Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China.
Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
Toxins (Basel). 2022 Nov 19;14(11):808. doi: 10.3390/toxins14110808.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a widely distributed contaminant in moldy corn, rice, soybean, and oil crops. Many studies have revealed its adverse effects, such as carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity, on the health of humans and animals. To investigate the immunotoxic effects on chicken immune organs induced by AFB1, we integrated RNA and small-RNA sequencing data of the spleen and the bursa of Fabricius to elucidate the response of the differentially expressed transcriptional profiles and related pathways. AFB1 consumption negatively influenced egg quality, but no obvious organ damage was observed compared to that of the control group. We identified 3918 upregulated and 2415 downregulated genes in the spleen and 231 upregulated and 65 downregulated genes in the bursa of Fabricius. We confirmed that several core genes related to immune and metabolic pathways were activated by AFB1. Furthermore, 42 and 19 differentially expressed miRNAs were found in the spleen and the bursa of Fabricius, respectively. Differentially expressed genes and target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly associated with cancer progression and immune response. The predicted mRNA-miRNA pathway network illustrated the potential regulatory mechanisms. The present study identified the transcriptional profiles and revealed potential mRNA-miRNA pathway crosstalk. This genetic regulatory network will facilitate the understanding of the immunotoxicity mechanisms of chicken immune organs induced by high concentrations of AFB1.
黄曲霉毒素 B1（AFB1）是一种广泛分布于霉变玉米、大米、大豆和油料作物中的污染物。许多研究表明，它对人类和动物的健康具有不良影响，如致癌性、免疫毒性和肝毒性。为了研究 AFB1 对鸡免疫器官的免疫毒性作用，我们整合了脾脏和法氏囊的 RNA 和小 RNA 测序数据，以阐明差异表达转录谱和相关途径的反应。AFB1 的摄入对鸡蛋质量有负面影响，但与对照组相比，没有明显的器官损伤。我们在脾脏中鉴定出 3918 个上调和 2415 个下调基因，在法氏囊中有 231 个上调和 65 个下调基因。我们证实，一些与免疫和代谢途径相关的核心基因被 AFB1 激活。此外，在脾脏和法氏囊中分别发现了 42 个和 19 个差异表达的 miRNA。差异表达基因和差异表达 miRNA 的靶基因主要与癌症进展和免疫反应有关。预测的 mRNA-miRNA 途径网络说明了潜在的调节机制。本研究确定了转录谱，并揭示了潜在的 mRNA-miRNA 途径串扰。该遗传调控网络将有助于理解高浓度 AFB1 诱导的鸡免疫器官的免疫毒性机制。
