miR-181c Inhibits the Infection and Replication of Singapore Grouper Iridovirus Via Regulating Immune Response in Epinephelus coioides

iral infections seriously threat the health of livings including humans. Singapore grouper iridovirus is a double stranded DNA virus, causing more than 90% mortality rate of infected marine fish and huge economic losses to the farmers. microRNA mediated gene regulation could be involved in cell processing, but its roles in the infection DNA virus remains poorly understood. In this study, based on the established virus-cell or vivo infection model, the role of miR-181c from Epinephelus coioides, an important marine economic aquaculture fish in South China and Southeast Asia response to SGIV infection was explored. SGIV infection can significantly inhibit the expression of E. coloides miR-181c. Mimics with overexpression of miR-181c significantly inhibit the invasion and replication of SGIV. Multiple data demonstrated that Programmed cell death 4 of E. coioides is a direct target of miR-181c, and miR-181c can regulate the immune responses and SGIV-induced apoptosis via targeting PDCD4 mRNA. Silencing of miR-181c produced the opposite results. injection of agomir overexpression of miR-181c can reduce SGIV-induced mortality of E. coioides, and antagomir silencing of miR-181c can accelerate the SGIV-induced death of E. coioides. These findings would be useful for exploring a potential treatment of miRNAs for controlling viral infection.