MicroRNA profiling of mouse liver in response to DENV-1 infection by deep sequencing

Abstract

Background Dengue caused by dengue virus (DENV) serotypes −1 to −4 is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in the tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide. Yet many of the pathophysiological mechanisms of host responses during DENV infection remain largely unknown and incompletely understood. Methods Using a mouse model, the miRNA expressions in liver during DENV-1 infection was investigated using high throughput miRNA sequencing. The differential expressions of miRNAs were then validated by qPCR, followed by target genes prediction. The identified miRNA targets were subjected to gene ontology (GO) annotation and pathway enrichment analysis to elucidate the potential biological pathways and molecular mechanisms associated with DENV-1 infection. Results A total of 224 and 372 miRNAs out of 433 known mouse miRNAs were detected in the livers of DENV-1-infected and uninfected mice, respectively; of these, 207 miRNAs were present in both libraries. The miR-148a-3p and miR-122-5p were the two most abundant miRNAs in both groups. Thirty-one miRNAs were found to have at least 2-fold change in upregulation or downregulation, in which seven miRNAs were upregulated and 24 miRNAs were downregulated in the DENV-1-infected mouse livers. The miR-1a-3p was found to be the most downregulated miRNA in the DENV-1-infected mouse livers, with a significant fold change of 0.10. To validate the miRNA sequencing result, the expression pattern of 12 miRNAs, which were highly differentially expressed or most abundant, were assessed by qPCR and nine of them correlated positively with the one observed in deep sequencing. In silico functional analysis revealed that the adaptive immune responses involving TGF-beta, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Rap1, Wnt and Ras signalling pathways were modulated collectively by 23 highly differentially expressed miRNAs during DENV-1 infection. Conclusion This study provides the first insight into the global miRNA expressions of mouse livers in response to DENV-1 infection in vivo and the possible roles of miRNAs in modulating the adaptive immune responses during DENV-1 infection.

Identification of potential biomarkers in dengue via integrated bioinformatic analysis

“…MiRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that can regulate gene expression by inhibiting messenger RNA (mRNA) translation or inducing mRNA degradation[ 17 ]. Recently, Pong et al reported that, with a DENV-1 infection, 23 highly differentially expressed miRNAs jointly modulate the adaptive immune response involving TGF-β, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Rap1, Wnt, and Ras signalling pathways[ 19 ].…”

Dengue Virus and the Relationship with MicroRNAs

“…The expressions of miR-24-1-5p, miR-512-5p, and miR-4640-3p were able to distinguish mild dengue from those with liver complications. At the same time, miR-383 was significantly more expressed in dengue with mild clinical status than those diagnosed with severe dengue and accumulation of body fluids [40,41].…”

Prothymosin α accelerates dengue virus-induced thrombocytopenia

“… 19 Differentially expressed miRNAs are detected in the sera of dengue patients and in DENV-infected mice, some of which may be used as indicators for dengue severity. 20 , 21 , 22 Moreover, a broader role for DENV infection in miRNA modulation has been documented. Infection of human hepatoma cells with DENV results in decreased mRNA levels of miRNA processing proteins, including Dicer, Drosha, Ago1, and Ago2, and subsequent downregulation of miRNAs.…”