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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Avian Disease and Oncology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326178

Title: Differences in CD8 alpha alpha and cecal microbiome community during proliferation and late cytolytic phases of Marek's disease virus (MDV) infection are associated with genetic resistance to Marek's disease

Author
item PERUMBAKKAM, SUDEEP - Michigan State University
item Hunt, Henry
item Cheng, Hans

Submitted to: Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2016
Publication Date: 12/20/2016
Citation: Perumbakkam, S., Hunt, H.D., Cheng, H.H. 2016. Differences in CD8 alpha alpha and cecal microbiome community during proliferation and late cytolytic phases of Marek's disease virus (MDV) infection are associated with genetic resistance to Marek's disease. Environmental Microbiology. 92:1-11. doi:10.1093/femsec/fiw188.

Interpretive Summary: Marek's disease (MD) is an important neoplastic disease of chickens caused by Marek’s disease virus (MDV), an oncogenic alphaherpesvirus. In this study using two chicken lines, one resistant and another susceptible to MD, splenic T cells and the cecal microbiome were profiled in both uninfected and MDV-infected birds to gain a better understanding of the primary differences associated with MD phenotype in these lines. The percent of splenic CD4+ T cells were similar regardless of MDV challenge status in both resistant and susceptible birds. In contrast, CD8 alpha alpha profiles were different (P < 0.005) between the chicken lines under naïve status and MDV challenge, suggesting that CD8 alpha alpha T cells play a key role in mediating MDV infection. Genera level analysis of the microbiome composition showed differences between lines in both control and MDV challenged treatments (P < 0.05) in both chicken lines, suggesting that MDV affects cecal microbial community structure during the course of infection. Furthermore, community metabolic profiles due to MDV infection relates to changes in funcrtional metabolic profile in the birds. These results provide insight into the immune response and the potential interplay with the microbiome during infection with an oncogenic virus.

Technical Abstract: There is growing awareness that microbes in the gut play an important role in the health and disease response of the host. In this study, using chicken and Marek's disease virus, an economically important pathogen, we correlate changes in immune cells with gut microbes and their function. We find that during viral infection, specific microbe populations are altered suggesting that they might play a critical role in the host response. If true, controlling gut flora might provide a novel mechanism to help control or reduce losses due to infectious diseases.