Integrated analysis of lncRNA and mRNA in spleen of Beagle dogs post Toxocara canis infection

Toxocara canis is a parasitic worm with a global distribution, which causes Toxocariasis in humans and animals. The spleen is an important immune organ that plays an irreplaceable role in the interaction of various pathogens with the host, but the role of the spleen in the definitive host (canine) of Toxocara canis infection is not known. Based on the life cycle of T. canis in the definitive host, in this study, 18 6- to 7-week-old Beagle dogs were divided equally into three groups, including 24 hours post infection (hpi), 96 hpi, and 36 days post-infection (dpi) to analyze the expression profiles of long-stranded non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA in the spleens of Beagle dogs infected by T. canis by RNA-seq. The results showed that 614 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNA transcripts and 262 DEmRNAs were identified at 24 hpi; 726 DElncRNA transcripts and 878 DEmRNAs were identified at 96 hpi; a total of 686 DElncRNA transcripts and 504 DEmRNAs were identified at 36 dpi. Among them, 35 DElncRNA transcripts and 11 DEmRNAs were identified at three infection stages.