miR-181c Regulates the process of the Infection of Singapore Grouper Iridovirus via targeting PDCD4 in Epinephelus coioides.

Abstract

Recent studies found that non-coding RNA could be involved in the development of pathogen infection. In this study, the role of non-coding RNA miRNA-181c (miR-181c) response to Iridovirus SGIV (an important viral pathogen and can cause huge economic losses in marine fish industry) infection was explored in Epinephelus coioides, an important economic fish in South China. The results showed that SGIV infection inhibited the expression of E. coioides miR-181c. Upregulated miR-181c significantly inhibited the invasion of SGIV, the expressions of key SGIV genes (MCP, ICP18, LITAF and VP19), SGIV-induced CPE, and the titers of SGIV. Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) of E. coioides was a direct target of miR-181c. miR-181c could regulate the expressions of the immune- and apoptosis-related factors, and SGIV-induced apoptosis via targeting PDCD4. Downregulated miR-181c could produce the opposite results. These findings would be useful for exploring miRNAs for potentially controlling viral infection.