# RNA-Seq Analysis of Glycolysis Regulation of Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup J Replication

## TL;DR

This study shows that blocking glycolysis in chicken cells reduces replication of a harmful poultry virus and identifies circular RNAs involved in this process.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific circular RNAs and their regulatory roles in ALV-J replication through glycolysis inhibition.

## Key findings

- Inhibiting glycolysis in DF1 cells reduces ALV-J virus replication.
- 28 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified in ALV-J-infected cells.
- CircRNAs may regulate ALV-J replication via pathways like glycolysis and apoptosis.

## Abstract

Avian Leukosis virus (ALV) is a virus that is widespread in poultry and hinders the healthy development of the poultry industry. In this study, we found that inhibition of DF1 cell glycolysis can reduce the replication of ALV-J virus. Next, we performed RNA-seq on ALV-J-infected and ALV-J-infected cells treated with glycolysis inhibition. Then, we analyzed the function of source and target genes of different expressed circular RNAs (DE circRNAs) and constructed a circRNA–miRNA–gene axis. The results of this study reveal the key role of several circRNAs in the replication of the ALV-J virus and lay a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanism of ALV-J virus replication regulation.

Avian Leukosis virus (ALV) is a widely spread virus that causes major economic losses to the global poultry industry. This study aims to investigate the effect of glycolysis on the replication of the ALV-J virus and identify the key circular RNAs that regulate the replication of the ALV-J virus. We found that glucose uptake, pyruvate content, and lactate content in DF1 cells were increased after ALV-J infection. Moreover, inhibiting the glycolysis of ALV-J-infected DF1 cells reduced the replication of the ALV-J virus. To further study the mechanism of glycolysis in the replication of the ALV-J virus, we performed RNA-seq on ALV-J-infected and ALV-J-infected cells treated with glycolysis inhibition. RNA-seq results show that a total of 10,375 circular RNAs (circRNAs) were identified, of which the main types were exonic circular RNAs, and 28 circRNAs were differentially expressed between ALV-J-infected and ALV-J-infected cells treated with glycolysis inhibition. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed circRNA source and target genes. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that some circRNAs might be involved in regulating the replication of the ALV-J virus by influencing some pathways like glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, Insulin signaling pathway, and Apoptosis. This study revealed the effect of glycolysis on the replication of the ALV-J virus in DF1 cells and its possible regulatory mechanism, which provided a basis for understanding the factors influencing the replication of the ALV-J virus and reducing the rate of infection of the ALV-J virus in poultry.