Transcriptomic basis of neutrophil ratio variation induced by poly I:C stimulation in porcine peripheral blood

Abstract

Neutrophils are vital components of defense mechanisms against invading pathogens and are closely linked with the individual antiviral capacity of pigs and other mammals. Neutrophilia is a well-known clinical characteristic of viral and bacterial infections. Using Affymetrix porcine genome microarrays, we investigated the gene expression profiles associated with neutrophil variation in porcine peripheral blood before and after polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid stimulation. Transcriptomic analysis showed 796 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in extreme response (ER) pigs and 192 DEGs in moderate response (MR) pigs. Most DEGs were related to immune responses, included MXD1, CXCR4, CREG1, MyD88, CD14, TLR2, TLR4, IRF3 and IRF7. Gene ontology analysis indicated that the DEGs of both ER and MR pigs were involved in common biological processes, such as cell proliferation, growth regulation, immune response, inflammatory response and cell activation. The ER and MR groups also showed differences in DEGs involved in biological processes. DEGs involved in cell division and cell cycle were specifically found in the ER pigs, whereas DEGs involved in cell migration were specifically found in the MR pigs. The study provides a basic understanding of the molecular basis for the antiviral capacity of pigs and other mammals.