Folic acid enhances proinflammatory and antiviral molecular pathways in chicken B-lymphocytes infected with a mild infectious bursal disease virus

ABSTRACT

1. This study evaluated the effect of folic acid (FA) supplementation on the proinflammatory and antiviral molecular pathways of B-lymphocytes infected with a modified live IBDV (ST-12) mild vaccine strain during a timed post-infection analysis.

2. A chicken B-lymphocytes (DT-40) cell line was cultured in triplicate at a concentration of 5 × 10⁵ cells per well in 24-well plates; and was divided into three groups: 1: No virus, FA; 2: Virus, no FA; 3: Virus + FA at a concentration of 3.96 mM. The experiment was repeated three times.

3. Cells in groups 2 and 3 were infected with a modified live IBDV (ST-12) mild vaccine strain at one multiplicity of infection (MOI: 1). After 1 hour of virus adsorption, samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 hours post-infection (hpi).

4. The modified live IBDV (ST-12) mild vaccine strain triggered a B-lymphocyte specific immune response associated with the upregulation of genes involved in virus recognition (Igß), virus sensing (TLR-2, TLR-3, TLR-4 and MDA5), signal transduction and regulation (TRIF, MyD88 and IRF7), and the antiviral effector molecules (IFN-α, OAS, PKR, and viperin).

5. FA supplementation modulated IBDV replication and regulated the proinflammatory and antiviral downstream molecular pathways.

6. In conclusion, the low virulent pathotype serotype I modified live IBDV (ST-12) mild vaccine strain was able to trigger and mount an immune response in chicken B-lymphocytes without affecting B-cell viability. FA supplementation modulated B lymphocytes response and improved their innate immune proinflammatory and antiviral response molecular pathways.

KEYWORDS:

• Folate
• B-cell
• immunity
• immune system
• IBDV
• gumboro

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support and funds provided by the National Research Council Canada and the Canadian Poultry Research Council. They gratefully acknowledge Beatrice Despres for the support provided during this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canadian Poultry Research Council; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.