Bta-miR-146b Promotes Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus Replication and Inhibits Type I Interferon Expression via Targeting IRAK1

This virus can cause rhinotracheitis and vaginitis in cattle, resulting in high mortality and posing a serious threat to bovine production. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of regulatory non-coding small RNAs, can modulate viral replication by influencing host immune responses.

However, reports on the association between host miRNAs and IBRV infection are limited. In this study, we found that bta-miR-146b expression was up-regulated in IBRV-infected MDBK cells. Furthermore, transfection with bta-miR-146b mimics promoted IBRV replication in MDBK cells, whereas transfection with bta-miR-146b inhibitors inhibited IBRV replication, indicating that bta-miR-146b is a pro-infection factor.