TNF-α is involved in apoptosis triggered by grass carp reovirus infection in vitro

•Recombinant grass carp TNFα triggers apoptosis in vitro.•Tissue distribution of grass carp TNFα is determined.•TNFα – TRADD – caspase 8 pathway is involved in GCRV-induced apoptosis.•Anti-TNF-α blocks apoptosis in infected CIK cells.

Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) infection causes apoptosis in Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney cells (CIK). However, the cause of GCRV-induced apoptosis and its signaling pathways remain unknown. This study investigated the role of TNF-α-induced capase-8 pathways in mediating GCRV-induced apoptosis in the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Recombinant TNF-α was expressed and purified from Escherichia. coli. The western blot assay indicated that TNF-α expression level in kidney and spleen was higher than that in liver. In apoptosis assay, recombinant TNF-α triggered significant apoptosis in CIK cells, which was characterized by increased mRNA levels of TNF-α, TRADD or caspase-8, and enhanced caspase-8 activity in CIK cells. To confirm the biological activity of TNF-α during GCRV infection, significant apoptosis in CIK cells was induced by GCRV correlating with enhanced caspase-8 activity, increased mRNA level of TNF-α, TRADD or caspase-8, increased protein level of TNF-α in CIK cells and cell supernatant, suggesting that TNF-α-induced capase-8 pathways might be involved in GCRV-triggered apoptosis. Furthermore, treatment with an anti-TNF-α polyclonal antibody significantly decreased the degree of apoptosis in infected CIK cells compared with cells treated with a control antibody, which confirmed that TNF-α was a key mediator involved in GCRV-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicated that GCRV might trigger apoptosis via TNF-α induced capase-8 pathways in CIK cells.