Genome‐wide analysis of TNF‐alpha response in pigs challenged with porcine circovirus 2b

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine with a role in activating adaptive immunity to viral infections. By inhibiting the capacity of plasmacytoid dendritic cells to produce interferon‐α and TNF‐α, porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) limits the maturation of myeloid dendritic cells and impairs their ability to recognize viral and bacterial antigens. Previously, we reported QTL for viremia and immune response in PCV2‐infected pigs. In this study, we analyzed phenotypic and genetic relationships between TNF‐α protein levels, a potential indicator of predisposition to PCV2 co‐infection, and PCV2 susceptibility. Following experimental challenge with PCV2b, TNF‐α reached the peak at 21 days post‐infection (dpi), at which time a difference was observed between pigs that expressed extreme variation in viremia and growth (P < 0.10). A genome‐wide association study (n = 297) revealed that genotypes of 56 433 SNPs explained 73.9% of the variation in TNF‐α at 21 dpi. Major SNPs were identified on SSC8, SSC10 and SSC14. Haplotypes based on SNPs from a SSC8 (9 Mb) 1‐Mb window were associated with variation in TNF‐α (P < 0.02), IgG (P = 0.05) and IgM (P < 0.13) levels at 21 dpi. Potential overlap of regulatory mechanisms was supported by the correlations between genomic prediction values of TNF‐α and PCV2 antibodies (21 dpi, r > 0.22), viremia (14–21 dpi, P > 0.29) and viral load (r = 0.31, P < 0.0001). Characterization of the QTL regions uncovered genes that could influence variation in TNF‐α levels as well as T‐ and B‐cell development, which can affect disease susceptibility.     

Immunogenicity of plant‐produced porcine circovirus‐like particles in mice

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV‐2) is the main causative agent associated with a group of diseases collectively known as porcine circovirus‐associated disease (PCAD). There is a significant economic strain on the global swine industry due to PCAD and the production of commercial PCV‐2 vaccines is expensive. Plant expression systems are increasingly regarded as a viable technology to produce recombinant proteins for use as pharmaceutical agents and vaccines. However, successful production and purification of PCV‐2 capsid protein (CP) from plants is an essential first step towards the goal of a plant‐produced PCV‐2 vaccine candidate. In this study, the PCV‐2 CP was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants via agroinfiltration and PCV‐2 CP was successfully purified using sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The CP self‐assembled into virus‐like particles (VLPs) resembling native virions and up to 6.5 mg of VLPs could be purified from 1 kg of leaf wet weight. Mice immunized with the plant‐produced PCV‐2 VLPs elicited specific antibody responses to PCV‐2 CP. This is the first report describing the expression of PCV‐2 CP in plants, the confirmation of its assembly into VLPs and the demonstration of their use to elicit a strong immune response in a mammalian model.     

Development of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Porcine Circovirus Type 2

In this study, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was used to develop a rapid and simple detection system for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). According to the PCV2 sequences published in GenBank, multiple LAMP primers were designed targeting conserved sequences of PCV2. Using the DNA extracted from PCV2 isolates HUN-09 and SD-09 as the template, LAMP reactions in a PCV2 LAMP system was performed, the amplification products were detected by adding SYBR Green I and could be observed di...     

Effect of natural or vaccine-induced porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) immunity on fetal infection after artificial insemination with PCV2 spiked semen

The objectives of this study were to determine if vaccination against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) or previous PCV2 infection of the dam are sufficient to prevent fetal infection when dams are artificially inseminated with PCV2-spiked semen. Nine sows (Sus domestica) were allocated into three groups of three dams each: The PCV2 naïve negative control Group 1 was artificially inseminated with extended PCV2 DNA negative semen during estrus, whereas the extended semen used in the vaccinated Group 2 (PCV2 vaccine was given 8 wk before insemination) and PCV2-exposed Group 3 (infected with PCV2 12 wk before insemination) was spiked with 5 mL of PCV2 inoculum with a titer of 10^4.2 tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀) per milliliter at each breeding. The dams in the vaccinated and PCV2-exposed groups were positive for PCV2 antibody but negative for PCV2 DNA in serum at the time of insemination. Three negative control dams, two vaccinated dams, and three dams with previous PCV2 exposure became pregnant and maintained pregnancy to term. After artificial insemination, viremia was detected in one of three vaccinated dams and in two of three dams with previous PCV2 exposure. At farrowing, PCV2 infection was not detected in any piglets or fetuses expelled from the negative control dams or from dams with previous PCV2 exposure. In litters of the vaccinated dams, 15 of 24 live-born piglets were PCV2 viremic at birth, with 6 of 26 fetuses having detectable PCV2 antigen in tissues. In conclusion, vaccine-induced immunity did not prevent fetal infection in this sow model using semen spiked with PCV2.     

嵌合猪圆环病毒PCV1-2的构建及其感染性初步鉴定

猪Ⅱ型圆环病毒(PCV2)是当前严重危害养猪业的重要病原之一。目前,世界上还没有有效疫苗用于该病毒的免疫预防。该研究利用PCR方法,将PCV2的ORF2基因替换猪Ⅰ型圆环病毒(PCV1)的ORF2基因,构建了以PCV1基因组为骨架的嵌合病毒(PCV1-2)分子克隆(pSK2PCV1-2)。将该分子克隆转染PK-15细胞并连续盲传5代,用RT-PCR方法可以在转染后盲传的细胞中检测到PCV1的ORF1 mRNA和PCV2的ORF2 mRNA,但检测不到PCV1的ORF2 mRNA和PCV2的ORF1 mRNA。间接免疫荧光检测显示在盲传第5代的细胞中有PCV2 ORF2蛋白的表达,表达蛋白主要分布于细胞核。该研究初步证实构建的PCV1-2分子克隆转染细胞后可以形成具有感染性的嵌合病毒,从而为更深入研究嵌合病毒生物学特性奠定了基础。     

猪1型圆环病毒全基因组克隆及其感染性初步鉴定

猪圆环病毒(porcine circovirus,PCV)是由Tis-cher等[1]于1974年在PK-15细胞中发现,当时认为是一种细胞污染物,后被证实为一种新的病毒。病毒粒子为20面体对称,无囊膜,以滚环方式进行复制,可在PK-15细胞上生长但不引起细胞病变。其基因组是一种环状、单股副链DNA,与鸡贫血病毒(chicken anemia virus,CAV)、鹦鹉喙羽病毒(psittacine beak and feather disease circovirus,PBF-DAV)和人的TT病毒(transfusion transmittedvirus,TTV)同属圆环病毒科。猪圆环病毒有两种基因型即:PCV1和PCV2。前者广泛存在于猪源肾细胞中,在猪的组织…     

猪圆环病毒2型通过外泌体miR-125a-5p靶向Bcl-2诱导淋巴细胞凋亡

为研究miR-125a-5p在猪圆环病毒2型(porcine circovirus type 2,PCV2)诱导淋巴细胞凋亡中的作用及其作用机制,以PCV2感染PK-15细胞外泌体孵育的淋巴细胞为研究对象,采用流式细胞术、蛋白质免疫印迹试验(Western blotting)和实时荧光定量PCR,检测淋巴细胞凋亡率及凋亡相关miRNA表达;合成miR-125a-5p模拟物和抑制物转染PK-15细胞,检测miR-125a-5p过表达或抑制表达后细胞凋亡率;采用生物信息学方法预测miR-125a-5p的靶基因,双荧光素酶报告基因检测miR-125a-5p对靶基因的调控;Western blotting检测外泌体孵育淋巴细胞的线粒体凋亡信号通路相关蛋白Bcl-2、Bax、细胞色素C和caspase-3的表达。结果显示,感染PCV2的PK-15细胞分泌的外泌体极显著提高淋巴细胞凋亡率,在一定浓度范围内呈剂量依赖性;与PCV2诱导细胞凋亡相关的miRNA中,miR-125a-5p表达量极显著升高,miR-125a-5p模拟物转染细胞后极显著提高细胞凋亡率;利用TargetScan预测发现,miR-125a-5p与Bcl-2 3''UTR区有结合位点,miR-125a-5p模拟物极显著抑制pmir-Bcl-2 3''UTR-WT荧光素酶活性,对pmir-Bcl-2 3''UTR-MuT的荧光素酶活性无明显改变;外泌体孵育的淋巴细胞Bcl-2表达量显著降低,Bax、细胞色素C的释放和caspase-3表达量显著升高,Bcl-2/Bax的比值极显著降低。这表明,PCV2通过外泌体诱导淋巴细胞上调miR-125a-5p的表达,进而抑制Bcl-2 mRNA和蛋白表达,激活淋巴细胞线粒体凋亡通路诱导细胞凋亡。     

应用高效体积排阻色谱偶联多角度激光散射鉴定猪圆环病毒2型灭活疫苗及病毒样颗粒疫苗抗原

本文旨在建立基于高效体积排阻色谱(high-performance size-exclusion chromatography,HPSEC)偶联多角度激光散射仪(multi-angle laser light scattering,MALLS)的猪圆环病毒2型(porcine circovirus type 2,PCV2)疫苗抗原检测方法。以纯化的PCV2灭活病毒及病毒样颗粒(virus-like particles,VLP)为参照,对4家生产企业的2种PCV2灭活病毒疫苗(a、b)及VLP疫苗(c、d)破乳后进行HPSEC-MALLS检测及分子量分析;结合PCV2抗原检测卡、Western blotting和透射电子显微镜(transmission electron microscope,TEM),鉴定了特征色谱峰;考察了方法的重复性和检测线性。结果表明,两家企业生产的PCV2灭活病毒疫苗破乳液水相经HPSEC分离,在保留时间约13.3 min处出现抗原特征峰;MALLS计算该色谱峰分子量分别为2.61×10⁶(±4.34%) Da和2.40×10⁶(±2.51%) Da。两种VLP疫苗也在13.3 min处出现抗原特征峰,分子量分别为2.09×10⁶(±2.94%) Da和2.88×10⁶(±11.85%) Da,接近PCV2的理论分子量;同时在保留时间约11.4 min处也出现色谱峰,经检测分子量为4.37×10⁶(±0.42%) Da,TEM表征显示为VLP二聚体。取疫苗d和PCV2 VLP纯品进行重复检测,抗原色谱峰面积的RSD(n=3)均小于1.5%,重复性好;将PCV2 VLP纯品梯度稀释检测,VLP及其多聚体的色谱峰面积与浓度均呈良好的线性关系,R²分别为0.999及0.997,能够满足定量及多聚体含量分析。该方法有望成为一种准确、高效的PCV2疫苗的体外评价方法,用于质量评价与提升。     

猪圆环病毒II型ORF2基因在酵母中的高效分泌表达

为了建立一种简便的检测猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)的方法,本实验将PCV2 的ORF2 基因片段整合到巴斯德毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)菌株X 33染色体上,构建了X 33(pPICZa ORF2)重组工程菌。经甲醇诱导后,成功的表达出ORF2基因片段。经过Bradford 蛋白质总含量测定和凝胶薄层扫描结果表明,表达产物占重组工程菌培养上清总蛋白的58%,表达量可达47mg/ L。间接ELISA结果初步表明重组表达产物具有良好的抗原性,能够有效地区分PCV2型病毒标准阳性与阴性血清。     

II型猪圆环病毒检测试剂盒的研制

猪圆环病毒(Porcine circovirus, PCV)属圆环病毒科圆环病毒属成员[1]。PCV分两种血清型,即PCV 1 和 PCV 2,其中 PCV 1 由 Tischer 等[2] 于1974年检测到,对猪没有致病性;PCV 2 可引起部分断奶仔猪和育肥猪的断奶仔猪多系统综合征( postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome,PMWS)[3]。目前,该病呈世界分布,给养猪业造成巨大的经济损失。本研究通过分析已发表的 PCV 2的基因序列,找出 PCV 2 的特异性片段,研制了检测PCV 2的试剂盒。检测临床疑似病料,结果表明该试剂盒使用方便、快速、敏感、特异,符合国内的养殖场…