Abstract
Circular RNA (circRNA) is a new class of non-coding RNA that is structured into a closed loop without polyadenylation. Recent studies showed that circRNAs are involved in the host immune response to pathogen infection. Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), an important economical marine fish cultured in north Asia, is affected by Vibrio anguillarum, a pathogenic bacterium that can infect a large number of fish. In this study, we systematically explored the circRNAs in the spleen of V. anguillarum-infected flounder at different infection time points. A total of 6581 circRNAs were identified, 148 of which showed differential expression patterns after V. anguillarum infection and were named DEcirs. Most of the DEcirs were strongly time-specific. The parental genes of the DEcirs were identified and functionally classified into diverse pathways, including immune-related pathways. Among the immune-related DEcirs, seven were predicted to sponge 18 targeted miRNAs that were differentially expressed during V. anguillarum infection (named DETmiRs). Further analysis showed that the DEcirs and their corresponding DETmiRs intertwined into complicated immune related networks. These results indicate that in flounder, circRNAs are regulated by V. anguillarum and form interactive networks with mRNAs and miRNAs that likely play important roles in the immune defense against pathogen infection.