Integrative Analysis of miRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles in Mammary Glands of Holstein Cows Artificially Infected with Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus- induced mastitis is one of the most intractable problems for the dairy industry, which causes loss of milk yield and early slaughter of cows worldwide. Few studies have used a comprehensive approach based on the integrative analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles to explore molecular mechanism in bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus. In this study, S. aureus (A1, B1 and C1) and sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (A2, B2 and C2) were introduced to different udder quarters of three individual cows, and transcriptome sequencing and microarrays were utilized to detected miRNA and gene expression in mammary glands from the challenged and control groups. A total of 77 differentially expressed microRNAs (DE miRNAs) and 1625 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that multiple DEGs were enriched in significant terms and pathways associated with immunity and inflammation. Integrative analysis between DE miRNAs and DEGs proved that miR-664b, miR-23b-3p, miR-331-5p, miR-19b and miR-2431-3p were potential factors regulating the expression levels of CD14 Molecule (CD14), G protein subunit gamma 2 (GNG2), interleukin 17A (IL17A), collagen type IV alpha 1 chain (COL4A1), microtubule associated protein RP/EB family member 2 (MAPRE2), member of RAS oncogene family (RAP1B), LDOC1 regulator of NFKB signaling (LDOC1), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9) in bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus. These findings could enhance the understanding of the underlying immune response in bovine mammary glands against S. aureus infection and provide a useful foundation for future application of the miRNA–mRNA-based genetic regulatory network in the breeding cows resistant to S. aureus.