The duck genome and transcriptome provide insight into an avian influenza virus reservoir species

TLDR

The duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a principal natural host of influenza A viruses, and its whole‑genome sequence has been reported. The study aims to examine host responses to influenza A infection by comparing lung transcriptomes of infected and control ducks and to investigate immune‑related genes through deep transcriptomic analysis. Researchers performed deep transcriptome sequencing of lung tissues from ducks infected with highly or weakly pathogenic H5N1 strains and controls, using the genome sequence to identify influenza‑responsive genes. The data reveal that ducks possess a contractive immune gene repertoire shaped by lineage‑specific duplications, with diversified β‑defensin and butyrophilin‑like genes enhancing defense, and the identified responsive genes provide a resource for studying host–virus interactions.

Abstract

Ning Li and colleagues report the whole-genome sequence of the duck, Anas platyrhynchos, a natural host of avian influenza viruses. They examine host response to infection by comparing the lung transcriptomes of ducks that were infected with influenza A viruses. The duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the principal natural hosts of influenza A viruses. We present the duck genome sequence and perform deep transcriptome analyses to investigate immune-related genes. Our data indicate that the duck possesses a contractive immune gene repertoire, as in chicken and zebra finch, and this repertoire has been shaped through lineage-specific duplications. We identify genes that are responsive to influenza A viruses using the lung transcriptomes of control ducks and ones that were infected with either a highly pathogenic (A/duck/Hubei/49/05) or a weakly pathogenic (A/goose/Hubei/65/05) H5N1 virus. Further, we show how the duck's defense mechanisms against influenza infection have been optimized through the diversification of its β-defensin and butyrophilin-like repertoires. These analyses, in combination with the genomic and transcriptomic data, provide a resource for characterizing the interaction between host and influenza viruses.