Chienjin Huang

Mapping the neutralizing epitopes on the glycoprotein of infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus, a fish rhabdovirus.

Twelve neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the fish rhabdovirus, infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), were used to select 20 MAb escape mutants. The nucleotide sequence of the entire glycoprotein (G) gene was determined for six mutants representing differing cross-neutralization patterns and each had a single nucleotide change leading to a single amino acid substitution within one of three regions of the protein. These data were used to design nested PCR primers to amplify portions of the G gene of the 14 remaining mutants. When the PCR products from these mutants were sequenced, they also had single nucleotide substitutions coding for amino acid substitutions at the same, or nearby, locations. Of the 20 mutants for which all or part of the glycoprotein gene was sequenced, two MAbs selected mutants with substitutions at amino acids 230-231 (antigenic site I) and the remaining MAbs selected mutants with substitutions at amino acids 272-276 (antigenic site II). Two MAbs that selected mutants mapping to amino acids 272-276, selected other mutants that mapped to amino acids 78-81, raising the possibility that this portion of the N terminus of the protein was part of a discontinuous epitope defining antigenic site II. CLUSTAL alignment of the glycoproteins of rabies virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and IHNV revealed similarities in the location of the neutralizing epitopes and a high degree of conservation among cysteine residues, indicating that the glycoproteins of three different genera of animal rhabdoviruses may share a similar three-dimensional structure in spite of extensive sequence divergence.

Mutations in the Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis cAMP-receptor protein gene lead to functional defects in the SPI-1 Type III secretion system.

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (Salmonella Choleraesuis) causes a lethal systemic infection (salmonellosis) in swine. Live attenuated Salmonella Choleraesuis vaccines are effective in preventing the disease, and isolates of Salmonella Choleraesuis with mutations in the cAMP-receptor protein (CRP) gene (Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp) are the most widely used, although the basis of the attenuation remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine if the attenuated phenotype of Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp was due to alterations in susceptibility to gastrointestinal factors such as pH and bile salts, ability to colonize or invade the intestine, or cytotoxicity for macrophages. Compared with the parental strain, the survival rate of Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp at low pH or in the presence of bile salts was higher, while the ability of the mutant to invade intestinal epithelia was significantly decreased. In examining the role of CRP on the secretory function of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) encoded type III secretion system (T3SS), it was shown that Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp was unable to secrete the SPI-1 T3SS effector proteins, SopB and SipB, which play a role in Salmonella intestinal invasiveness and macrophage cytotoxicity, respectively. In addition, caspase-1 dependent cytotoxicity for macrophages was significantly reduced in Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp. Collectively, this study demonstrates that the CRP affects the secretory function of SPI-1 T3SS and the resulting ability to invade the host intestinal epithelium, which is a critical element in the pathogenesis of Salmonella Choleraesuis.

Characterization of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) capsid particle assembly and its application to virus-like particle vaccine development

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases in pigs. The sole structural capsid protein of PCV2, Cap, consists of major antigenic domains, but little is known about the assembly of capsid particles. The purpose of this study is to produce a large amount of Cap protein using Escherichia coli expression system for further studying the essential sequences contributing to formation of particles. By using codon optimization of rare arginine codons near the 5′-end of the cap gene for E. coli, a full-length Cap without any fusion tag recombinant protein (Cap1-233) was expressed and proceeded to form virus-like particles (VLPs) in normal Cap appearance that resembled the authentic PCV2 capsid. The N-terminal deletion mutant (Cap51-233) deleted the nuclear localization signal (NLS) domain, while the internal deletion mutant (CapΔ51-103) deleted a likely dimerization domain that failed to form VLPs. The unique Cys108 substitution mutant (CapC/S) exhibited most irregular aggregates, and only few VLPs were formed. These results suggest that the N-terminal region within the residues 1 to 103 possessing the NLS and dimerization domains are essential for self-assembly of stable Cap VLPs, and the unique Cys108 plays an important role in the integrity of VLPs. The immunogenicity of PCV2 VLPs was further evaluated by immunization of pigs followed by challenge infection. The Cap1-233-immunized pigs demonstrated specific antibody immune responses and are prevented from PCV2 challenge, thus implying its potential use for a VLP-based PCV2 vaccine.

Yeast-expressed classical swine fever virus glycoprotein E2 induces a protective immune response.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is an economically important swine disease worldwide. The glycoprotein E2 of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a viral antigen that can induce a protective immune response against CSF. A recombinant E2 protein was constructed using the yeast Pichia pastoris expression system and evaluated for its vaccine efficacy. The yeast-expressed E2 (yE2) was shown to have N-linked glycosylation and to form homodimer molecules. Four 6-week-old specified-pathogen-free (SPF) piglets were intramuscularly immunized with yE2 twice at 3-week intervals. All yE2-vaccinated pigs could mount an anamnestic response after booster vaccination with neutralizing antibody titers ranging from 1:96 to 1:768. Neutralizing antibody titers at 10 weeks post booster vaccination ranged from 1:16 to 1:64. At this time, the pigs were subjected to challenge infection with a dose of 1x10(5)TCID(50) (50% tissue culture infective dose) virulent CSFV strain. At 1 week post challenge infection, all of the yE2-immunized pigs were alive and without symptoms or signs of CSF. Neutralizing antibody titers at this time ranged from 1:4,800 to 1:12,800 and even to 1:51,200 one week later. In contrast, the control pigs continuously exhibited signs of CSF and had to be euthanized because of severe clinical symptoms at 6 days post challenge infection. All of the yE2-vaccinated pigs were E(rns) antibody negative and had seroconverted against E(rns) by post challenge day 11, suggesting that yE2 is a potential DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccine. The yeast-expressed E2 protein retains correct immunogenicity and is able to induce a protective immune response against CSFV infection.

Yeast expressed classical swine fever E2 subunit vaccine candidate provides complete protection against lethal challenge infection and prevents horizontal virus transmission.

Classical swine fever (CSF) caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a highly contagious swine disease resulting in large economical losses worldwide. The viral envelope glycoprotein E(rns) and E2 are major targets for eliciting antibodies against CSFV in infected animals. A Pichia pastoris yeast expressed E2 protein (yE2) has been shown to induce a protective immune response against CSFV challenge. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal dose of yE2 and its efficacy on the prevention of virus horizontal transmission. A yeast-expressed E(rns) (yE(rns)) protein was also included to evaluate its immunogenicity. The yE(rns) vaccinated pigs seroconverted to CSFV-E(rns)-specific antibody but no neutralizing antibody was detected and none survived after challenge infection, suggesting yE(rns) and yE2 retain correct immunogenicity but only the yE2 is able to induce a protective immune response. All three doses of yE2 (200, 300, and 400μg) could elicit high titers of neutralizing antibodies and protective responses after challenge. The yE2/200 group demonstrated a mild fever response but recovered soon, and none of the yE2/300 and yE2/400 pigs became febrile. The optimal dose of yE2 was recommended to be 300μg of the total amount of secreted proteins. In addition, the yE2 vaccine could cross-protect from all three genotypes of viruses. Further, the yE2 vaccine efficacy in preventing virus horizontal transmission was evaluated by cohabitation of unimmunized sentinels 3 days after challenge infection. All the sentinel pigs were alive and had no clinical symptoms confirming yE2 vaccine could confer a protective immune response and prevent horizontal transmission of CSFV.

Efficacy of a novel Pasteurella multocida vaccine against progressive atrophic rhinitis of swine

The efficacy of a novel vaccine composed of three short recombinant subunit Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) proteins in combination with a bi-valent P. multocida whole-cell bacterin (rsPMT-PM) was evaluated in field studies for prevention and control of progressive atrophic rhinitis (PAR) of swine at 15 conventional farrow-to-finish farms. Experimental piglets that were immunized twice with the rsPMT-PM vaccine developed detectable titers of neutralizing antibodies (greater than 1:8) that prevented the growth retardation and pathological lesions typically observed following challenge with authentic PMT. A total of 542 sows were vaccinated once or twice prior to parturition and serum neutralizing antibody titers were evaluated. Both single and double vaccination protocols induced neutralizing antibody titers of 1:16 or higher in 62% and 74% of sows, respectively. Notably, neither sows nor piglets at a farm experiencing a severe outbreak of PAR at the time of the vaccination trial had detectable antibody titers, but antibody titers increased significantly to 1:16 or higher in 40% of sows following double vaccination. During the year after vaccination, clinical signs of PAR decreased in fattening pigs and growth performance improved sufficiently to reduce the rearing period until marketing by 2 weeks. Collectively, these results indicate that the rsPMT-PM vaccine could be used to provide protective immunity for controlling the prevalence and severity of PAR among farm-raised swine.

The Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Nonstructural Protein ORF3 Induces Apoptosis in Porcine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases in pigs. To analyze whether the PCV2 nonstructural protein ORF3 is able to induce apoptosis in nature target cells, transient expression of ORF3 in porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was performed, and apoptosis was confirmed by terminal dexoynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated BrdUTP-nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The apoptotic responses induced by the full length or the C-terminal half of ORF3 were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of cells transfected with the control plasmid. In contrast, the N-terminal half of ORF3 restrictively localized in the cytoplasm and remarkably reduced its ability to induce apoptosis, the apoptotic activity might be correlated with the nuclear localization of ORF3. Furthermore, two clusters of basic residues on the C-terminal half region at the amino acid residues 53-68 and 85-104 could mediate the nuclear localization of fusion protein, confirming their potential role as a nuclear localization signal.

Mechanisms underlying Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae exotoxin ApxI induced expression of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α in porcine alveolar macrophages

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) causes fibrino-hemorrhagic necrotizing pleuropneumonia in pigs. Production of proinflammatory mediators in the lungs is an important feature of A. pleuropneumoniae infection. However, bacterial components other than lipopolysaccharide involved in this process remain unidentified. The goals of this study were to determine the role of A. pleuropneumoniae exotoxin ApxI in cytokine induction and to delineate the underlying mechanisms. Using real-time quantitative PCR analysis, we found native ApxI stimulated porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) to transcribe mRNAs of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Heat-inactivation or pre-incubation of ApxI with a neutralizing antiserum attenuated ApxI bioactivity to induce cytokine gene expression. The secretion of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α protein from PAMs stimulated with ApxI was also confirmed by quantitative ELISA. In delineating the underlying signaling pathways contributing to cytokine expression, we observed mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38 and cJun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) were activated upon ApxI stimulation. Administration of an inhibitor specific to p38 or JNK resulted in varying degrees of attenuation on ApxI-induced cytokine expression, suggesting the differential regulatory roles of p38 and JNK in IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α production. Further, pre-incubation of PAMs with a CD18-blocking antibody prior to ApxI stimulation significantly reduced the activation of p38 and JNK, and subsequent expression of IL-1β, IL-8 or TNF-α gene, indicating a pivotal role of β2 integrins in the ApxI-mediated effect. Collectively, this study demonstrated ApxI induces gene expression of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α in PAMs that involves β2 integrins and downstream MAPKs.

Efficient expression and purification of porcine circovirus type 2 virus-like particles in Escherichia coli.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) capsid (Cap) protein has been successfully used as a vaccine to control porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD). Most PCV2 subunit vaccines are recombinant Cap protein expressed in baculovirus/insect cell expression system, but using this eukaryotic system is laborious and expensive. In our previous study, full-length of PCV2Cap protein expressed in Escherichia coli formed virus-like particles (VLPs). This expression system has the advantages of being relatively simple and inexpensive. In this study, we constructed a recombinant plasmid containing the full-length codon-optimized cap (ORF2) gene to improve high-level expression of recombinant Cap protein (rCap) with no changed amino acids. The highly water-soluble rCap protein was purified by a single-column, high-throughput fractionation procedure based on size exclusion chromatography. Yield was 10mg per 200ml bacterial culture. The rCap protein self-assembled into VLPs of diameter 25-30nm that contained exogenous nucleic acids. The immunogenicity of PCV2 VLPs was analyzed by immunizing mice. VLP-immunized mice mounted specific immune responses to PCV2. Thus, expression of rCap in E. coli was feasible for large-scale production of PCV2 VLPs, which could potentially be used for a VLP-based PCV2 vaccine.

Growth properties and vaccine efficacy of recombinant pseudorabies virus defective in glycoprotein E and thymidine kinase genes

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an alphaherpesvirus that causes pseudorabies (PR), an economically important viral disease of pigs. Marker vaccines were widely used in PR prevention and eradication programs. The purpose of this study was to construct a novel recombinant virus with deletions at defined regions in the glycoprotein E (gE) and thymine kinase (TK) genes by homologous recombination. This study also evaluated the safety and efficacy of the virus for a live attenuated marker vaccine. No significant difference was observed in virus replication between gE gene-deleted (gE(-)), gE/TK double gene-deleted (gE(-)TK(-)), and wild-type PRV by growth curve analysis. However, gE(-)TK(-) PRV was completely attenuated in mice. To evaluate the immunogenicity of gE(-)TK(-) PRV, four 12-week-old specific-pathogen-free pigs per group were immunized intramuscularly with viral titers of 1×10(4), 1×10(5), or 1×10(6) TCID50, followed by intranasal challenge infection with virulent PRV (1×10(8) TCID50) at 3 weeks post vaccination. The gE(-)TK(-) PRV-vaccinated pigs displayed no general adverse effects after immunization and had protective immune responses after PRV challenge. Thus, gE(-)TK(-) PRV was safe and efficacious and might be a potential candidate for a live attenuated marker vaccine against PRV.