LMBV exacerbated infection by inhibiting host inflammatory responses and promoting oxidative damage in zebrafish

Largemouth bass virus (LMBV) is a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus belonging to the genus Ranavirus in the family Iridoviridae. However, the host response to LMBV infection, especially the associated molecular events, remains largely uncertain. Here, we established an in vivo model of LMBV-infected zebrafish and systematically investigated the mRNA expression profiles of host genes in LMBV-infected liver and spleen using RNA sequencing (Rna-Seq). Transcriptome analysis showed that the transcriptional levels of 9217 genes (6713 up-regulated genes and 2524 down-regulated genes) were significantly altered in the spleen. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that a large number of co-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the spleen were enriched in metabolic pathways and immune signaling pathways. Taken together, our results will provide new insights into the basic patterns of molecular responses induced by LMBV in vivo and also contribute to the understanding of host defense mechanisms against iridovirus pathogens.