In Vitro and In Vivo Isolation of a Novel Rearranged Porcine Circovirus Type 2

Here, we present the first report of a novel rearranged porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) strain named BIV, isolated from both in vitro and in vivo sources. The complete circular genome of BIV is 896 nucleotides in length. The data will help us to update current knowledge of the replication of PCV2 viruses in cell culture and of their molecular evolution, as well as their diagnosis.     

Effect of Dietary Selenium Yeast Supplementation on Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) Infections in Mice

The present study was performed to determine the protective role of dietary selenium (Se) yeast supplementation in porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infected mice. Forty-eight Kun Ming female mice were randomly assigned to Se yeast group (0.3%Se +basal diet, n = 24) and control group (basal diet, n = 24). After 3 days of adaptive feeding and 15 days treatment with the experimental feed, mice were challenged by intraperitioneal injection of PCV2 at the dosage of 2000 TCID₅₀ (50% tissue culture infection dose, TCID₅₀). Serum total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels were measured at 5, 10, 15, 20 days post infection (dpi). The PCV2 virus load in the liver, spleen and lung, and the microscopic lesions in the liver, spleen and lung also were determined on 5, 10, 15, and 20 dpi. Dietary Se yeast supplementation decreased (Pμ0.05) the serum levels of TNF-α, but had no significant effect on the activity of SOD and the levels of MDA, CRP and IL-1β between experimental and control groups. Dietary Se yeast supplementation had little effect on the PCV2 virus load in the liver, spleen and lung. However, mice in the selenium yeast group showed a significant decrease in microscopic lesion scores in the lung and spleen compared with those in the control group (Pμ0.05). These data indicate Se yeast attenuated the PCV2 infection through altering the systemic inflammation and maintaining the normal organ morphology.     

In Vitro Coinfection and Replication of Classical Swine Fever Virus and Porcine Circovirus Type 2 in PK15 Cells

Increasing clinical lines of evidence have shown the coinfection/superinfection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV). Here, we investigated whether PCV2 and CSFV could infect the same cell productively by constructing an in vitro coinfection model. Our results indicated that PCV2-free PK15 cells but not ST cells were more sensitive to PCV2, and the PK15 cell line could stably harbor replicating CSFV (PK15-CSFV cells) with a high infection rate. Confocal and super-resolution microscopic analysis showed that PCV2 and CSFV colocalized in the same PK15-CSFV cell, and the CSFV E2 protein translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in PK15-CSFV cells infected with PCV2. Moreover, PCV2-CSFV dual-positive cells increased gradually in PK15-CSFV cells in a PCV2 dose-dependent manner. In PK15-CSFV cells, PCV2 replicated well, and the production of PCV2 progeny was not influenced by CSFV infection. However, CSFV reproduction decreased in a PCV2 dose-dependent manner. In addition, cellular apoptosis was not strengthened in PK15-CSFV cells infected with PCV2 in comparison with PCV2-infected PK15 cells. Moreover, using this coinfection model we further demonstrated PCV2-induced apoptosis might contribute to the impairment of CSFV HCLV strain replication in coinfected cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time the coinfection/superinfection of PCV2 and CSFV within the same cell, providing an in vitro model to facilitate further investigation of the underlying mechanism of CSFV and PCV2 coinfection.     

PMWS病猪猪圆环病毒2型全基因组序列分析

根据GenBank中发表的猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)全基因序列,设计一对特异性引物,用PCR方法直接从5省病料中分别扩增出5个PCV2毒株的全基因组,分别命名为FujianPCV、GuangxiPCV、HainanPCV、HunanPCV和ShandongPCV。将扩增片段克隆于pMD18一T载体,进行序列测定,结果表明,除FujianPCV株核苷酸长度为1768bp,其余四株均为1767bp。应用DNAstar序列分析软件分析表明,本实验的5个PCV2分离株与世界上其它地区的PCV2分离株密切相关,核苷酸序列同源性达93％-98．8％,与PCVl毒株的序列同源性只有68．4％～70％。其中ORFl和ORF2所编码的氨基酸序列与国内外PCV2毒株比较,同源性也很高,分别为98．1％499．4％和88％99．1％。     

Activation of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling Pathway during Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Infection Facilitates Cell Survival and Viral Replication

Virus infection activates host cellular signaling pathways, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, which regulates diverse cellular activities related to cell growth, survival, and apoptosis. The present study demonstrated for the first time that porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a major causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, which is an emerging and important swine disease, can transiently induce the PI3K/Akt pathway in cultured cells at an early step during PCV2 infection. Activation of the PI3K/Akt signal was also induced by UV-irradiated PCV2, indicating that virus replication was not required for this induction. Inhibition of PI3K activation leads to reduced virus yield, which is associated with decreased viral DNA replication and lower virus protein expression. However, inhibition of PI3K activation greatly enhanced apoptotic responses as evidenced by the cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase and caspase-3 as well as DNA fragmentation using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling staining during the early stage of PCV2 infection. Furthermore, the pancaspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk alleviated the reduction in Akt phosphorylation levels by inhibiting PI3K activation, indicating that the signaling promotes cell survival and thereby favors viral replication. These results reveal that an antiapoptotic role for the PI3K/Akt pathway induced by PCV2 infection to suppress premature apoptosis for improved virus growth after infection, extending our understanding of the molecular mechanism of PCV2 infection.     

PMWS病猪猪圆环病毒2型全基因组序列分析

根据GenBank中发表的猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)全基因序列,设计一对特异性引物,用PCR方法直接从5省病料中分别扩增出5个PCV2毒株的全基因组,分别命名为FujianPCV、GuangxiPCV、HainanPCV、HunanPCV和ShandongPCV.将扩增片段克隆于pMD 18-T载体,进行序列测定,结果表明,除FujianPCV株核苷酸长度为1768bp,其余四株均为1767 bp.应用DNAstar序列分析软件分析表明,本实验的5个PCV2分离株与世界上其它地区的PCV2分离株密切相关,核苷酸序列同源性达93%～98.8%,与PCV1毒株的序列同源性只有68.4%～70%.其中ORF1和ORF2所编码的氨基酸序列与国内外PCV2毒株比较,同源性也很高,分别为98.1%～99.4%和88%～99.1%.     

Design and Selection of a Camelid Single-Chain Antibody Yeast Two-Hybrid Library Produced De Novo for the Cap Protein of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2)

Nanobodies (or variable domain of the heavy chain of the heavy-chain antibodies, VHHs) are single-domain antigen-binding fragments derived from camelid heavy chain antibodies. Their comparatively small size, monomeric behavior, high stability, high solubility, and ability to bind epitopes inaccessible to conventional antibodies make them especially suitable for many therapeutic and biotechnological applications. In this paper, for the first time, we created the immunized Camelus Bactrianus VHH yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) library according to the Clontech Mate & Plate library construction system. The transformation efficiency and titer of the VHH Y2H library were 7.26×10⁶ cfu/3 µg and 2×10⁹ cfu/ml, which met the demand for Y2H library screening. Using as an example the porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) Cap protein as bait, we screened 21 positive Cap-specific VHH sequences. Among these sequences, 7 of 9 randomly selected clones were strongly positive as indicated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, either using PCV2 viral lysis or purified Cap protein as coated antigen. Additionally, the immunocytochemistry results further indicated that the screened VHHs could specifically detected PCV2 in the infected cells. All this suggests the feasibility of in vivo VHH throughput screening based on Y2H strategy.     

A Novel Class of Anti-HIV Agents with Multiple Copies of Enfuvirtide Enhances Inhibition of Viral Replication and Cellular Transmission In Vitro

We constructed novel HIV-1 fusion inhibitors that may overcome the current limitations of enfuvirtide, the first such therapeutic in this class. The three prototypes generated by the Dock-and-Lock (DNL) technology to comprise four copies of enfuvirtide tethered site-specifically to the Fc end of different humanized monoclonal antibodies potently neutralize primary isolates (both R5-tropic and X4-tropic), as well as T-cell-adapted strains of HIV-1 in vitro. All three prototypes show EC(50) values in the subnanomolar range, which are 10- to 100-fold lower than enfuvirtide and attainable whether or not the constitutive antibody targets HIV-1. The potential of such conjugates to purge latently infected cells was also demonstrated in a cell-to-cell viral inhibition assay by measuring their efficacy to inhibit the spread of HIV-1(LAI) from infected human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to Jurkat T cells over a period of 30 days following viral activation with 100 nM SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid). The IgG-like half-life was not significantly different from that of the parental antibody, as shown by the mean serum concentration of one prototype in mice at 72 h. These encouraging results provide a rationale to develop further novel anti-HIV agents by coupling additional antibodies of interest with alternative HIV-inhibitors via recombinantly-produced, self-assembling, modules.     

In Vitro Processing of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 DNA Replication Intermediates by the Viral Alkaline Nuclease, UL12

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA replication intermediates exist in a complex nonlinear structure that does not migrate into a pulsed-field gel. Genetic evidence suggests that the product of the UL12 gene, termed alkaline nuclease, plays a role in processing replication intermediates (R. Martinez, R. T. Sarisky, P. C. Weber, and S. K. Weller, J. Virol. 70:2075–2085, 1996). In this study we have tested the hypothesis that alkaline nuclease acts as a structure-specific resolvase. Cruciform structures generated with oligonucleotides were treated with purified alkaline nuclease; however, instead of being resolved into linear duplexes as would be expected of a resolvase activity, the artificial cruciforms were degraded. DNA replication intermediates were isolated from the well of a pulsed-field gel (“well DNA”) and treated with purified HSV-1 alkaline nuclease. Although alkaline nuclease can degrade virion DNA to completion, digestion of well DNA results in a smaller-than-unit-length product that migrates as a heterogeneous smear; this product is resistant to further digestion by alkaline nuclease. The smaller-than-unit-length products are representative of the entire HSV genome, indicating that alkaline nuclease is not inhibited at specific sequences. To further probe the structure of replicating DNA, well DNA was treated with various known nucleases; our results indicate that replicating DNA apparently contains no accessible double-stranded ends but does contain nicks and gaps. Our data suggest that UL12 functions at nicks and gaps in replicating DNA to correctly repair or process the replicating genome into a form suitable for encapsidation.     

猪Ⅱ型圆环病毒豫A株的全基因组克隆与序列分析

参照国外发表的猪Ⅱ型圆环病毒(porcine circovirus type 2,PCV-2)全基因组序列,设计一对PCV-2特异性引物,用该室分离的PCV-2豫A株感染PK-15细胞,从中提取PCV-2复制型基因组DNA,并以之为模板进行PCR扩增.回收PCR产物,构建重组测序质粒T-PCV-2.测序结果表明,猪Ⅱ型圆环病毒豫A株的全基因组为1767bp,与GenBank收录的PCV-2国外分离株核苷酸的同源性可高达97%.序列分析表明,复制型豫A株的基因组包含10个读码框架,其中ORF1、ORF2是其两个最主要的读码框架,分别编码314、234个氨基酸.豫A株和PCV-1间的ORF1、ORF2的氨基酸序列同源性分别为85%、66%,与其它PCV-2毒株间的ORF1氨基酸同源性均在98%以上,而ORF2的氨基酸同源性为92%～97%.     

Comparative Fitness of Multi-Dideoxynucleoside-Resistant Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) in an In Vitro Competitive HIV-1 Replication Assay

We examined whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) fitness was altered upon the acquisition of a set or subset of five mutations (A62V, V75I, F77L, F116Y, and Q151M) in the pol gene, which confers resistance to multiple dideoxynucleosides (MDR), as well as the zidovudine resistance-associated mutation T215Y, using a competitive HIV-1 replication assay in a setting of an HXB2D genetic background. Target H9 cells were exposed to a 50:50 mixture of paired infectious molecular clones, and HIV-1 in the culture supernatant was transmitted to new cultures every 7 to 10 days. The polymerase-encoding region of the virus was sequenced at various time points, and the relative proportion of the two viral populations was determined. In the absence of drugs, the comparative order for replicative fitness was HIV-162/75/77/116/151 > HIV-177/116/151 > HIV-1151 > wild-type HIV-1 (HIV-1wt) > HIV-175/77/116/151 > HIV-1151/215 > HIV-1215. In the presence of zidovudine or didanosine, the order was HIV-162/75/77/116/151 > HIV-177/116/151 > HIV-175/77/116/151 > HIV-1151 > HIV-1215. HIV-1215S(TCC), a putative intermediate infectious clone for HIV-1215, replicated comparably to HIV-1wt, while two putative intermediates for HIV-1151 [HIV-1151L(CTG) and HIV-1151K(AAG)] replicated much less efficiently than HIV-1wt and HIV-1151, suggesting that for HIV-1151 to develop, two base substitutions are likely to occur concurrently or within a short interval. These data may illustrate the molecular basis by which HIV-1151 emerges much less frequently than HIV-1215. The present data also demonstrate that several MDR HIV-1 variants are more fit than HIV-1wt in the absence of drugs and that resistance-associated mutations and drug pressure are critical variates for HIV-1 fitness.     

The Association of Receptor of Activated Protein Kinase C 1(RACK1) with Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Viral Protein VP5 and Voltage-dependent Anion Channel 2 (VDAC2) Inhibits Apoptosis and Enhances Viral Replication

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute, highly contagious, and immunosuppressive avian disease caused by IBD virus (IBDV). Our previous report indicates that IBDV VP5 induces apoptosis via interaction with voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2). However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still unclear. We report here that receptor of activated protein kinase C 1 (RACK1) interacts with both VDAC2 and VP5 and that they could form a complex. We found that overexpression of RACK1 inhibited IBDV-induced apoptosis in DF-1 cells and that knockdown of RACK1 by small interfering RNA induced apoptosis associated with activation of caspases 9 and 3 and suppressed IBDV growth. These results indicate that RACK1 plays an antiapoptotic role during IBDV infection via interaction with VDAC2 and VP5, suggesting that VP5 sequesters RACK1 and VDAC2 in the apoptosis-inducing process.     

The S2 Gene of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Is Dispensable for Viral Replication In Vitro

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) contains the simplest genome among lentiviruses in that it encodes only three putative regulatory genes (S1, S2, S3) in addition to the canonical gag, pol, and env genes, presumably reflecting its limited tropism to cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage. Tat and Rev functions have been assigned to S1 and S3, respectively, but the specific function for the S2 gene has yet to be determined. Thus, the function of S2 in virus replication in vitro was investigated by using an infectious molecular viral clone, EIAV_UK. Various EIAV_UK mutants lacking S2 were constructed, and their replication kinetics were examined in several equine cell culture systems, including the natural in vivo target equine macrophage cells. The EIAV S2 mutants showed replication kinetics similar to those of the parental virus in all of the tested primary and transformed equine cell cultures, without any detectable reversion of mutant genomes. The EIAV_UK mutants also showed replication kinetics similar to those of the parental virus in an equine blood monocyte differentiation-maturation system. These results demonstrate for the first time that the EIAV S2 gene is not essential and does not appear to affect virus infection and replication properties in target cells in vitro.     

Infection of Cesarean-Derived Colostrum-Deprived Pigs with Porcine Circovirus Type 2 and Swine Influenza Virus

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and swine influenza virus (SIV) are important pathogens for porcine respiratory disease complex, which is economically significant worldwide. The pathogenesis of PCV2–SIV coinfection is unknown. In this study, we focused on establishing a challenge model for PCV2 to determine whether SIV influences PCV2 replication and increases the severity of PCV2-associated disease. Cesarean-derived colostrum-deprived pigs were inoculated intratracheally with cell culture medium only (negative control group), PCV2 only, or PCV2 followed 1 wk later with SIV H1N1. Two pigs from each group were necropsied at 12, 21, 28, and 35 d after inoculation. Coinfection with SIV did not increase the number of PCV2 genomic copies in serum or target tissues or the severity of microscopic lesions associated with PCV2 in lung or lymph node. The antibody titer to PCV2 did not differ significantly between PCV2–SIV- and PCV2-infected groups. In conclusion, SIV H1N1 did not influence PCV2 replication in dually infected pigs in this study.Abbreviations: PCV2, porcine circovirus type 2; PRDC, Porcine respiratory disease complex; SIV, Swine influenza virusPorcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) is an economically significant problem characterized by slow growth, poor food utilization, lethargy, anorexia, fever, cough, and dyspnea in pigs 16 to 22 wk of age.^14,38 PRDC is associated with complex sequential or concurrent infections with multiple viral or bacterial respiratory pathogens.^6,8,17,29 Field investigations and case-trend analyses demonstrate that porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) plays a role in PRDC.^12,17,24PCV2 belongs to the family Circoviridae, which contains the smallest nonenveloped, single-stranded, circular DNA viruses.^21,39 In the late 1990s, a pathogenic circovirus designated PCV2 was isolated, which differed from the nonpathogenic PCV1.^2,21 PCV2 is considered ubiquitous and can be detected in both diseased and clinically healthy pigs.¹ Infection induces various degrees of lymphoid depletion and immune suppression, demonstrated by experimentally infecting pigs with PCV2 infectious DNA clones.¹⁰ However, the factors that contribute to the pathogenicity of PCV2 remain unknown.²⁴ Generally, infection with PCV2 alone is limited in its ability to induce the full spectrum of symptoms associated with PRDC; the role of PCV2 in PRDC always involves interaction or synergism with other respiratory pathogens.^4,17Swine influenza virus (SIV) is a common pathogen associated with PRDC.^6,8 SIV is an enveloped, negative-sense, segmented RNA virus belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae.³⁶ SIV infects the epithelium of the respiratory tract of pigs, causing an acute infection with clinical signs of cough, fever, lethargy, and anorexia beginning 1 to 2 d after experimental infection and lasting for 3 to 4 d.^14,44 High morbidity and low mortality are quite common in uncomplicated disease, but mortality usually is high when other infectious agents are present along with SIV.³⁶ Together with PCV2, SIV frequently is found in pigs with clinical signs of PRDC. At one farm, mortality reached as high as 10% in pigs coinfected with PCV2 and SIV, and 5% of the coinfected pigs failed to reach market weight.¹⁵ In a cross-sectional study, SIV infection was 11 times more likely to occur in PCV2-positive pigs compared with PCV2-negative pigs.⁸ Field studies on pigs with PRDC conducted in different years showed a 1.9% to 13% rate of coinfection with PCV2 and SIV.^{6,9,15,17,28,29} Clinical evidence suggests that SIV acts synergistically with PCV2 to cause PRDC. However, the pathogenesis of PCV2–SIV coinfection is unknown.In this study, our goal was to establish a challenge model for PCV2 and PCV2–SIV and to determine whether SIV influences PCV2 replication and increases the severity of PRDC. Throughout the study, microscopic lesions attributable to PCV2 and PCV2 viral load in serum, nasal swab, lung, and lymph node did not differ between PCV2- and PCV2–SIV-inoculated pigs. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that SIV H1N1 did not influence PCV2 replication in dually infected animals.     

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination is effective in reducing disease and PCV2 shedding in semen of boars concurrently infected with PCV2 and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

The objectives were to determine whether the amount of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) shed in semen increased in boars experimentally coinfected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHYO), and whether PCV2 vaccination of boars prior to PCV2 exposure reduced PCV2 viremia and virus shedding in semen. Twelve specific-pathogen-free PCV2- and MHYO-naïve boars were randomly and equally assigned to one of four groups. Six boars were vaccinated against PCV2 (VAC) on Day 0; three PCV2 vaccinated and three non-vaccinated boars were inoculated with MHYO on Day 21, and all boars were challenged with PCV2 on Day 35. The four treatment groups included PCV2-Infected (I), VAC-PCV2-I, MHYO-PCV2-Coinfected (CoI), and VAC-MHYO-PCV2-CoI. Semen, blood swabs, feces, and serum samples were collected weekly until Day 70. All vaccinated boars had seroconverted to PCV2 by Day 35. Between Days 28 and 35, MHYO boars developed moderate respiratory disease, characterized by coughing, respiratory distress, mucopurulent nasal discharge and loss of body condition. One MHYO-PCV2-CoI boar died on Day 50. Boars in the PCV2-I and MHYO-PCV2-CoI groups had significantly higher PCV2 DNA loads in blood swabs than the remaining boars. Moreover, PCV2 vaccination significantly reduced the incidence and amount of PCV2 shedding in semen and feces. In summary, although concurrent MHYO infection did not influence PCV2 shedding patterns, coinfection of boars with PCV2 and MHYO resulted in severe clinical disease and viral shedding was significantly decreased by PCV2 vaccination.     

Inhibitory Effect of Alloferons in Combination with Human Lymphocytes on Human Herpesvirus 1 (HHV-1) Replication In Vitro

Over the past two decades there has been intense study of compounds from vertebrates, microorganisms, plants, mushrooms, marine sponges, worms, etc. as well as insects in terms of their antiviral activity. Insects produce a variety of biologically active peptides. One of them is alloferon. The in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that synthetic alloferon has an immunomodulatory properties. It was reported that alloferon and its analogues (alloferon I and II) have antimicrobial properties, as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of alloferon I and II, either alone or in combination with human lymphocytes, on human herpesvirus type 1 (HHV-1) McIntyre strain replication. On the base of results we can conclude that alloferon I and II inhibit the replication of HHV-1 McIntyre strain in HEp-2 cells. Enhanced antiviral activity was observed when infected cells were treated with alloferons and unstimulated or phytohemagglutinin PHA-stimulated lymphocytes simultaneously. After application of alloferons and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes to the HHV-1 infected HEp-2 culture, the mean HHV-1 titer reduction for alloferon and II, when used at the highest dose—400 µg/mL, were 3.69 and 3.27 log₁₀/TCID_50/mL, respectively.     

A chimeric porcine circovirus (PCV) with the immunogenic capsid gene of the pathogenic PCV type 2 (PCV2) cloned into the genomic backbone of the nonpathogenic PCV1 induces protective immunity against PCV2 infection in pigs

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is associated with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in pigs, whereas PCV1 is nonpathogenic. We previously demonstrated that a chimeric PCV1-2 virus (with the immunogenic capsid gene of PCV2 cloned into the backbone of PCV1) induces an antibody response to the PCV2 capsid protein and is attenuated in pigs. Here, we report that the attenuated chimeric PCV1-2 induces protective immunity to wild-type PCV2 challenge in pigs. A total of 48 specific-pathogen-free piglets were randomly and equally assigned to four groups of 12 pigs each. Pigs in group 1 were vaccinated by intramuscular injection with 200 microg of the chimeric PCV1-2 infectious DNA clone. Pigs in group 2 were vaccinated by intralymphoid injection with 200 microg of a chimeric PCV1-2 infectious DNA clone. Pigs in group 3 were vaccinated by intramuscular injection with 10(3.5) 50% tissue culture infective doses (TCID(50)) of the chimeric PCV1-2 live virus. Pigs in group 4 were not vaccinated and served as controls. By 42 days postvaccination (DPV), the majority of pigs had seroconverted to PCV2 capsid antibody. At 42 DPV, all pigs were challenged intranasally and intramuscularly with 2 x 10(4.5) TCID(50) of a wild-type pathogenic PCV2 virus. By 21 days postchallenge (DPC), 9 out of the 12 group 4 pigs were viremic for PCV2. Vaccinated animals in groups 1 to 3 had no detectable PCV2 viremia after challenge. At 21 DPC the lymph nodes in the nonvaccinated pigs were larger (P < 0.05) than those of vaccinated pigs. The PCV2 genomic copy loads in lymph nodes were reduced (P < 0.0001) in vaccinated pigs. Moderate amounts of PCV2 antigen were detected in most lymphoid tissues of nonvaccinated pigs but in only 1 of 36 vaccinated pigs. Mild-to-severe lymphoid depletion and histiocytic replacement were detected in lymphoid tissues in the majority of nonvaccinated group 4 pigs but in only a few vaccinated group 1 to 3 pigs. The data from this study indicated that when given intramuscularly in pigs, the attenuated chimeric PCV1-2 live virus, as well as the chimeric PCV1-2 infectious DNA clone, induces protective immunity against PCV2 infection and could potentially serve as an effective vaccine.     

Epitope mapping of the major capsid protein of type 2 porcine circovirus (PCV2) by using chimeric PCV1 and PCV2

Type 2 porcine circovirus (PCV2) is associated with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in pigs, whereas the genetically related type 1 PCV (PCV1) is nonpathogenic. In this study, seven monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against PCV2-ORF2 capsid protein were generated, biologically characterized, and subsequently used to map the antigenic sites of PCV2 capsid protein by using infectious PCV DNA clones containing PCV1/PCV2-ORF2 chimeras. The PCV1/PCV2-ORF2 chimeras were constructed by serial deletions of PCV2-ORF2 and replacement with the corresponding sequences of the PCV1-ORF2. The reactivities of chimeric PCV1/PCV2 clones in transfected PK-15 cells with the seven MAbs were detected by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The chimera (r140) with a deletion of 47 amino acids at the N terminus of PCV2-ORF2 reacted strongly to all seven MAbs. Expanding the deletion of PCV2-ORF2 from residues 47 to 57 (r175) abolished the recognition of MAb 3B7, 3C11, 4A10, 6H2, or 8F6 to the chimera. Further deletion of PCV2-ORF2 to 62 residues disrupted the binding of this chimera to all seven MAbs. IFA reactivities with all MAbs were absent when residues 165 to 233 at the C terminus of PCV2-ORF2 was replaced with that of PCV1-ORF2. Extending the sequence of PCV2-ORF2 from residues 165 (r464) to 185 (r526), 200 (r588), or 224 (r652) restored the ability of the three chimeras to react with MAbs 3C11, 6H2, 9H7, and 12G3 but not with 8F6, 3B7, or 4A10. When the four amino acids at the C terminus of r588 were replaced with that of PCV2-ORF2, the resulting chimera (r588F) reacted with all seven MAbs. The results from this study suggest that these seven MAbs recognized at least five different but overlapping conformational epitopes within residues 47 to 63 and 165 to 200 and the last four amino acids at the C terminus of the PCV2 capsid protein.