Bernard Charley

Porcine peripheral blood dendritic cells and natural interferon‐producing cells

Peripheral blood contains two major particular infrequent dendritic cells (DC) subsets linking the innate and specific immune system, the myeloid DC and plasmacytoid DC equivalent to the natural interferon‐producing cells (NIPC). The functional characterization of these cells demands large volumes of blood, making a large animal model more appropriate and beneficial for certain studies. Here, two subsets of porcine blood mononuclear cells expressing swine workshop cluster 3 (SWC3, a SIRP family member), are described and compared to monocytes. The blood DC specialized in T‐cell stimulation were major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II+, CD80/86+, CD1+/–, CD4−, and in contrast to monocytes CD14−. A CD16− and a CD16+ subset could be discriminated. Granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and interleukin‐3 were survival factors for this DC subset, and culture induced an up‐regulation of MHC class II and CD80/86. The second subset described, are porcine NIPC, typically CD4++, MHC class IIlow, CD80/86low, CD1−, CD8−/low, CD16−/low and CD45RA−/low. Porcine NIPC had high interleukin‐3 binding capacity, and survived in response to this cytokine. Their unique function was strong interferon type I secretion after virus stimulation. Both subsets were endocytically active when freshly isolated, and down‐regulated this activity after in vitro maturation. Taken together, the present report has delineated porcine blood DC and NIPC, permitting a more detailed understanding of innate immune defences, particularly in response to infections.

Migratory monocytes and granulocytes are major lymphatic carriers of Salmonella from tissue to draining lymph node

Dendritic cells (DC) are recognized as sentinels, which capture antigens in tissue and migrate to the lymph node, where they initiate immune responses. However, when a vaccine strain of green fluorescent protein‐expressing Salmonella abortusovis (SAO) was inoculated into sheep oral mucosa, it induced accumulation of myeloid non‐DC in the subcapsular sinus and paracortex of the draining lymph node, and SAO was mainly found associated with these cells (granulocytes and macrophages) but rarely with DC. To analyze how bacteria reached lymph nodes, we used cervical pseudo‐afferent lymph duct catheterization. We showed that Salmonella administered in the oral mucosa were traveling free in lymph or associated with cells, largely with lymph monocytes and granulocytes but less with DC. SAO also induced a strong influx of these phagocytic cells in afferent lymph. Migrating DC presented a semi‐mature phenotype, and SAO administration did not alter their expression of major histocompatibility complex type 2 and coactivation molecules. Compared with blood counterparts, lymph monocytes expressed lower levels of CD40, and granulocytes expressed higher levels of CD80. The data suggest that immunity to bacteria may result from the complex interplay between a mixture of phagocytic cell types, which transport antigens and are massively recruited via lymph to decisional lymph nodes.

Enhanced protective response and immuno-adjuvant effects of porcine GM-CSF on DNA vaccination of pigs against Aujeszky's disease virus.

Abstract This study was conducted to investigate whether the co-delivery of DNA encoding porcine cytokines would enhance a protective immune response in pigs to a Pseudorabies virus (PRV; or Aujeszky’s disease virus) DNA vaccine. Aujeszky’s disease in pigs results in respiratory and nervous symptoms with important economic losses. To evaluate cytokine effects, eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed for porcine GM-CSF, IL-2 and IFN-γ. cDNA for each of these cytokines was inserted under the control of a CMV promoter in the pcDNA3 plasmid and cytokine expression was confirmed after DNA transfection in various mammalian cell cultures by bioassays (GM-CSF and IL2) and ELISA (IFN-γ). Pigs were vaccinated by single intramuscular injection with plasmid DNA encoding PRV gB and gD along with various combinations of cytokine plasmid constructs. Pig serum was tested for the production of antibody by isotype specific anti-PRV ELISA. Pigs were then challenged with the highly virulent PRV strain NIA3 on day 21 after vaccination. The survival and growth rate of pigs were monitored for seven days after the viral challenge. The co-administration of GM-CSF plasmid increased the immune response induced by gB and gD PRV DNA vaccine. This immune response was characterized by an earlier appearance of anti-PRV IgG2, a significantly enhanced anti-PRV IgG1 and IgG2 antibody response, a significantly decreased and shortened viral excretion in nasal swabs and an improved protection to the viral challenge. In contrast, the co-administration of porcine IL-2 or IFN-γ had no adjuvant effects. Our results thus demonstrate for the first time that the application of porcine GM-CSF gene in a DNA vaccine formulation can exert immuno-adjuvant and protective effects with single vaccination in the natural host pig against Aujeszky’s disease.

Vesicular stomatitis virus and pseudorabies virus induce a vig1/cig5 homologue in mouse dendritic cells via different pathways

The homologous genes vig1 and cig5 were identified by differential display PCR as virus-induced genes in rainbow trout and humans, respectively. These genes are significantly related to sequences required for the biosynthesis of metal cofactors, but their function remains unknown. In this study, it is shown that the mouse homologue of vig1/cig5 was induced by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and pseudorabies virus (PrV) in mouse spleen cells. Among a collection of cell lines from dendritic, myeloid, lymphoid or fibroblast lineages, only the dendritic cell line, D2SC1, showed expression of mvig after virus infection. This dendritic restriction was confirmed by our finding that mvig was also induced by both VSV and PrV in CD11c(++) spleen cells, separated by magnetic purification or derived from bone marrow precursor cells. Similar to the fish rhabdovirus viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus in trout cells, VSV directly induced mvig in the dendritic cell line D2SC1, but the PrV-mediated induction required the integrity of the interferon pathway. This result indicates that mvig is interferon-inducible like its fish and human homologues. Furthermore, mvig was also induced by LPS in bone marrow-derived cells. Thus, mvig expression seems to correlate with an activated state of dendritic cells subjected to different pathogen-associated stimuli.

Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Migrate in Afferent Skin Lymph

Conventional dendritic cells enter lymph nodes by migrating from peripheral tissues via the lymphatic route, whereas plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), also called IFN-producing cells (IPC), are described to gain nodes from blood via the high endothelial venules. We demonstrate here that IPC/pDC migrate in the afferent lymph of two large mammals. In sheep, injection of type A CpG oligodinucleotide (ODN) induced lymph cells to produce type I IFN. Furthermore, low-density lymph cells collected at steady state produced type I IFN after stimulation with type A CpG ODN and enveloped viruses. Sheep lymph IPC were found within a minor B(neg)CD11c(neg) subset expressing CD45RB. They presented a plasmacytoid morphology, expressed high levels of TLR-7, TLR-9, and IFN regulatory factor 7 mRNA, induced IFN-gamma production in allogeneic CD4(pos) T cells, and differentiated into dendritic cell-like cells under viral stimulation, thus fulfilling criteria of bona fide pDC. In mini-pig, a CD4(pos)SIRP(pos) subset in afferent lymph cells, corresponding to pDC homologs, produced type I IFN after type A CpG-ODN triggering. Thus, pDC can link innate and acquired immunity by migrating from tissue to draining node via lymph, similarly to conventional dendritic cells.

Molecular biology of transmissible gastroenteritis virus.

Abstract The causative agent (TGEV) of porcine transmissible gastroenteritis belongs to the Coronaviridae, a family of enveloped viruses with a positive, single-stranded RNA genome. Important progress has recently been made concerning the molecular biology of TGEV. The research work of our group has been focused on two main aspects: genome structure and functional domains of the envelope proteins. TGEV genomic RNA is organised into seven regions. The sequence of six of them, i.e. the 3′ most 8300 nucleotides, has been established from cDNA clones. Three genes encoding the structural proteins, the peplomer protein E2, the transmembrane protein E1 and the nucleoprotein, have been identified. Additional open reading frames allowed for the prediction of four non-structural polypeptides, the role of which remains to be discovered. The remaining part of the genome (estimated length 20 kb) is thought to encode the polymerase. Expression of TGEV genes involves the production of six subgenomic mRNAs, which together with the virion RNA, form a 3′ terminal nested set. The peplomer glycoprotein E2 (220 kDa) is 1431 residues long and highly glycosylated. Several domains were identified, including a C-terminal anchoring region and at least four major antigenic sites, which cluster in the amino half part of the molecule. Two sites containing most of the critical neutralisation determinants are highly conserved among TGEV strains. The glycoprotein E1 (29kDa) is mostly embedded in the membrane and plays a crucial role in the virion architecture. However, a short N-terminal domain protruding out of the particle mediates complement-dependent neutralisation, and induces alpha interferon synthesis, likely through a direct interaction with the lymphocyte membrane.

The Double-Stranded RNA Bluetongue Virus Induces Type I Interferon in Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells via a MYD88-Dependent TLR7/8-Independent Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT Dendritic cells (DCs), especially plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), produce large amounts of alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) upon infection with DNA or RNA viruses, which has impacts on the physiopathology of the viral infections and on the quality of the adaptive immunity. However, little is known about the IFN-α/β production by DCs during infections by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses. We present here novel information about the production of IFN-α/β induced by bluetongue virus (BTV), a vector-borne dsRNA Orbivirus of ruminants, in sheep primary DCs. We found that BTV induced IFN-α/β in skin lymph and in blood in vivo. Although BTV replicated in a substantial fraction of the conventional DCs (cDCs) and pDCs in vitro, only pDCs responded to BTV by producing a significant amount of IFN-α/β. BTV replication in pDCs was not mandatory for IFN-α/β production since it was still induced by UV-inactivated BTV (UV-BTV). Other inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-12p40, were also induced by UV-BTV in primary pDCs. The induction of IFN-α/β required endo-/lysosomal acidification and maturation. However, despite being an RNA virus, UV-BTV did not signal through Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) for IFN-α/β induction. In contrast, pathways involving the MyD88 adaptor and kinases dsRNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) were implicated. This work highlights the importance of pDCs for the production of innate immunity cytokines induced by a dsRNA virus, and it shows that a dsRNA virus can induce IFN-α/β in pDCs via a novel TLR-independent and Myd88-dependent pathway. These findings have implications for the design of efficient vaccines against dsRNA viruses.

Antiviral and Antigenic Properties of Recombinant Porcine Interferon Gamma

Abstract Recombinant porcine interferon gamma (rPoIFNγ) induced a dose-dependent inhibition of the cytopathic effect produced by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) challenge of both homologous and heterologous (bovine) cell lines. In addition, an antiviral effect of rPoIFNγ was demonstrable against the coronavirus transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) infection of porcine epithelial cells and of pulmonary macrophages. A rabbit anti-PoIFNγ antiserum was prepared and shown to specifically neutralize the antiviral effects of natural and recombinant porcine IFNγ preparations. This antiserum could also neutralize recombinant bovine IFNγ but not recombinant human IFNγ. These results suggest antigenic homology of porcine and bovine IFNγ but antigenic differences between these molecules and human IFNγ.

Replication of transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) in swine alveolar macrophages

Several strains of the enteropathogenic coronavirus transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) have been shown to replicate in alveolar macrophages maintained in vitro. A distinct cytopathic effect was observed at a multiplicity of infection greater than or equal to 0.1. Infected cells released infectious virus. The extent of both virus production and cell destruction was highly dependent upon the virus input. At low input, cell viability was affected only slightly, and a delayed and persistent virus production could be observed. TGEV infection of macrophages also led to a marked synthesis of type I interferon. Thus, the possibility that alveolar macrophages act as an extra-intestinal target for TGEV must be considered.

Age-related increase of porcine natural interferon α producing cell frequency and of interferon yield per cell

Abstract Porcine blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were shown to secrete interferon α (IFN-α) after induction by a coronavirus, the transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). IFN-α producing cells, referred to as natural interferon α producing (NIP) cells, were detected by an ELISPOT assay using anti-porcine IFN-α monoclonal antibodies. The frequency of NIP cells among blood cells is low, at most 40–110 per 105 PBMC and each NIP cell was found to produce several units of IFN. We have shown that NIP cell frequency and IFN yield per cell gradually increased with the age of the donor animals, from the neonatal period to the adult age, with a significant increase around puberty. Our present results also indicate that NIP cells may be influenced by physiological and genetic factors; thus (1) NIP cell frequency and IFN yield per cell were decreased during lactation; (2) Chinese (Meishan) pigs were found to have higher NIP cell frequency and IFN yield per cell than European (Large White) animals.