Change in Long Non-Coding RNA Expression Profile Related to the Antagonistic Effect of Type C on Piglet Spleen.

LncRNAs play important roles in resisting bacterial infection via host immune and inflammation responses. () type C is one of the main bacteria causing piglet diarrhea diseases, leading to major economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. In our previous studies, piglets resistant (SR) and susceptible (SS) to type C were identified based on differences in host immune capacity and total diarrhea scores. In this paper, the RNA-Seq data of the spleen were comprehensively reanalyzed to investigate antagonistic lncRNAs. Thus, 14 lncRNAs and 89 mRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) between the SR and SS groups compared to the control (SC) group. GO term enrichment, KEGG pathway enrichment and lncRNA-mRNA interactions were analyzed to identify four key lncRNA targeted genes via MAPK and NF-κB pathways to regulate cytokine genes (such as TNF-α and IL-6) against type C infection. The RT-qPCR results for six selected DE lncRNAs and mRNAs are consistent with the RNA-Seq data. This study analyzed the expression profiling of lncRNAs in the spleen of antagonistic and sensitive piglets and found four key lncRNAs against type C infection. The identification of antagonistic lncRNAs can facilitate investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to diarrhea in piglets.