Molecular characterization of lumpy skin disease virus in North Central Vietnam during 2021 and early 2022.

In October 2020, the first outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Lang Son Province, Vietnam were reported by our laboratory. The disease had rapidly spread to the South, and it was reported in 55 of 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam by the end of 2021. The most economic loss caused by this disease occurred in the north-central region in 2021 where approximately 46,788 LSD virus (LSDV) infected cattle and buffaloes have been reported and 8,976 animals have been culled. However, the information on this pathogen circulating in this region is missing. Here, we describe the molecular characterization of LSDV circulating in north-central Vietnam in 2021 and early 2022. In total, 155 LSDV samples were collected during this period and three of these samples from each province were further characterized by Sanger sequencing analysis based on three key maker genes (GPCR, RPO30, and p32). Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis based on GPCR, RPO30, and p32 genes indicated that LSDV strains circulating in north-central Vietnam are closely related to previously reported strains in Vietnam regions which bordered China and all LSDV strains were 100% identical. These results show the importance of continuous monitoring and characterization of circulating LSDV strains and are important for vaccine development for the control and eradication of LSD in Vietnam.

Identification of differentially expressed genes and metabolism signaling pathway in the spleen of broilers supplemented with probiotic Bacillus spp.

Probiotics are essential in the body's nutrients, improving the ratio of meat to meat, immune response, and preventing diseases. In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), enriched related pathways, and Gene Ontology (GO) terms among blank negative control (NC), supplemented with Bacillus spp. (BS) and commercial probiotic (PC) groups after a 42-day fed supplementation. The results showed that 2005, 1356, and 2189 DEGs were significantly altered in BS vs. NC, PC vs NC, and BS vs PC groups, respectively. On the other hand, 9 DEGs were further validated by qRT-PCR, indicating that the qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results were more consistent. Therefore, the GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of DEGs showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched to metabolism signalling pathways (alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, and metabolic pathway, etc) and immune response pathways (cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, MAPK signalling pathway, and intestinal immune network for IgA production, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction etc). These results will provide a better understanding of the role of probiotics in chicken development and provide basic information on the genetic development of chickens.

Comprehensive genome­wide analysis of the chicken heat shock protein family: identification, genomic organization, and expression profiles in indigenous chicken with highly pathogenic avian influenza infection.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) function as molecular chaperones with critical roles in chicken embryogenesis, immune response to infectious diseases, and response to various environmental stresses. However, little is known on HSP genes in chicken. In this study, to understand the roles of chicken HSPs, we performed genome-wide identification, expression, and functional analyses of the HSP family genes in chicken. RESULTS: A total of 76 HSP genes were identified in the chicken genome, which were further classified into eight distinct groups (I-VIII) based on phylogenetic tree analysis. The gene-structure analysis revealed that the members of each clade had the same or similar exon-intron structures. Chromosome mapping suggested that HSP genes were widely dispersed across the chicken genome, except in chromosomes 16, 18, 22, 25, 26, and 28-32, which lacked chicken HSP genes. On the other hand, the interactions among chicken HSPs were limited, indicating that the remaining functions of HSPs could be investigated in chicken. Moreover, KEGG pathway analysis showed that the HSP gene family was involved in the regulation of heat stress, apoptotic, intracellular signaling, and immune response pathways. Finally, RNA sequencing data revealed that, of the 76 chicken HSP genes, 46 were differentially expressed at 21 different growth stages in chicken embryos, and 72 were differentially expressed on post-infection day 3 in two indigenous Ri chicken lines infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides significant insights into the potential functions of HSPs in chicken, including the regulation of apoptosis, heat stress, chaperone activity, intracellular signaling, and immune response to infectious diseases.