Molecular cloning and functional characterization of duck MRE11

The human meiotic recombination 11 (MRE11) protein has been recognized as a cytosolic double-stranded DNA sensor that plays a critical role in the induction of type I interferon (IFN). However, the properties and functions of avian MRE11 in the innate immune response are not well understood. In this study, we cloned and characterized the full-length sequence of duck MRE11 (duMRE11) from duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) for the first time. The duMRE11 gene encoded a protein of 703 amino acid residues and showed the highest sequence similarity to goose MRE11. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that duMRE11 was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined, with particularly high expression levels in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus and spleen. Overexpression of duMRE11 in DEFs led to the activation of IRF1 and NF-κB and the production of IFN-β. Furthermore, knockdown of duMRE11 significantly reduced the activity of the IFN-β promoter in poly(dA:dT)-stimulated or duck enteritis virus (DEV)-infected DEFs. Antiviral analysis showed that duMRE11 effectively suppressed the replication of DEV at different time points after infection. These results indicate that duMRE11 plays an important role in the induction of innate immune responses in ducks.