Transcriptomic analysis of lung development in wildtype and CFTR −/− sheep suggests an early inflammatory signature in the CF distal lung

The precise molecular events initiating human lung disease are often poorly characterized. Investigating prenatal events that may underlie lung disease in later life is challenging in man, but insights from the well-characterized sheep model of lung development are valuable. Here, we determine the transcriptomic signature of lung development in wild-type sheep (WT) and use a sheep model of cystic fibrosis (CF) to characterize disease associated changes in gene expression through the pseudoglandular, canalicular, saccular, and alveolar stages of lung growth and differentiation. Using gene ontology process enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes at each developmental time point, we define changes in biological processes (BP) in proximal and distal lung from WT or CF animals. We also compare divergent BP in WT and CF animals at each time point. Next, we establish the developmental profile of key genes encoding components of ion transport and innate immunity that are pivotal in CF lung disease and validate transcriptomic data by RT-qPCR. Consistent with the known pro-inflammatory phenotype of the CF lung after birth, we observe upregulation of inflammatory response processes in the CF sheep distal lung during the saccular stage of prenatal development. These data suggest early commencement of therapeutic regimens may be beneficial.