Dissecting transcription factor-target interaction in bovine coronavirus infection

Coronaviruses are RNA viruses that cause significant disease within many species, including cattle. Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) infects cattle and wild ruminants, both as a respiratory and enteric pathogen, and possesses a significant economic threat to the cattle industry. Transcription factors are proteins that activate or inhibit transcription through DNA binding and have become new targets for disease therapies. This study utilized in silico tools to identify potential transcription factors that can serve as biomarkers for regulation of BCoV pathogenesis in cattle, both for testing and treatment. A total of 11 genes were identified as significantly expressed during BCoV infection through literature searches and functional analyses. Eleven transcription factors were predicted to target those genes (AREB6, YY1, LMO2, C-Rel, NKX2-5, E47, RORAlpha1, HLF, E4BP4, ARNT, CREB). Function, network, and phylogenetic analyses established the significance of many transcription factors within the immune response. This study establishes new information on the transcription factors and genes related to host-pathogen interactome in BCoV infection, particularly transcription factors YY1, AREB6, LMO2, and NKX2, which appear to have strong potential as diagnostic markers, and YY1 as a potential target for drug therapies.