Transcriptional Response of Avian Cells to ND Virus Infection

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a member of genus Avulavirus under the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus is a causative agent of Newcastle disease which causes a significant economic loss for the poultry industry worldwide. There are mainly three pathotypes of the virus - Velogenic, Mesogenic and Lentogenic. Different strains of the virus used for vaccination fall under either mesogenic or lentogenic. Generally, host-virus interactions include a complex interplay of molecular pathways directed by the host to prevent viral replication and countermeasures by the virus to favor its propagation. Elucidation of these responses with regard to both virus and host could provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms governing host antiviral strategies, immune response and the pathogenesis of NDV infection. However, there is a gap in the data on gene expression of avian cells in response to the virus infection. In the present study, a lentogenic strain of the virus - D58 has been used to establish a transcriptional profile of certain cytokine and cellular genes of chicken embryo cells to NDV infection to understand the molecular pathogenesis of the virus and host-cell interactions.