RNA sequencing reveals the microRNA features of kidney in dengue virus-infected mouse

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) spread widely, causing not only dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome but also renal damage, which results in a poor prognosis. MicroRNA (miRNA) has attracted attention in recent years due to its regulatory functions in the transcriptomes of viral and host genomes. However, research on the function of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of dengue and dengue-associated nephropathy is still in the early stages. Methods: We investigated the miRNA libraries from uninfected and DENV-infected mouse kidney tissue with high-throughput miRNA-seq technology, performed genomic analysis, and subsequently, practiced target gene prediction and enrichment analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs). Result: We identified 32 DEmiRNAs, including 19 with upregulated and 13 with downregulated expression, with miR-206-3p, miR-206, and miR-135a-5p showing significantly upregulated expression, the first two were associated with AKT phosphorylation, and the latter was associated with inflammation, however, those factors have been rarely investigated. MiR-122-5p, a potential biomarker in dengue, was downregulated in the kidney, in contrast to previous studies. Subsequently, we predicted 2209 potential target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs and explored the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, showing the pathogenic mechanisms of dengue in which the factors participated, which included viral replication and inflammatory response. Conclusion: The current study investigates overall miRNA expression in mouse kidneys as a result of DENV-2 infection in vivo. These results may broaden the scope of knowledge about how miRNAs regulate the occurrence and development of DENV infection and in turn enhance the prevention and treatment of severe dengue and associated renal disease. In this study, RNA-Seq analysis of kidney tissues from a mouse model after DENV infection was performed to identify differential miRNA expression profiles, predicted target genes, and analyzed the biological functions and pathways involved in the regulation of differential miRNAs. Comparative microRNA expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data for the kidney tissues of dengue virus-infected mice and control mice.