Differential mRNA and miRNA Profiles Reveal the Potential Roles of Genes and miRNAs Involved in LPS Infection in Chicken Macrophages

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, and triggers an inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we used LPS from Escherichia coli serotype enteritidis to stimulate chicken macrophages (HD11) and conducted the transcriptome analysis using a bioinformatics approach to explore the functions of immune-related genes and miRNAs. In total, 1759 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 18 differentially expressed (DE)-miRNAs were detected during LPS infection. At 6 h post infection, 1025 DEGs and 10 miRNAs were up-regulated, and 734 DEGs and 8 DE-miRNAs were down-regulated. Based on both RNA hybrid and miRanda systems, 55 DEGs could be targeted by 14 DE-miRNAs. The target genes were related to the immune response, such as IRF8, STAT3, TRAF7, and other potential candidate genes. The DE-miRNAs miR146a-3p, miR6583-5p, and miR30c-2-3p were investigated further. They were predicted to target 34 genes that may also be candidates for immune-related miRNAs and genes. Our results enhanced our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of Gram-negative bacteria in chickens.