Red sea bream interleukin (IL)-1? and IL-8 expression, subcellular localization, and antiviral activity against red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV)

Abstract

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is transcribed by monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells in response to activation of toll-like receptors (TLRs) by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or cytokine signalling and causes a rapid inflammatory response to infection. IL-8, also known as chemokine C-X-C motif ligand (CXCL)-8, is regulated by IL-1 beta and affects the chemotaxis of macrophages and neutrophils upon pathogen infection. In healthy red sea bream, rsbIL-1fl is most highly distributed in the liver, and rsbIL-8 is most highly distributed in the head kidney. In response to RSIV infection, rsbIL-1fl and rsbIL-8 mRNA are significantly upregulated in the kidney and spleen. This may be because the primary infection targets of RSIV are the kidney and spleen. In the gills, both genes were significantly upregulated at 7 days after RSIV infection and may be accompanied by a cytokine storm. In the liver, both genes were significantly downregulated at most observation points, which may be because the immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells expressing rsbIL-1 beta or rsbIL-8 migrated to other tissues because the degree of RSIV infection was relatively low. Using a GFP fusion protein, it was confirmed that rsbIL-1fl and rsbIL-8 were localized to the cytoplasm of Pagrus major fin (PMF) cells. RsbIL-1 beta overexpression induced the expression of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), myxovirus-resistance protein (Mx) 1, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha, and MyD88, while rsbIL-8 overexpression induced the expression of IFN-gamma, Mx1, rsbIL-1fl and TNF-alpha. In addition, over -expression of both genes significantly reduced the genome copies of RSIV and significantly reduced the viral titers. Therefore, rsbIL-1fl and rsbIL-8 in red sea bream play an antiviral role against RSIV through their normal signalling.