Journal of Animal Science and Technology
Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology
Article

Molecular analysis of chicken IFI6 gene and transcriptional regulation

Ki-Duk Song1,3,4,*, Jeong-Woong Park1, Marc Ndimukaga1, Jaerung So1, Sujung Kim1, Anh Duc Truong2, Ha Thi Thanh Tran2, Hoang Vu Dang2
1Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Korea.
2Vietnam National Institute of Veterinary Research, Ha Noi 100000, Viet Nam.
3Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Korea.
4The Animal Molecular Genetics and Breeding Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Korea.
*Corresponding Author: Ki-Duk Song, Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Korea, Republic of. Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Korea, Republic of. The Animal Molecular Genetics and Breeding Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Korea, Republic of. Phone: 01056221158. E-mail: kiduk.song@jbnu.ac.kr.

© Copyright 2022 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: Aug 14, 2022; Revised: Oct 23, 2022; Accepted: Nov 02, 2022

Published Online: Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

Interferon-alpha inducible protein 6 (IFI6) is an interferon-stimulated gene (ISG), belonging to the FAM14 family of proteins and is localized in the mitochondrial membrane, where it plays a role in apoptosis. Transcriptional regulation of this gene is poorly understood in the context of inflammation  by intracellular nucleic acid-sensing receptors and pathological conditions caused by viral infection. In this study, chicken <italic>IFI6</italic> (ch<italic>IFI6</italic>) was identified and studied for its molecular features and transcriptional regulation in chicken cells and tissues, that is, lungs, spleens, and tracheas from highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV)-infected chickens. The ch<italic>IFI6</italic>-coding sequences contained 1638 nucleotides encoding 107 amino acids in three exons, whereas the duck <italic>IFI6</italic>-coding sequences contained 495 nucleotides encoding 107 amino acids. IFI6 proteins in chickens and ducks contain an interferon-alpha inducible protein IF6/IF27-like superfamily domain. Expression of ch<italic>IFI6</italic> was higher in HPAIV-infected White Leghorn chicken lungs, spleens, and tracheas than in mock-infected controls. TLR3 signals regulate the transcription of ch<italic>IFI6</italic> in chicken DF-1 cells via the NF-κB and JNK signaling pathways, indicating that multiple signaling pathways differentially contribute to the transcription of ch<italic>IFI6</italic>. Further research is needed to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying <italic>IFI6</italic> transcription, as well as the involvement of chIFI6 in the pathogenesis of HPAIV in chickens.

Keywords: Interferon-Alpha Inducible Protein 6 gene; Toll-like receptor 3 signaling pathway; NF-kB pathway; MAPKs pathway; Avian Influenza virus