Knockout of MARCO block TLR3-IL-1ß dependent inflammatory response in chicken macrophages

The scavenger receptor MARCO mediate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) uptake through binding to viral dsRNA at the cell surface and to enable this dsRNA to interact with the important dsRNA recognition receptor TLR3 in the endosome. To investigate the antiviral function of MARCO in ALV-J infection, we knocked out the MARCO gene in HD11 cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique and then performed RNA-sequencing on wild-type and mutant macrophages. Under the presence of MARCO, macrophages response to viral infection through inducing TLR3-IL-1ß dependent inflammatory response. Conversely, lack of MARCO increased the viral replication levels and attenuated the antiviral inflammatory response. Overall design: To investigate the antiviral function of MARCO in ALV-J infection, we knocked out the MARCO gene in HD11 cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique and then performed RNA-sequencing on wild-type and mutant macrophages.