Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (1): 486-499.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2026.01.043

• CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Differential Expression Analysis of microRNA in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells Induced by Candida krusei

MIAO Yuhang1,2(), DING Tao1,2, XIN Jie1,2, MA Wenyan1,2, DU Jun1,2()   

  1. 1.College of Life Sciences,Ningxia University,Yinchuan 750021,China
    2.Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources with Western Characteristics,Ministry of Education,Yinchuan 750021,China
  • Received:2025-02-24 Online:2026-01-23 Published:2026-01-26
  • Contact: DU Jun E-mail:myh6943@126.com;dujun@nxu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Non-coding small RNAs (microRNAs) can be involved in the innate immune response of bovine mammary glands and can serve as potential biomarkers for pathogen infection of host cells and bovine mastitis. However, the expression pattern of microRNAs in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T) after Candida krusei infection remains unclear. This study aims to analyze the differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmicroRNAs) in MAC-T induced by Candida krusei and their functions, providing a basis for revealing the marker microRNAs of Candida krusei infection in MAC-T and for subsequent research on the regulatory mechanism of microRNAs in regulating the immune response of host cells. Utilizing RNA-Seq sequencing technology and bioinformatics methods, microRNA sequencing, DEmicroRNA analysis, and GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis were conducted on MAC-T cells after infection with Candida krusei (infection multiplicity=1). A total of 1 465 microRNAs were detected in MAC-T cells of both the normal group and the infection group. Compared with the normal group, 16 microRNAs were significantly upregulated and 7 were significantly downregulated in the infection group. TargetScan and miRanda software were used to predict the target genes of the 11 microRNAs with extremely significant differential expression, and a total of 6 739 target genes were predicted. The results of GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis indicated that the 11 microRNAs with extremely significant differential expression could regulate bovine mammary gland inflammation through immune-related signaling pathways. Further analysis revealed that the significantly downregulated bta-miR-2377 and the significantly upregulated bta-miR-2285i might participate in the MAPK, NF-κB, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways through potential target genes, thereby regulating the occurrence and development of host cell inflammation. Twenty-three DEmicroRNA are obtained in Candida krusei induced bovine mammary epithelial cells, which may regulate the occurrence and development of inflammatory response in bovine mammary epithelial cells through potential target genes, and provide a scientific basis for revealing the pathogenic mechanism of microRNA regulating Candida krusei induced bovine mastitis.

Key words: Candida krusei, bovine mammary epithelial cells, microRNA, bioinformatics analysis, differentially expressed microRNAs

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