Different routes of Aeromonas hydrophila infection lead to differential grass carp interleukin-17 family gene expression patterns during intestinal inflammation

The genomic and coding sequences of four members of grass carp interleukin (IL)-17 cytokine family, IL-17A/F2, IL-17A/F3, IL-17C and IL-17N, were isolated using rapid amplification of cDNA ends and conventional PCR techniques. A phylogenetic analysis showed that grass carp IL-17 family genes, including previously identified IL-17A/F1 and IL-17D, clustered with their counterparts from other fish species. IL-17D had two exons and one intron, while all the other members were composed of three exons and two introns. A multiple sequence alignment revealed that grass carp IL-17 family cytokines shared a cystine-knot motif that was highly conserved in mammals. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that these genes were expressed in the different examined tissues at varying levels. Moreover, they displayed different tissue expression patterns in fish at 24 h after intraperitoneal injection (IP) or anal intubation (AI) of Aeromonas hydrophila, implying roles in inflammatory responses. Next, we compared disease activity status and histopathological changes in intestinal tissues over a 7 day period after IP or AI, and then examine the potential differential effects of different infection routes on the expression profiles of IL-17 family genes in inflamed intestinal tissues. The intraperitoneal route resulted in more pronounced pathological symptoms than the anal route in terms of the disease activity index (DAI). Changes in the DAI highly coincided with the severity of intestinal inflammation. The two infection routes resulted in differential IL-17 family gene expression patterns over time in grass carp intestine, which suggests that IL-17 family members may play differential roles in mucosal and systemic immune responses and that IL-17N and IL-17A/F1 might possibly function as pro-inflammatory cytokines that provide defense against bacterial infection in grass carp intestine. •Grass carp IL-17A/F2, IL-17A/F3, IL-17C and IL-17 N sequences were isolated.•Most grass carp IL-17 family genes exhibited an identical exon-intron structure.•Grass carp IL-17 family cytokines contained a cystine-knot motif found in mammals.•Tissue expression patterns of IL-17 family genes differed after bacterial infection.•IL-17 family members had unique roles in mucosal and systemic immune responses.