Enhancement of the immunogenicity of DNA vaccine against infectious bursal disease virus by co-delivery with plasmid encoding chicken interleukin 2. (41/120)

The immunoregulatory activity of a nonmammalian interleukin 2 (IL-2), chicken IL-2 (chIL-2), was investigated using a DNA vaccine against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) as a model. Coadministration of a plasmid encoding the VP2 gene of IBDV (pCI-VP2) and a plasmid encoding chicken IL-2 gene (pCI-chIL-2) enhances bursal protection against both the homologous IBDV strain ZJ2000 and the heterologous strain BC6/85 compared to administration of pCI-VP2 alone. Vaccination with pCI-VP2 alone induces low bursal protection against ZJ2000 and only protects chickens from clinical outbreaks and mortality, but not from bursal damage caused by BC6/85. Co-administration of the plasmid encoding the polyprotein gene of IBDV (pCI-VP2/4/3) and pCI-chIL-2 provides complete protection (15/15) against ZJ2000 and satisfactory protection (13/15) against BC6/85. In contrast, only 10 out of 15 chickens and 6 out of 15 chickens were protected against ZJ2000 and BC6/85, respectively, using the pCI-VP2/4/3 vaccination alone. A significant increase in the IBDV-specific neutralizing antibody response was also observed in chickens that received pCI-VP2/4/3 plus pCI-chIL-2 as compared with those that received the pCI-VP2/4/3 vaccination alone. By administrating different amounts of plasmid DNA, we confirmed that the pCI-chIL-2, but not the backbone plasmid pCI, contributes to increased immunoprotection of DNA vaccine against IBDV. These results strongly indicate that the efficacy of avian DNA vaccine can be modulated by co-administration of a plasmid encoding chIL-2.  (+info)

Molecular characterization of Sp serotype strains of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus exhibiting differences in virulence. (42/120)

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), a prototype virus of the family Birnaviridae, exhibits a high degree of antigenic variability, pathogenicity and virulence in salmonid species. The Genomic Segment A encodes all the structural (VP2 and VP3) and nonstructural (NS) proteins, whereas Segment B encodes the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (VP1). We tested 3 different IPNV isolates (Sp103, Sp116 and Sp122) isolated during field outbreaks in Norway for their ability to cause mortality in fry and post-smolt of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. The cumulative mortality following experimental challenge in fry was 29% for Sp122 followed by 19% for Sp116 and 15% for Sp103. In post-smolt, the corresponding mortality rates were 79, 46 and 16%, respectively. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequences of Segments A and B of all 3 Sp strains revealed substitutions of residues in 13 positions, of which 6 are in VP2, 2 in VP3, and 5 in VP1. Our results suggest that these residues, especially those in the outer capsid VP2, may be involved in the virulence of IPNV. Genome Segment A of the Sp serotype is 3097 nucleotides long and contains a major open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein of 972 amino acids, which initiates at the second in-frame start codon at Position 119. This was ascertained by making mutants of Segment A clone using site-directed mutagenesis, followed by in vitro transcription-coupled translation reaction and immunoprecipitation analyses. In addition, Segment A also encodes a 15 kDa arginine-rich non-structural protein from a small ORF, preceding and partially overlapping the polyprotein ORF, which is truncated to 12 kDa in the virulent Sp122 strain. Moreover, Segment A could encode a novel, putative 25 kDa protein from another ORF between VP2 and VP4 coding regions, which is only detected in the Sp serotype. Segment B is 2777 nucleotides long and encodes in a single large ORF (a polypeptide of 844 amino acid residues), VP1.  (+info)

Characteristics of inhibition of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) by normal rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss serum. (43/120)

We studied the characteristics of rainbow trout serum (RTS) inhibitory activity against infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV). Serum inhibition was related to the serum source and host cell in which the virus had been propagated. IPNV was more efficiently inhibited by RTS in salmonid cell lines than in non-salmonid cell lines, with inhibition highest in rainbow trout gonad (RTG)-2 cells. The RTS sensitivity of the virus was modified by the cell line through which the virus passed, with multiple passages through Chinook salmon embryo (CHSE)-214 cells producing a virus that was less sensitive to RTS. The RTS inhibition level was dependent on cell density: at a cell density of < or = 2 x 10(5) cells ml(-1), inhibition was insignificant (tissue culture infective dose 50% = 10(-1.1) TCID50 ml(-1) reduction); however, above a density of 3 x 10(5) cells ml(-1), the inhibition level was very high (> or = 10(-6.3) TCID50 ml(-1) reduction). The salmonid sera tested showed high inhibition, except for brook trout serum (BTS), while non-salmonid sera did not inhibit IPNV, replication on RTG-2 cells. Pretreatment of cultured cells with RTS prior to exposure did not affect inhibition of IPNV and thus did not mask a viral receptor. The RTS inhibition level was dependent on the time of serum addition, with inhibition being maintained for at least 16 h postinfection. Pretreatment of IPNV revealed that the virus is directly inhibited by RTS, and more strongly so when RTS is present during viral replication.  (+info)

An approach for genogrouping of Japanese isolates of aquabirnaviruses in a new genogroup, VII, based on the VP2/NS junction region. (44/120)

Aquabirnaviruses, represented by Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), have been isolated from epizootics in salmonids and a variety of aquatic animals in the world; six genogroups of aquabirnaviruses have been identified. In comparisons of nucleotide sequences of the VP2/NS junction region, maximum nucleotide diversities of 30.8 % were observed among 93 worldwide aquabirnavirus isolates. A phylogenetic tree revealed the existence of a new genogroup, VII, for Japanese aquabirnavirus isolates from marine fish and molluscan shellfish. Nucleotide diversities between genogroups VII and I-VI were 18.7 % or greater. At the nucleotide level, Japanese IPNV isolates from epizootics in salmonids were nearly identical to a genogroup I strain from the USA or Canada. It is suggested that Japanese IPNV isolates belonging to genogroup I were originally introduced from North American sources, whereas Japanese aquabirnavirus isolates of genogroup VII were from marine aquatic animals indigenous to Japan.  (+info)

Delayed vaccine virus replication in chickens vaccinated subcutaneously with an immune complex infectious bursal disease vaccine: quantification of vaccine virus by real-time polymerase chain reaction. (45/120)

The distribution of the immune complex vaccine virus for infectious bursal disease (IBD) in tissue was examined and the viral loads of the organs were quantitatively compared. One-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) and maternally immune broiler chickens were injected subcutaneously with the vaccine. Lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues were collected at various time intervals during the experiment to test for infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV)-RNA by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Only the bursa of Fabricius was found to be positive with unusually long viral persistence in the broiler group. The positive bursa samples were further investigated by using real-time PCR coupled with a TaqMan probe. The highest amounts of the virus were detected at its first appearance in the bursa: on day 14 post vaccination (PV) in the SPF chickens and on day 17 and day 21 PV in the maternally immune broiler group. The virus then gradually cleared, most likely due to the arallel appearance of the active immune response indicated by seroconversion.  (+info)

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus induces apoptosis in vitro and in vivo independent of VP5 expression. (46/120)

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), the causative agent of a highly infectious disease in salmonid fish, encodes a small non-structural protein designated VP5. This protein contains Bcl-2 homologous domains and inhibits apoptosis when expressed in cell culture. We have previously reported the generation of three VP5 mutants of IPNV-Sp serotype, using reverse genetics (Santi, N., Song, H., Vakharia, V.N., Evensen, O., 2005. Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus VP5 is dispensable for virulence and persistence. J. Virol. 79 (14), 9206-9216). The wild-type rNVI15 virus encodes a truncated 12-kDa VP5 protein, rNVI15-15K encodes a full-length 15-kDa VP5, whereas rNVI15-DeltaVP5 is deficient in VP5 expression. In the present report, the role of VP5 in apoptosis was assessed both in vitro and in vivo, using the recombinant IPNV strains. Apoptosis was observed in hepatocytes of Atlantic salmon post-smolts challenged with all three VP5 mutant viruses. Using a double-labeling technique to detect apoptotic cells and IPNV antigens, we found that viral antigen and apoptotic cells co-distributed. In addition, numerous double-positive cells were seen. The recombinant viruses also induced apoptosis in infected cell cultures, and the morphology and membrane integrity of infected cells at different time points was similar. In summary, these results indicate that IPNV induces apoptosis in infected cell cultures and in fish, independent of VP5 expression. However, substitutions of putative functionally important amino acids in the BH2 domain of VP5 of IPNV-Sp strains were identified, which might influence the anti-apoptosis effect of the protein, and partly explain the apparent absence of this specific function.  (+info)

Vaccination against very virulent infectious bursal disease virus using recombinant T4 bacteriophage displaying viral protein VP2. (47/120)

In order to develop a desirable inexpensive, effective and safe vaccine against the very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV), we tried to take advantage of the emerging T4 bacteriophage surface protein display system. The major immunogen protein VP2 from the vvIBDV strain HK46 was fused to the nonessential T4 phage surface capsid protein, a small outer capsid (SOC) protein, resulting in the 49 kDa SOC-VP2 fusion protein, which was verified by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot. Immunoelectromicroscopy showed that the recombinant VP2 protein was successfully displayed on the surface of the T4 phage. The recombinant VP2 protein is antigenic and showed reactivities to various monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against IBDV, whereas the wild-type phage T4 could not react to any mAb. In addition, the recombinant VP2 protein is immunogenic and elicited specific antibodies in immunized specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens. More significantly, immunization of SPF chickens with the recombinant T4-VP2 phage protected them from infection by the vvIBDV strain HK46. When challenged with the vvIBDV strain HK46 at a dose of 100 of 50% lethal dose (LD50) per chicken 4 weeks after the booster was given, the group vaccinated with the T4-VP2 recombinant phage showed no clinical signs of disease or death, whereas the unvaccinated group and the group vaccinated with the wild-type T4 phage exhibited 100% clinical signs of disease and bursal damages, and 30%-40% mortality. Collectively, the data herein showed that the T4-displayed VP2 protein might be an inexpensive, effective and safe vaccine candidate against vvIBDV.  (+info)

Intracellular interference of infectious bursal disease virus. (48/120)

A search for dominant-negative mutant polypeptides hampering infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) replication has been undertaken. We have found that expression of a mutant version of the VP3 structural polypeptide known as VP3/M3, partially lacking the domain responsible for the interaction with the virus-encoded RNA polymerase, efficiently interferes with the IBDV replication cycle. Transformed cells stably expressing VP3/M3 show a significant reduction (up to 96%) in their ability to support IBDV growth. Our findings provide a new tool for the characterization of the IBDV replication cycle and might facilitate the generation of genetically modified chicken lines with a reduced susceptibility to IBDV infection.  (+info)