调控牛CEBPA基因表达的miRNA筛选及对肌内前体脂肪细胞增殖和分化的影响

旨在筛选并验证调控牛增强子结合蛋白A（CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha，CEBPA）表达的miRNA及其对肌内前体脂肪细胞增殖和分化的影响。本研究综合运用多个在线软件筛选与CEBPA基因具有潜在调控关系的miRNA，运用qRT-PCR技术检测CEBPA基因在关岭牛各类组织中的表达水平；构建CEBPA-3'UTR-WT和CEBPA-3'UTR-MUT双荧光素酶报告载体，通过双荧光素酶报告系统验证候选miRNA与CEBPA基因的结合关系；分离培养关岭牛肌内前体脂肪细胞，利用qRT-PCR、Western blot、油红O染色和CCK-8探究调控CEBPA的miRNA对牛肌内前体脂肪细胞分化与增殖的影响。生物信息学分析发现，bta-miR-23a、bta-miR-23b-3p、bta-miR-181a、bta-miR-181b、bta-miR-181c、bta-miR-181d与CEBPA基因具有潜在结合关系；qRT-PCR结果表明，CEBPA基因在关岭牛内脏组织、肌肉组织、脂肪、下丘脑以及部分生殖器官中均有表达，在2岁牛背最长肌的表达量极显著高于1日龄犊牛（P<0.01）；双荧光素酶报告系统结果表明，bta-miR-23a、bta-miR-23b-3p、bta-miR-181a能直接结合牛CEBPA基因3'UTR；细胞试验结果表明，CEBPA基因在牛肌内前体脂肪细胞分化中的表达水平随时间逐渐升高，bta-miR-23a、bta-miR-23b-3p、bta-miR-181a在分化0 d表达水平极显著高于其他时期（P<0.01），整个分化时期bta-miR-23b-3p、bta-miR-181a与CEBPA基因表达趋势相反；过表达miR-23a、miR-23b-3p、miR-181a均能极显著降低CEBPA基因mRNA和蛋白表达量（P<0.01），并降低牛肌内前体脂肪细胞中脂滴含量；bta-miR-23a、bta-miR-23b-3p、bta-miR-181a能阶段性促进细胞增殖。结果表明，bta-miR-23a、bta-miR-23b-3p、bta-miR-181a能阶段性的促进牛肌内前体脂肪细胞增殖，并通过直接负调控CEBPA的表达来间接影响该细胞分化。     

Integrated analysis of miRNA–mRNA interaction in ovaries of Turpan Black Sheep during follicular and luteal phases

To investigate the regulatory mechanism of the follicular–luteal phase transition in Turpan black sheep (Ovis aries), the genome-wide expression patterns of microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes were investigated in ovaries of six sheep (3 years and single lamb with 3 consecutive births) during follicular and luteal phases of the oestrous cycle. Bioinformatic analysis was used to screen potential miRNAs and genes related to Turpan black sheep ovarian function. RT-qPCR was used to validate the sequencing results. In total, we identified 139 known and 71 novel miRNAs in the two phases with miRNA-seq, and a total of 19 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed, of which 7 were up-regulated and 12 were down-regulated in the follicular phase compared with luteal phase. A total of 150 genes were significantly differentially expressed, including 63 up-regulated and 87 down-regulated in the follicular phase compared with the luteal phase by RNA-seq data analysis. Those DEGs were significantly enriched in 103 GO terms and several KEGG pathways, including metabolic pathway, ovarian steroidogenesis, steroid hormone biosynthesis and oestrogen signalling pathway. In addition, we created a miRNA–mRNA regulatory network to further elucidate the mechanism of follicular–luteal transition. Finally, we identified key miRNAs and genes including miR-143, miR-99a, miR-150, miR-27a, miR-125b, STAR, STAT1, which might play crucial roles in reproductive hormone biosynthesis and follicular development. The miRNA–mRNA interactive network clearly illustrates molecular basis involving in follicular–luteal transition.     

Identification of key microRNAs affecting melanogenesis of breast muscle in Muchuan black-boned chickens by RNA sequencing

ABSTRACT

1. Melanin content is considered an important indicator of meat quality in black-boned chickens, which have a high market value. To understand the complex physiological processes underlying muscle melanogenesis in this chicken, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were detected between black muscle (BM) and white muscle (WM) of chickens using high-throughput sequencing technology. Six small RNA libraries were constructed, and more than 16.75 million clean reads were obtained for each library.

2. A total of 582 known miRNAs and 65 novel miRNAs were identified from the six chicken sequence libraries. A total of 19 DEMs were identified between the two groups, of which nine were upregulated and 10 were downregulated. Furthermore, the DEMs were predicted to target 572 genes.

3. Certain DEMs (such as miR-204, miR-133b, and miR-12 229-3p) and their target genes may play an important role in muscle melanogenesis of chickens. These findings provide a foundation for clarifying the miRNA regulatory mechanisms involved in muscle pigmentation in avian species.     

Identification and comparative profiling of gonadal microRNAs in the adult pigeon (Columba livia)

ABSTRACT

1. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in gene expression. However, the comparative profiling of testicular and ovarian microRNAs in birds are rarely reported, particularly in pigeon.

2. In this study, Illumina next-generation sequencing technology was used to sequence miRNA libraries of the gonads from six healthy adult utility pigeons. A total of 344 conserved known miRNAs and 32 novel putative miRNAs candidates were detected. Compared with those of ovaries, 130 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified in the testes. Among them, 70 miRNAs showed down-regulation in the ovaries, while another 60 miRNAs were up-regulated.

3. Combining the results of the expression of target gene measurements and pathway enrichment analyses, it was revealed that some DEmiRNAs from the gonad samples involved in sexual differentiation and development (such as cli-miR-210-3p and cli-miR-214-3p) could down-regulate AR (androgen receptor). Cli-miR-181b-5p, cli-miR-9622-3p and cli-miR-145-5p were highly expressed in both the ovaries and testes, which could co-target HOXC9, and were related to regulation of primary metabolic processes. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEmiRNAs may play biological and sex-related roles in pigeon gonads.

4. The expression profiles of testicular and ovarian miRNA in adult pigeon gonads are presented for the first time, and the findings may contribute to a better understanding of gonadal expression in poultry.     

感染产肠毒素大肠杆菌的猪小肠上皮细胞microRNA表达谱分析

试验旨在探索产肠毒素大肠杆菌（enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli，ETEC）感染猪小肠上皮细胞（IPEC-J2）诱导的microRNA （miRNA）表达谱变化，为解析宿主miRNA在ETEC感染过程中的调控作用提供理论基础。利用Illumina 6000 Novoseq SE50测序平台分别对ETEC感染前后的IPEC-J2进行高通量测序，用Bowtie与参考基因组比对，用DESeq R Package进行miRNA差异性分析。通过miRanda和RNAhybid共同预测差异表达miRNA的靶基因，对差异表达miRNA靶基因进行GO功能和KEGG通路分析。随机选取5个miRNAs，对测序结果进行实时荧光定量PCR验证。结果显示，IPEC-J2在感染前后的sRNA文库经过滤分别得到12 889 260和11 203 056条clean reads。感染前后文库中，miRNA所占比例最高，分别为73.16%和54.10%；分别有97.98%和69.83%长度为18~40 nt的sRNA可比对到参考基因组，表明测序质控良好。长度在22~24 nt的序列大部分首位碱基偏向U，2~8位点出现频率最高的碱基分别为AGCUUAU。共发现311个已知miRNAs，128个新miRNAs。在2个文库中，长度为23 nt的miRNA序列占比最高，分别为41.42%和23.56%。感染后共筛选到140个差异表达miRNAs，其中74个表达上调，66个表达下调。GO分析表明，miRNA靶基因显著富集于代谢过程、正向调节代谢过程、细胞成分或生物合成、免疫系统、细胞内部分和细胞器等功能。KEGG分析表明，差异表达miRNA靶基因显著富集于赖氨酸降解、生产IgA的肠道免疫网络、NF-κB信号通路和T细胞受体信号通路等。实时荧光定量PCR验证结果表明，随机选取的5个miRNAs表达趋势与测序结果一致，表明测序准确可靠。综上所述，IPEC-J2的miRNAs参与了ETEC感染过程，为进一步揭示调控ETEC感染的关键miRNA及其作用机制提供科学依据。     

牛多个组织microRNASolexa测序与生物信息学分析

本研究旨在发掘牛更多的microRNA(miRNA)信息及新的miRNA序列,为进一步研究miRNA的生物学功能奠定理论基础.运用高通量测序技术对来自一头西门塔尔公牛和一头荷斯坦母牛的多个组织的小RNA进行混池测序,对测序结果进行了生物信息学分析.随机选取了一条成熟miRNA:bta-miR-2346-5p和两条新预测的miRNAs:novel_miR-48和novel_miR-86,采用茎环RT-PCR进行验证.共鉴定了604条miRNAs,其中429条为牛的已知miRNAs,175条为新预测的miRNAs.通过茎环RT-PCR发现选取的这3条miRNAs在背最长肌、心肌、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、肾脏、大肠、小肠中均有表达,证明了高通量测序结果的准确性.本试验得到的数据在一定程度上丰富了牛miRNA的数量和种类,为后续牛或其他物种的miRNA相关生物学研究提供了更加详实的信息.     

Improvement,identification, and target prediction for miRNAs in the porcine genome by using massive,public high-throughput sequencing data

Despite the broad variety of available microRNA (miRNA) research tools and methods, their application to the identification, annotation, and target prediction of miRNAs in nonmodel organisms is still limited. In this study, we collected nearly all public sRNA-seq data to improve the annotation for known miRNAs and identify novel miRNAs that have not been annotated in pigs (Sus scrofa). We newly annotated 210 mature sequences in known miRNAs and found that 43 of the known miRNA precursors were problematic due to redundant/missing annotations or incorrect sequences. We also predicted 811 novel miRNAs with high confidence, which was twice the current number of known miRNAs for pigs in miRBase. In addition, we proposed a correlation-based strategy to predict target genes for miRNAs by using a large amount of sRNA-seq and RNA-seq data. We found that the correlation-based strategy provided additional evidence of expression compared with traditional target prediction methods. The correlation-based strategy also identified the regulatory pairs that were controlled by nonbinding sites with a particular pattern, which provided abundant complementarity for studying the mechanism of miRNAs that regulate gene expression. In summary, our study improved the annotation of known miRNAs, identified a large number of novel miRNAs, and predicted target genes for all pig miRNAs by using massive public data. This large data-based strategy is also applicable for other nonmodel organisms with incomplete annotation information.     

miRNA and piRNA expression profiles of breeder cock testes detected by next‐generation sequencing

miRNAs are small non‐coding regulatory RNAs that play key roles in diverse biological processes. In this study, we used the Solexa sequencing technique to profile miRNAs in breeder cock testes to illustrate their functions. A total of 663 co‐expressed miRNAs and 3,180 co‐expressed piRNAs were detected in three libraries. Based on Mir‐X^? miRNA qRT‐PCR, three miRNAs representing low, medium and high expression levels according to the sequencing results were selected randomly to validate the miRNAs' expression profiles. Results suggested that the miRNA expression profiles data could represent actual miRNA expression levels. Moreover, target genes prediction of the co‐expressed miRNAs and further Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed, which revealed that some candidate miRNAs were involved in the regulation of the spermatogenesis process, spermatozoa function and testicular metabolism. In conclusion, we provided a useful resource for further elucidation of the miRNAs' regulatory role in spermatogenesis, contributing to a preliminary database for functional and molecular mechanistic studies in testicular metabolism, spermatogenesis and other testes functions.     

Comparative expression profile of microRNAs and piRNAs in three ruminant species testes using next‐generation sequencing

microRNA (miRNA) and piwi‐interacting RNA (piRNA) are two classes small non‐coding regulatory RNAs that play crucial roles in multiple biological processes such as spermatogenesis. However, there are no published studies on conjoint analysis of miRNA and piRNA profiles among cattle, yak and their interspecies (the dzo) using sequencing technology. Next‐generation sequencing technology was used to profile miRNAs and piRNAs among those three ruminants to elucidate their functions. A total of 119, 14 and six differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained in cattle vs. dzo, cattle vs. yak and yak vs. dzo comparison groups, while there were 873, 1,065 and 1,158 differentially expressed piRNAs in those three comparison groups. The expression of three miRNAs was validated in the three ruminants, and the results suggested that the miRNA expression profiles data could represent actual miRNA expression levels. Moreover, the putative targets of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted by their own genome, it is worth to note that both the cattle and yak genome were used for dzo, then the targets were subjected to GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis, revealing the likely roles for these differentially expressed miRNAs in spermatogenesis. In conclusion, this study provided a useful resource for further elucidation of the miRNAs and piRNAs regulatory roles in spermatogenesis. It may also facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies for dzo reproduction research.     

乏情和发情初产母猪卵巢microRNA差异表达分析

为了探索卵巢microRNA （miRNA）在初产母猪生殖调控中的作用,本研究利用Illumina高通量测序技术检测了乏情和发情初产母猪卵巢miRNA的表达谱,并对表达量较高且差异显著的miRNA进行生物信息学分析。结果显示,本研究构建的两个small RNA文库共鉴定出503个miRNAs,其中已知的303个,新预测的200个。在已知的miRNA中,ssc-miR-10b在两个文库中的表达量最高,其次为ssc-miR-143-3p和ssc-miR-26a;在新预测的miRNA中,chr13_2637_mature在两个文库中的表达量最高,其次为chr8_9994_mature。与发情母猪相比,共有145个miRNAs发生显著变化（read counts>10,∣log₂（fold-change）∣>1）,上调114个,下调31个。在进一步筛选的31个表达量较高且差异显著的miRNAs（read counts>1 000,∣log₂（fold-change）∣>1）中,新预测的chr13_2585_mature上调倍数最高,且只在乏情母猪卵巢中表达。31个miRNAs共预测到7 388个靶基因,KEGG信号通路分析显示,有2 788个靶基因注释到了297个KEGG通路,前20个最富集的通路部分与生殖过程或生殖活动调控相关,表明这31个miRNAs参与了初产母猪的生殖调控。本研究结果丰富了猪miRNA数据资源,为进一步深入研究初产母猪的繁殖性能提供了理论依据。     

MicroRNA expression profiling of cat and dog kidneys

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the pathogenesis of certain diseases and may serve as biomarkers. Here, we present the first analysis of miRNA expression in the kidneys of healthy cats and dogs. Kidneys were divided into renal cortex (CO) and medulla (MD), and RNA sequence analysis was performed using the mouse genome as a reference. A total of 277, 276, 295, and 297 miRNAs were detected in cat CO, cat MD, dog CO, and dog MD, respectively. By comparing the expression ratio of CO to MD, we identified highly expressed miRNAs in each tissue as follows: 41 miRNAs including miR-192-5p in cat CO; 45 miRNAs including miR-323-3p in dog CO; 78 miRNAs including miR-20a-5p in cat MD; and 11 miRNAs including miR-132-5p in dog MD. Further, the target mRNAs of these miRNAs were identified. These data provide veterinary medicine critical information regarding renal miRNA expression.     

Computational identification of new porcine microRNAs and their targets

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a newly identified class of non‐protein‐coding ～22 nt small RNAs which play important roles in multiple biological processes by degrading targeted mRNAs or repressing mRNA translation. Here we present an expressed sequence tag (EST)‐based combined approach for the detection of novel porcine miRNAs. This was initiated by using previously known miRNA sequences from Homo sapiens (human) and Mus musculus (mouse) to blast the databases of Sus scrofa (pig) EST. A total of 65 new miRNAs were detected following a range of filtering criteria. Using these new potential miRNA sequences, we further obtained the publicly available porcine mRNA database from NCBI and detected 48 586 potential target hits using a software RNA hybrid. So far, compared to human and mouse, fewer miRNAs (only 54 miRNAs) were identified in Sus scrofa species. These 65 new miRNAs and their targets in pig have been run through miRHelper to yield data that may help us better understand the possible role of miRNAs in regulating the growth and development of pigs. These findings suggest that EST analysis is a good alternative strategy for identifying new miRNA candidates, their targets and other genes.     

Bovine intelectins: cDNA sequencing and expression in the bovine intestine

Intelectins (Itlns) are lectins with potential roles in innate immunity, capable of binding bacteria via galactofuranose residues. Itlns also function as intestinal receptors for the antimicrobial glycoprotein lactoferrin (Lf). Since Lf binds strongly to enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC), we aimed to determine the expression of Lf receptor in terminal rectum, the site of predilection of EHEC in cattle. We sequenced two bovine intelectins (Itln1 and Itln2) and showed that both were expressed in abomasum and rectum, but expression appeared minimal in the jejunum. There was significantly higher expression of Itln2 in terminal rather than proximal rectum. Lactoferrin was expressed in all samples examined. Thus, we have demonstrated two novel bovine Itlns and shown that they are expressed along with Lf in the gastrointestinal tract, where they may interact with microbial pathogens.     

Comparative rna-seq analysis of region-specific miRNA expression in the epididymis of cattleyak

The epididymis is the site of post-testicular sperm maturation, which constitutes the acquisition of sperm motility and the ability to recognize and fertilize oocytes. The role of miRNA in male reproductive system, including the control of different steps leading to proper fertilization such as gametogenesis, sperm maturation and maintenance of male fertility where the deletion of Dicer in mouse germ cells led to infertility, has been demonstrated. The identification of miRNA expression in a region-specific manner will therefore provide valuable insight into the functional differences between the regions of the epididymis. In this study, we employed RNA-seq technology to explore the expression pattern of miRNAs and establish some miRNAs of significant interest with regard to epididymal sperm maturation in the CY epididymis. We identified a total of 431 DE known miRNAs; 119, 185 and 127 DE miRNAs were detected for caput versus corpus, corpus versus cauda and caput versus cauda region pairs, respectively. Our results demonstrate region-specific miRNA expression in the CY epididymis. The GO and KEGG enrichment for the predicted target genes indicated the functional values of miRNAs. Furthermore, we observed that the expression of miR-200a was downregulated in the caput, compared with cauda. Since the family of miR-200 has previously been suggested to contribute to the distinct physiological function of sperm maturation in epididymis of adult rat, we speculate that the downregulation of miR-200a in CY caput epididymis may play an important role of sperm maturation in the epididymis of CY. Therefore, our findings may not only increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulated by the miRNA functions in region-specific miRNA expression in the CY epididymis, it could provide a valuable information to understand the mechanism of male infertility of CY.     

microRNA在猪中的研究进展

microRNA（miRNA）是一类在真核生物中广泛存在的非编码小RNA，通过与目标基因的3'端非编码序列结合，在转录后水平上调控基因的表达，参与许多生物学过程，包括细胞生长、分化、增殖和凋亡等。miRNA的生物合成始于细胞核，分为3个阶段，即pri-miRNA、pre-miRNA、成熟的miRNA分子。前两个阶段在细胞核中完成，第三阶段转移到细胞质中完成。miRNA具有在真核细胞中广泛存在、长度21~24 nt、序列具有高度保守性3个特点。研究表明，miRNA参与调控猪胚胎期肌肉发育、胚后期肌肉生长及肉质性状形成，猪前体脂肪细胞分化和脂质沉积，猪体的免疫应答，以及影响病原与机体的相互作用等过程。因此，了解更多的猪miRNA研究进展，可以加深对猪肌肉发育、脂肪代谢、疾病免疫等分子机制的理解，为生猪的健康养殖提供参考。     

乌头驴与三粉驴骨骼肌中miRNAs的表达鉴定与分析

试验旨在分析microRNAs （miRNAs）在德州驴骨骼肌中的表达情况,探讨小RNA （small RNA）在驴骨骼肌发育中的调控机制。采集德州驴2个品系（乌头驴和三粉驴）的背最长肌组织,构建乌头驴背最长肌（WB）和三粉驴背最长肌（SB）的small RNA测序文库并进行测序,运用生物信息学技术对WB和SB之间差异表达的miRNAs进行分析,预测和解析可能影响驴产肉性状的miRNAs,从中挑选了6个表达量较高的miRNAs,利用实时荧光定量PCR技术来验证测序结果的准确性。结果表明,在WB和SB文库中分别鉴定出保守miRNAs有982和1 149个,新miRNAs有106和143个。在WB与SB比较组中基于条件|log₂（fold_change）|≥2、P≤0.05获得17个差异表达的miRNAs,其中表达量上调的有5个,下调的有12个。通过GO注释,发现差异表达的miRNAs显著富集于调控细胞迁移分化、细胞分裂和骨骼肌细胞收缩等生物学过程（P<0.05）,并且挖掘到与驴骨骼肌发育相关的bta-miR-378d_L+1R-1_1ss22CA、bta-miR-378d_R-2,其靶向NPY1R、GPR152、BEST1、KCNH8、SPAG9等多个基因。KEGG富集结果表明,miRNAs富集于Wnt、MAPK、泛素蛋白水解系统等与骨骼肌发育相关的信号通路中,其中在Wnt信号通路中共涉及到17个差异表达miRNAs的207个靶基因,尤其以PC-5p-84483_31、hsa-miR-186-3p_R-3和cfa-miR-329b_1ss19CT的靶基因最多。实时荧光定量PCR结果与miRNAs测序结果一致,并发现除eca-miR-181b外,其他5个miRNAs在SB中的表达水平均高于WB。本研究首次对驴骨骼肌miRNAs进行转录组学分析,揭示了乌头驴和三粉驴miRNAs的表达差异,研究结果为阐明德州驴骨骼肌生长发育的分子调控机制提供参考。     

羊传染性脓疱病毒感染山羊皮肤成纤维上皮细胞差异表达miRNA分析

旨在研究羊传染性脓疱病毒（orf virus，orfv）感染山羊皮肤成纤维细胞（goat skin fibroblasts cell，GSF）对GSF细胞microRNA（miRNA）表达谱影响，探究miRNA在orfv感染过程中的作用及调控机制。分别提取感染和未感染orfv的GSF细胞总RNA，构建miRNA文库，利用高通量测序技术进行miRNA差异表达分析，对差异表达miRNA靶基因进行预测，并进行GO和KEGG分析，随机选取10个差异miRNA进行RT-qPCR验证。结果显示，orfv感染组和未感染GSF细胞组相比共有678个显著差异表达的miRNA（fold change≥1.5），其中，上调表达miRNA有509个，下调表达miRNA有169个，uniq_miRNA的Venn图分析显示，感染组和对照组共有的miRNA仅占8.21%；GO和KEGG分析显示，差异表达miRNA主要参与脂质代谢、受体及细胞因子信号转导等细胞生物学过程，RT-qPCR验证结果与高通量测序结果一致。本研究结果表明，orfv感染GSF细胞对其编码的miRNA有显著影响，获得大量GSF细胞编码的与orfv感染相关的差异miRNA，为进一步从宿主miRNA层面揭示orfv感染和致病机制提供了参考依据。     

弓形虫感染鼠脾细胞microRNA表达谱的检测分析

MicroRNA（miRNA）是一类约22个核苷酸组成的单链非编码RNA,在分化、发育、肿瘤形成等方面起着重要作用。本研究对弓形虫RH株感染小鼠脾细胞miRNA的表达进行了特异性基因芯片检测分析,并应用荧光定量RT-PCR方法进行验证。结果表明,感染鼠脾细胞中与免疫应答及细胞增殖和肿瘤发生相关的三大类miRNA中,有39种表达下调,同时有36种表达上调。上述结果揭示,弓形虫感染机体后伴随着靶细胞功能性miRNA表达谱的显著改变,这为进一步研究弓形虫感染致病的分子机制开辟了新的方向。     

病原感染后鸡miRNAs调控的研究进展

microRNAs(miRNAs)是一种短的单链非编码小分子RNAs，无论是在正常发育还是疾病的发生发展过程中，都能够与靶mRNA结合，参与到基因的转录后调控过程，并在其中发挥重要的调节作用。近年来随着miRNAs研究的深入，越来越多的证据表明，病原感染后会引起宿主miRNAs表达水平发生变化，这些差异表达的miRNAs能够积极地参与到疾病的发生发展过程中，并通过调控靶基因的表达参与免疫功能、自噬、炎症反应、代谢等多种生物学过程来抑制或促进疾病的发展。此外，宿主miRNAs作为一种参与转录后调节的小分子RNAs，在病原感染过程中，鸡miRNAs除了可以靶向自身的基因来调控鸡先天免疫信号，也可以靶向病原的基因从而影响病原的吸附、入侵、增殖等过程。作者主要介绍了miRNAs的生物合成、功能以及鸡miRNAs在部分病毒、细菌、寄生虫等病原侵袭过程与致病过程中的调控作用及其机制，简述了不同病原感染后鸡miRNAs的调控策略，以期从miRNAs的角度为鸡病的诊断、治疗和防控提供一定的参考。