Transcriptome profiling analysis of grouper during nervous necrosis virus persistent infection

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infection has been considered a serious disease in farmed grouper. Particularly, the persistent infection model conducts the grouper into a carrier state that continues to spread the virus through spawning. This particular model makes disease control more difficult in the aquaculture industry. In the present study, we used RNA-Seq, a high-throughput method based on next-generation sequencing, to profile the expression of genes during the period of NNV persistent infection. We evaluated the transcriptomic changes in the brain tissue of grouper. The inactivated-NNV vaccine was used as a comparison group. Based on the differentially expressed genes, highly immune cell active signaling and surface receptor expression were triggered during persistent infection. The interferon-induced response was also highly expressed in the infected brain tissue. However, critical negative regulatory factors of T-cells, such as PD-L1 and LAG3, were up-regulated. The present transcriptome study revealed a comprehensive view of the state of NNV persistent infection and provided insights into the state of impaired NNV clearance in the grouper.