and profile the expression of the randomly selected miRNAs; the results were consistent with those by deep sequencing. Furthermore, the potential target genes were predicted. The target genes of differential expression miRNAs were analyzed by GO and KEGG pathway. Conclusions:The identification of miRNAs in feline kidney cell line before and after infection with Feline Panleukopenia Virus will provide new information and enhance our understanding of the functions of miRNAs in regulating biological processes.
Project description:Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are a promising cell therapy to treat inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. Development of appropriate pre-clinical animal models is critical to determine safety and attain early efficacy data for the most promising therapeutic candidates. Naturally occurring diseases in cats already serve as valuable models to inform human clinical trials in oncologic, cardiovascular and genetic diseases. The objective of this study was to complete a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of human and feline ASCs with an emphasis on their immunomodulatory capacity and transcriptome. Similar to human ASCs, feline ASCs were highly proliferative at low passages and fit the minimal criteria of multipotent stem cells including a compatible surface protein phenotype, osteogenic capacity and normal karyotype. Like ASCs from all species, feline ASCs inhibited mitogen activated lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, with or without direct ASC-lymphocyte contact. Feline ASCs mimic human ASCs in their mediator secretion pattern including prostaglandin E2, indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase, transforming growth factor beta and interleukin-6, all augmented by interferon gamma secretion by lymphocytes. The transcriptome of 3 unactivated feline ASC lines were highly similar. Functional analysis of the most highly expressed genes highlighted processes including: 1) the regulation of apoptosis, 2) cell adhesion, 3) response to oxidative stress, and 4) regulation of cell differentiation. Finally, feline ASCs had a similar gene expression profile to noninduced human ASCs. These data will help inform clinical trials using cats with naturally occurring diseases as surrogate models for human clinical trials in the regenerative medicine arena.