BMC Veterinary Research (May 2019)

Autophagy induced by avian reovirus enhances viral replication in chickens at the early stage of infection

  • Xiaosai Niu,
  • Chengcheng Zhang,
  • Yuyang Wang,
  • Mengjiao Guo,
  • Baoyang Ruan,
  • Xuefeng Wang,
  • Tianqi Wu,
  • Xiaorong Zhang,
  • Yantao Wu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-1926-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Background Avian reovirus (ARV) is an important pathogen that can cause serious disease in poultry. Though several in vitro studies revealed some molecular mechanisms that are responsible for ARV-induced autophagy, it is still largely unknown how ARV manipulates autophagy to promote its own propagation. Results In this study, we demonstrated that ARV infection triggered autophagy in chicken tissues, evident from the enhancement of LC3-I/−II conversion and the appearance of abundant autophagosomes. Moreover, viral replication and the expression of IL-1β were coupled with the process of ARV-induced autophagy in the early stage of infection. Furthermore, regulation of autophagy affected the accumulation of LC3-II, the production of ARV and the expression of IL-1β. Conclusions Altogether, our data suggest that ARV induces autophagy, which benefits its replication and dissemination in chicken tissues at the early infection stage.

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