Yasuyuki Mori

Increased levels of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from pigs infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

We examined the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin-1 (IL-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from pigs experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae using biological assays with WEHI-164 cells and D10.G4.1 cells, respectively. Increased TNF-alpha and IL-1 in BALF were found in infected pigs with gross and/or microscopic lesions. A time-course study suggested TNF-alpha and IL-1 to be persistently elevated in infected pigs. Their presence in BALF would thus appear to be associated with the development of pneumonic lesions in M. hyopneumoniae infected pigs.

Neutralization of Interleukin-10 Significantly Enhances Gamma Interferon Expression in Peripheral Blood by Stimulation with Johnin Purified Protein Derivative and by Infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Experimentally Infected Cattle with Paratuberculosis

ABSTRACT Monoclonal antibody neutralization of interleukin-10 (IL-10) increased Johnin purified protein derivative-induced whole-blood gamma interferon (IFN-γ) secretion 23-fold and also increased IFN-γ secretion ninefold following in vitro Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results demonstrate the suppressive effect of IL-10 on immune responses to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in cattle.

Porcine TLR2 and TLR6: identification and their involvement in Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection.

We successfully cloned and sequenced porcine toll-like receptor (TLR2) and TLR6 cDNA from porcine alveolar macrophages stimulated with 10 microg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The open reading frames (ORFs) of the porcine TLR2 and TLR6 cDNA were shown to be 2358 and 2391 bp in length and to encode 785 and 796 amino acids, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequence of porcine TLR2 was 72.3% homologous to human TLR2 and 61.0% homologous to murine TLR2. That of porcine TLR6 was 74.4% homologous to human TLR6 and 66.1% homologous to murine TLR6. Porcine TLR2 and TLR6 genes were both mapped to porcine chromosome 8 (TLR2: SSC8q21.1 --> 21.5; TLR6: SSC8p11.1 --> p21.1) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and radiation hybrid mapping. Western blot analysis confirmed that TLR2 and TLR6 proteins were both expressed in porcine alveolar macrophages. Further, antiporcine TLR2 and TLR6 antibodies synergistically blocked tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production by porcine alveolar macrophages stimulated with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. These results indicated that both TLR2 and TLR6 are important in the recognition of M. hyopneumoniae in porcine alveolar macrophages and will be useful in understanding innate immunity against M. hyopneumoniae.

DETECTION OF INTERLEUKIN-6 AND PROSTAGLANDIN E2 IN BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUIDS OF PIGS EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE

In this study, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from pigs experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. IL-6 was detected at 2 weeks post-inoculation (PI), and significantly increased levels of PGE2 were observed at 4 weeks PI. In the BALF collected from infected pigs at 4 weeks PI, the levels of IL-6 increased significantly in the pigs with pneumonic lesions. However, increased levels of PGE2 were observed in all the infected pigs.

Vaccine efficacy of the attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae YS-19 expressing a recombinant protein of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae P97 adhesin against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine.

The attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae YS-19 strain was constructed for the purpose of delivering the C-terminal portion of the Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae P97 adhesin to the mucosal surface of the respiratory tract of pigs. In this study, the efficacy of the YS-19 vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine was evaluated. Animal experiments revealed that intranasal immunization of pigs with the YS-19 strain significantly reduced the severity of pneumonic lung lesions caused by M. hyopneumoniae infection. In YS-19-immunized pigs, P97-specific serum antibodies were not detected. However, when stimulated with the P97 protein, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the YS-19-immunized pigs had a significantly higher stimulation index (P<0.05) than that of cells from control pigs at 7 days post-challenge.

Expression Cloning of Gamma Interferon-Inducing Antigens of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

ABSTRACT Three recombinant proteins, Map10, Map39, and Map41, produced based on nucleotide sequences obtained from the screening of Mycobacteriumavium subsp. paratuberculosis genomic library expressed in Escherichiacoli significantly elicited gamma interferon production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from infected cattle. Two of these proteins were members of the PPE protein family.

Molecular Cloning of Porcine Interleukin-1 beta Converting Enzyme and Differential Gene Expression of IL-1 beta Converting Enzyme, IL-1 beta, and IL-18 in Porcine Alveolar Macrophages

We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA that contains the coding sequence of porcine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) converting enzyme (ICE). Using degenerate oligonucleotide primers based on the amino acid sequences of the human, murine, and rat ICE, we performed the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with total RNA prepared from porcine alveolar macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to clone the cDNA of porcine ICE. The open reading frame (ORF) of the porcine ICE cDNA is 1215 base pairs (bp) in length and encodes 404 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence is 72.5%, 62.6%, and 64.1% homologous to the human, murine, and rat amino acid sequences, respectively. The kinetics of mRNA expression of ICE, IL-1beta, and IL-18 in porcine alveolar macrophages after LPS stimulation revealed that ICE transcripts were weakly expressed in nonstimulated condition and upregulated after LPS stimulation. Moreover, IL-1beta and IL-18 transcripts were differently expressed after LPS stimulation.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae YS-1 as a Live Vaccine Vehicle for Heterologous Protein Expression and Intranasal Immunization of Pigs

ABSTRACT We have developed a system in which a foreign antigen is delivered and expressed on the surface of an attenuated strain of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae YS-1 and have examined the ability of a such recombinant E. rhusiopathiae strain to function as a mucosal vaccine vector. The C-terminal portion, including two repeat regions, R1 and R2, of the P97 adhesin of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strain E-1 was successfully translocated and expressed on the E. rhusiopathiae YS-1 cell surface after it was fused to SpaA.1, a cell surface protective antigen of E. rhusiopathiae. BALB/c mice subcutaneously immunized with the E. rhusiopathiae recombinant strains developed specific antibodies against SpaA.1 protein and were protected from lethal challenge with the highly virulent homologous E. rhusiopathiae Fujisawa-SmR strain, showing the efficacy of this heterologous-antigen expression system as a vaccine against E. rhusiopathiae infection. To determine whether protective immune responses are induced in target species, newborn, specific-pathogen-free piglets were immunized intranasally with a recombinant strain designated YS-19. The immunized piglets developed specific anti-SpaA.1 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in their serum and were protected from death by erysipelas, showing that mucosal vaccination of piglets with YS-19 induces systemic immune responses. Furthermore, YS-19-immunized piglets showed higher levels of P97-specific IgA antibodies in the respiratory tract than did YS-1-immunized piglets. Thus, E. rhusiopathiae YS-1 appears to be a promising vaccine vector for mucosal delivery that can induce local and systemic immune responses.

Detection of Porcine Interleukin-18 by Sandwich ELISA and Immunohistochemical Staining Using Its Monoclonal Antibodies

We describe here the development of sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sandwich ELISA) and immunohistochemical staining for porcine interleukin-18 (PoIL-18) and their application to detection of PoIL-18 in vivo. Ten anti-PoIL-18 monoclonal antibodies (mAb), all of which were reactive with recombinant PoIL-18 by Western blotting, were established. Four (2-C-4, 9-H-6, 11-H-5, and 12-C-12) of 10 neutralized the biologic activity of PoIL-18 to induce interferon-y (IFN-gamma) from porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Four (2-C-4, 5-F-6, 9-H-6, and 12-C-12) of 10 were shown to be useful in immunohistochemical staining and detected PoIL-18 in Kupffer cells and macrophages in hepatic focal necrosis and macrophages in interstitial pneumonia in piglets with experimental endotoxemia using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. A sandwich ELISA was developed using mAb 7-G-8 as a capture antibody and biotinylated mAb 5-C-5 as a detection antibody. This ELISA detected PoIL-18 with a minimum detectable concentration of 20 pg/ml and did not show cross-reactivity against PoIL-1beta, IL-8, IL-12, and IFN-gamma or murine and human IL-18. Using this ELISA, PoIL-18 was detected in the plasma and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of pigs experimentally infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. The availability of this ELISA and immunohistochemical staining for PoIL-18 may contribute to a further understanding of the role of this cytokine in various porcine immune responses and diseases.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Infection Causes Suppression of RANTES, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1, and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Expression in Peripheral Blood of Experimentally Infected Cattle

ABSTRACT Blood from cattle with subclinical Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection was stimulated with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigens, and expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), RANTES, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and IL-8 was measured. Expression of TNF-α, RANTES, and MCP-1 was lower in infected than in uninfected cattle. The reduced response may weaken protective immunity and perpetuate infection.