A comparative study on retinoic acid inducible gene 1 like receptors (RLR) mediated in vitro antiviral response in Indian Bakarwali and Marwari goat breeds

The aim of this work was to study in vitro immune response in goat fibroblasts mediated through retinoic acid inducible gene 1 like receptors (RLRs). The primary cultures of foetal fibroblast cells of Bakarwali and Marwari goat were established and exposed to poly I:C and cellular response was studied by the expression profiling of various host components viz. RLR genes, adaptors (MAVS, IRF3, IRF7) and effectors (ISGs and IFN beta). Sequence analysis of RIG-1 and MDA-5 genes revealed conservation of critical amino acid residues in goats. The intensity of RLR mediated antiviral response induced by poly I:C was maximal after 4 h post transfection. The pattern of antiviral response induced by poly I:C varied in fibroblasts of two types of goats. The cellular response was early and of lesser duration in Marwari goat population but late and of high amplitude in Bakarwali breed. The present study highlights that goat fibroblast cells could initiate an antiviral response through RLR pathway following ligand recognition. The study also showed that the intensity and duration of RLR mediated in-vitro antiviral response could vary over different goat population.