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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #172758

Title: GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING OF B CELL AND T CELL POPULATIONS ISOLATED FROM CLINICALLY NORMAL CATTLE

Author
item Neill, John
item Ridpath, Julia

Submitted to: United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2004
Publication Date: 11/22/2004
Citation: Neill, J.D., Ridpath, J.F. 2004. Gene expression profiling of B cell and T cell populations isolated from clinically normal cattle [abstract]. 39th United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources. USDA:APHIS:NVSL, Session 4, Abstract no. 3.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an ubiquitous pathogen of cattle that cuases immunosuppression, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Immunosuppression in BVDV-infected cattle is characterized by decreased immune cell function in vitro, enhanced virulence of secondary pathogens and increased spread of secondary pathogens to tissues not normally affected. To better understand the mechanisms causing BVDV-induced immunosuppression, we have first undertaken the global characterization of gene expression patterns in circulating CD4+, CD8+, gamma/delta T cells and in ileal Peyer's patch follicular B cells from normal, uninfected cattle. Using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), a powerful sequence-based method to measure global gene expression levels, the normal gene expression levels were determined for these four cell populations. Preliminary analysis of the data obtained has demonstrated that these cells populations are metabolically active based on the high level of expression of mitochondrial, energy metabolism, biosynthetic pathways and housekeeping genes. Additionally, transcripts encoding proteins necessary for the function of particular cell populations have been identified. These include B and T cell receptor signaling pathway components and their regulatory proteins, proteins constituting other intracellular signaling pathways, cytokines and their cognate receptors, and other cell surface proteins. This analysis has allowed the characterization of the basal gene expression levels in these normal cell populations. The next phase of this study will be to conduct SAGE analysis from these cell populations isolated from BVDV-infected cattle and compare the noninfected and BVDV-infected SAGE databases to determine which genes show altered gene expression levels following infection. This analysis should provide insight into the underlying mechanisms that cause BVDV-induced immunosuppression.