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Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are essential for orchestrating type 2 immune responses during allergic airway inflammation and infection. ILC2s have been reported to play a regulatory role in tumors; however, this conclusion is controversial. In this study, we showed that IL-33-activated ILC2s could boost CD8+ T-cell function through direct antigen cross-presentation. After activation by IL-33, ILC2s showed an enhanced potential to process antigens and prime CD8+ T cell activation. Activated ILC2s could phagocytose exogenous antigens in vivo and in vitro, promoting antigen-specific CD8+ T cell function to enhance antitumor immune responses. Administration of OVA-loaded ILC2s induces robust antitumor effects on the OVA-expressing tumor model. These findings suggested that the administration of tumor antigen-loaded ILC2s might serve as a potential strategy for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variable regions of the heavy chain (VH) and light chain (VL) were amplified by RT-PCR from the hybridoma 1N8, which secretes the monoclonal antibody against CDV N protein (aa 277-471). The VL and VH amplicons were combined using SOE-PCR by a 12 amino acid flexible linker (SSGGGGSGGGGS), which produced the scFv gene (named scFv/1N8). After sequence analysis, the scFv/1N8 gene was cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector PET32a with a His-tag. The recombinant scFv/1N8 protein was successfully expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli by IPTG induction. Moreover, the binding activity and specificity of the scFv were determined by indirect ELISA (His-tag) and competitive ELISA. The recombinant scFv/1N8 protein reported here will provide some basis for further antiviral drug research based on the scFv molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper (CD) is a highly contagious, systemic, viral disease of dogs seen worldwide. The nucleocapsid protein (NP) of canine distemper virus encloses virus assembly and has some regulatory functions in viral transcription and replication. Here, we describe a procedure to generate a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against CDV N protein and investigate its characteristics. Western blot analysis showed that the MAbs produced in this study were against CDV N specifically. Indirect immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that they could recognize native N protein in CDV-infected Vero cells. The MAbs reported here may provide valuable tools for the further exploration of biological properties and functions of N protein and may also be developed for potential clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was discovered in the last decade but only used for the first time in the diagnosis of mink enteritis virus (MEV) infection in this study. The amplification could be completed within 60min, under isothermal condition at 65°C, by employing a set of four primers targeting the VP2 gene of MEV. The LAMP was more sensitive than the conventional PCR, with a detection limit of 10−1 median tissue culture infective doses (TCID50)/ml per reaction, compared with 10 TCID50/ml for PCR analysis. No cross reactivity was observed for other related viruses, including canine distemper virus (CDV) and Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (AMDV). Eighty four of 230 clinical samples were found to be positive for MEV, which is higher than that determined by using the conventional PCR method (68). The results indicate the LAMP can be potentially used to determine MEV as a simple, rapid procedure. This assay would be an available alternative to PCR analysis for the diagnosis of MEV infection in mink, particularly in less well-equipped laboratories and in rural settings where resources are limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A combined reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was developed for the detection and differentiation of wild-type and vaccine strains of the canine distemper virus (CDV). A pair of primers (P1/P2) was used to detect both CDV wild-type strains and vaccines. Another pair (P3/P4) was used to detect only CDV wild-type strains. A 335bp fragment was amplified from the genomic RNA of the vaccine and wild-type strains. A 555bp fragment was amplified specifically from the genomic RNA of the wild-type strains. No amplification was achieved for the uninfected cells, cells infected with canine parvovirus, canine coronavirus, or canine adenovirus. The combined RT-PCR method detected effectively and differentiated the CDV wild-type and vaccine strains by two separate RT-PCRs. The method can be used for clinical detection and epidemiological surveillance. The phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin gene of the local wild-type CDV strains revealed that the seven local isolates all belonged to the Asia-1 lineage, and were clustered closely with one another at the same location. These results suggested that the CDV genotype Asia-1 is circulating currently in domestic dogs in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRVs) can infect many mammals including human, and numerous higher virulent MRVs have been reported in recent years. The first mink orthoreovirus was reported in China in 2011. In the present study, three new strains of mammalian orthoreoviruses were isolated from mink and found to be most closely related to human strain MRV2Tou05 and other human strains. Mink experiments demonstrated that the isolated mink reoviruses did not lead to severe pathogenicity. Viruses were eliminated within 2 weeks after infection, but they may cause viral enteritis disease in puppies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: UTP-glucose-1-phosphoryl transferase (UGPase) catalyzes the synthesis of UDP-glucose, which is essential for generating the glycogen needed for the synthesis of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and capsular polysaccharide, which play important roles in bacterial virulence. However, the molecular function of UGPase in Brucella is still unknown. Results: In this study, the ubiquitination modification of host immune-related protein in cells infected with UGPase-deleted or wild-type Brucella was analyzed using ubiquitination proteomics technology. The ubiquitination modification level and type of NF-κB Essential Modulator (NEMO or Ikbkg), a molecule necessary for NF-κB signal activation, was evaluated using Coimmunoprecipitation, Western blot, and dual-Luciferase Assay. We found 80 ubiquitin proteins were upregulated and 203 ubiquitin proteins were downregulated in cells infected with B. melitensis 16 M compared with those of B. melitensis UGPase-deleted strain (16 M-UGPase−). Moreover, the ubiquitin-modified proteins were mostly enriched in the categories of regulation of kinase/NF-κB signaling and response to a bacterium, suggesting Brucella UGPase inhibits ubiquitin modification of related proteins in the host NF-κB signaling pathway. Further analysis showed that the ubiquitination levels of NEMO K63 (K63-Ub) and Met1 (Met1-Ub) were significantly increased in the 16 M-UGPase−-infected cells compared with that of the 16 M-infected cells, further confirming that the ubiquitination levels of NF-κB signaling-related proteins were regulated by the bacterial UGPase. Besides, the expression level of IκBα was decreased, but the level of p-P65 was significantly increased in the 16 M-UGPase−-infected cells compared with that of the 16 M- and mock-infected cells, demonstrating that B. melitensis UGPase can significantly inhibit the degradation of IκBα and the phosphorylation of p65, and thus suppressing the NF-κB pathway. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that Brucella melitensis UGPase inhibits the activation of NF-κB by modulating the ubiquitination of NEMO, which will provide a new scientific basis for the study of immune mechanisms induced by Brucella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (AMDV) causes Aleutian mink disease (AMD), which is a serious infectious disease of mink. The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of the molecular epidemiology of AMDV in northeast China to control and prevent AMD from further spreading. This study for the first time isolated AMDV from fecal swab samples of mink in China. Results: A total of 157/291 (54.0%) of the fecal swab samples were positive for AMDV. Of these, 23 AMDV positive samples were randomly selected for sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis based on the acquired partial fragments of VP2 gene with the hypervariable region. Comparative DNA sequence analysis of 23 AMDV isolates with a reference nonpathogenic (AMDV-G) strain revealed 8.3% difference in partial VP2 nucleotide sequences. Amino acid alignment indicated the presence of several genetic variants, as well as one single amino acid residue deletion. The most concentrated area of variation was located in the hypervariable region of VP2 protein. According to phylogenetic analysis, the Chinese AMDV strains and the other reference AMDV strains from different countries clustered into three groups (clades A, B and C). Most of the newly sequenced strains were found to form a Chinese-specific group, which solely consisted of Chinese AMDV strains. Conclusion: These findings indicated that a high genetic diversity was found in Chinese AMDV strains and the virus distribution were not dependent on geographical origin. Both local and imported AMDV positive species were prevalent in the Chinese mink farming population. The genetic evidence of AMDV variety and epidemic isolates have importance in mink farming practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal lymphoproliferative disease that represents a serious problem in the deer‐rearing industry. To better understand an MCF‐like disease that has emerged in northern China since 2015, we investigated ten cases by documenting clinical and epidemiological data and analysing causative agents and histopathological changes. In addition, a retrospective screen for Macavirus DNA and a questionnaire‐based survey were conducted. Epizootic MCF in Chinese sika deer herds has emerged with a low morbidity of 3.8% (95% CI: 2.5%–5.1%) and a high mortality of 93.2% (95% CI: 86.6%–99.9%). The disease course varied from 3 to 12 days. Aetiologically, OvHV‐2 was predominant in the MCFV, accounting for most MCF cases (21/23). In contrast, only two CpHV‐2 isolates were phylogenetically closely related to CpHV‐2. Diarrhoea and nasal discharges were the most frequent manifestations, although clinical signs varied in some cases. Pathologically typical lesions of haemorrhage, necrosis and lymphoid cell infiltration were readily observed in a variety of organs. Vasculitis caused by vascular and perivascular lymphoid cell infiltration was common. The retrospective survey suggested a low positive rate (3/275) of MCFV DNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The questionnaire‐based survey suggested the disease was neglected by local veterinarians, who did not acknowledge the risk of co‐rearing deer with reservoir species. Collectively, the emerging epizootic MCF in Chinese sika deer herds remains neglected, emphasizing the urgency of initiating full‐field diagnoses and control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canine parvovirus (CPV) and feline parvovirus (FPV) are causative agents of diarrhea in dogs and cats, which manifests as depression, vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, leucopenia, and diarrhea in young animals. CPV and FPV can single or mixed infect cats and cause disease. To diagnose sick animals effectively, an effective virus diagnostic and genome typing method with high sensitivity and specificity is required. Results: In this study, a conserved segment containing one SNP A4408C of parvovirus was used for real-time PCR amplification. Subsequently, data were auto-analyzed and plotted using Applied Biosystems® High Resolution Melt Software v3.1. Results showed that CPV and FPV can be detected simultaneously in a single PCR reaction. No cross-reactions were observed with canine adenovirus, canine coronavirus, and canine distemper virus. The assay had a detection limit of 4.2 genome copies of CPV and FPV. A total of 80 clinical samples were subjected to this assay, as well as to conventional PCR-sequence assay and virus isolation. Results showed that the percentage of agreement of the assay and other methods are high. Conclusions: In short, we have developed a diagnostic test for the accurate detection and differentiation of CPV and FPV in fecal samples, which is also cost effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Firstly, we recognize four epitopes of CDV phosphoprotein, 238SHGMGIVAGSTN249, 264GPSVSAENVRQ274, 390INPELRPIIGR400 and 252TQSALKSTG260. • Secondly, the linear B-cell epitope of the Pc11 MAb is relatively conserved among different CDV strains. • Thirdly, the E27-2 might be a common B-cell binding epitope of CDV antibodies and provide new diagnostic assays for CDV. • Finally, the Pc8 MAb can distinguish the infections with the currently circulating CDV from the vaccine strains of CDV. Abstract The highly contagious canine distemper virus (CDV) is a non-segmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus, which belongs to the Morbillivirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family. The phosphoprotein (P) of CDV plays the important role in the virus replication and pathogenesis. In this study, we characterized four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), designated as Pc7, Pc8, Pc11 and Pc25 MAbs against the P protein of CDV-PS strain. A series of overlapping P protein-derived peptides representing the CDV-PS phosphoprotein (aa232-507) were screened to identify linear peptide epitopes recognized by each MAb. Finally, four epitopes, 238SHGMGIVAGSTN249 (E2-9), 264GPSVSAENVRQ274 (E6-2), 390INPELRPIIGR400 (E27-2) and 252TQSALKSTG260 (E4-9), are minimal linear epitopes recognized by the Pc7, Pc8, Pc11 and Pc25 MAbs, respectively. Each identified B-cell epitope was able to be recognized by CDV positive dog serum. Alignment analysis of the amino acid sequences indicated that the linear B-cell epitope of the Pc11 MAb is relatively conserved among different CDV strains, but the linear B-cell epitopes recognized by Pc7, Pc8 and Pc25 MAbs are not conserved among CDV strains. Our results revealed that the E27-2 peptide might be a common B-cell binding epitope of CDV antibodies. These findings may provide a useful basis for the development of new diagnostic assays for CDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PEDV remains one of the most important swine diseases that infects pigs of all ages. It causes devastating viral enteric disease in piglets with a high mortality rate, leading to significant threats and huge economic loss to the pork industry. In this study, a transcriptomic shotgun sequencing (RNA-Seq) procedure was used to study gene responses against PEDV infection. Genome-wide analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed in Vero E6 cells post-PEDV infection. mTOR signaling pathway activator-MHY1485, and inhibitor-PP242 were used to study the antiviral function. Results revealed that the IRF3 was significantly up-regulated post-PEDV infection. Although most of the IFN-regulatory and –related genes evaluated in this study were either down-regulated or remained unchanged, IL11 behaved significantly up-regulated, with the peak at 16 hpi. Nearly 90% of PEDV infections were suppressed in the PP242 pretreated cells whereas the reverse effect was observed in the MYH1485 pretreated cells. Results indicated that the mTOR signaling pathway played a vital role in the PEDV antiviral regulation in the Vero E6 cells. Future studies will contribute to better understand the cellular antiviral mechanism against PEDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is an important pathogen in domestic dogs, and the original antigenic types CPV-2 and its variants, CPV-2a, 2b and 2c, are prevalent worldwide. A multiplex TaqMan real-time PCR method was developed for the detection and differentiation of four antigenic types of CPV. A set of primers and probes, CPV-305F/CPV-305R and CPV-2-305P (for CPV-2)/CPV-2a-305P (for CPV-2a, 2b and 2c), was able to differentiate CPV-2 and its variants (CPV-2a, 2b and 2c). Another set of primers and probes, CPV-426F/CPV-426R and CPV-2-426P (for CPV-2 and 2a)/CPV-2b-426P (for CPV-2b)/CPV-2c-426P (for CPV-2c), was able to differentiate CPV-2a (2), CPV-2b, and CPV-2c. With these primers and probes, the multiplex TaqMan real-time PCR assay detected effectively and differentiated CPV-2, 2a, 2b and 2c by two separate real-time PCRs. No cross reactivity was observed with canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, and canine coronavirus. The detection limit of the assay is 10 1 genome copies/μL for CPV-2, CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and 10 2 copies/μL for CPV-2c. The multiplex real-time PCR has 100% agreement with DNA sequencing. We provide a sensitive assay that simultaneously detects and differentiate four antigenic types of CPV and the method was also used for quantification of CPVs viral genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caprine herpesvirus 2 (CpHV-2) infection usually induces chronic malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in sika deer (Cervus nippon), with the primary signs of weight loss, dermatitis and alopecia. Case presentation: Here, we report a case of CpHV-2-associated acute MCF in a sika deer herd raised in an intensive management system distant to the reservoir goats. Affected deer developed clinical signs of high fever (41 °C) followed by nasal discharge and lameness. Severe lesions of hemorrhage, necrosis and infiltration of lymphoid cells could readily be observed in the lung, kidney, heart valves and subcutaneous tissue surrounding a tendon. Etiologically, identical CpHV-2 specific DNA sequences were detected in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) from the affected deer and reservoir goats. Conclusion: In summary, domestic goats were the reservoir of the CpHV-2, which is the causative agent of the outbreak of MCF in the three hinds. The disease was probably transmitted via aerosol infection. In addition, necrosis and inflammation in subcutaneous tissue surrounding a tendon was the reason for lameness. Therefore, MCF should be put into a differential diagnostic list when similar disease occurs in sika deer herds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a causative agent of porcine intestinal disease, which causes vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration in piglets. PEDV is associated with the most severe pathogenesis in one-week-old piglets, with mortality rates reaching 100%. A PEDV strain was isolated from the intestinal tract of diarrheic piglets from a pig farm in Jiangsu Province in March 2016, termed the JS201603 isolate. The isolated virus was confirmed to be PEDV via RT-PCR, electron microscopy, a cytopathic effect assay and sequence analysis. The S and ORF3 genes of the JS201603 isolate were sequenced, revealing that the S gene was associated with a 15-base insertion at 167 nt, 176 - 186 nt, and 427 - 429 nt, as well as a six-base deletion in 487 - 492 nt, indicating that it was a current epidemic variant compared with the classical strain, CV777. No deletion occurred between 245 - 293 nt of the ORF3 gene in the JS201603 isolate compared with the vaccine isolates YY2013 and SQ2014. An experimental infection model indicated that the piglets in the challenge group successively developed diarrhea, exhibiting yellow-colored loose stools with a foul odor. The piglets in the JS201603 isolate challenge group displayed reduced food consumption, lost weight, and in severe cases even died. No abnormalities were observed in the control group. The JS201603 variant isolated in this study contributes to the evolutionary analysis of diarrhea virus. The experimental infection model has established a foundation for further studies on vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several biological processes as well as infectious agents, physiological or environmental stress, and perturbed antioxidant response can promote oxidative stress. Oxidative stress usually happens when cells are exposed to more electrically charged reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as HO or O . ROS are well known for being both beneficial and deleterious. Recent studies have indicated that ROS are deleterious to cells, leading to programmed cell death (PCD) at high concentrations. At low concentrations, however, ROS can act as signaling molecules in a variety of cellular processes. In this review, we present an update of our current understanding of the role and regulation of reactive oxygen species in various viral infections, cellular signaling pathways and immune responses. We then discuss how the antioxidant defense system acts as an antiviral effector to limit cell damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TLR8 is an important sensor of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) from the viral genome and plays an essential role in innate antiviral responses via the recognition of conserved viral molecular patterns. In this report, TLR8 in the Chinese raccoon dog was characterized and analyzed for the first time. The full-length sequence of raccoon dog TLR8 (RdTLR8) cDNA was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and is 3191bp with a 3117-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1038 amino acids. The putative protein exhibits typical features of the TLR families, with 19 leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) in the extracellular domain and a cytoplasmic TIR domain. Comparative analyses of the RdTLR8 amino acid sequence indicated a 73.6–99.4% sequence identity with dog, horse, pig, sheep, cattle, human and mouse TLR8. Phylogenetic analysis grouped 71 mammalian TLR proteins into five sub-families, wherein RdTLR8 was clustered into a monophyletic TLR8 clade in the TLR9 family, which was completely coincident with the evolutionary relationship among mammals. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed extensive expression of RdTLR8 in tissues from healthy Chinese raccoon dogs with the highest expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the lowest expression in the skeletal muscle. HEK293 cells cotransfected with a RdTLR8 expression plasmid and an NF-κB-luciferase reporter plasmid significantly responded to the agonist 3M-002, indicating a functional TLR8 homolog. In addition, raccoon dog PBMCs exposed to the canine distemper virus (CDV) wild strain CDV-PS and the TLR8 agonist 3M-002 showed significant upregulation of RdTLR8 mRNA and proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-α, suggesting that RdTLR8 might play an important role in the immune response to viral infections in the Chinese raccoon dog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) is a parvovirus that causes an immune complex-mediated disease in minks. Capsid protein VP2 is a major structural viral protein and can be used to diagnose AMDV. In this study, a specific monoclonal antibody, 1M13, was produced against the AMDV VP2 protein (amino acids 291–502). A linear VP2-protein epitope was identified by subjecting a series of partially overlapping synthesized peptides to be enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis. The results indicated that 386 HLQQNFSTRYIYD 398 was the minimal linear epitope that could be recognized by mAb 1M13. ELISA assays revealed that mink anti-AMDV sera could also recognize the minimal linear epitope. Sequence alignments demonstrated that the linear epitope is highly conserved among AMDV strains except 386 H and is less conserved among Raccoon dog amdovirus, Gray fox amdovirus, Red fox amdovirus, Bat parvovirus and Mink enteritis parvovirus. Taken together, the generation of this VP2-specific mAb with a defined linear peptide epitope may have potential applications in the development of suitable diagnostic techniques for AMDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine parvovirus (CPV) type 2c is a new antigenic variant of CPV-2. Since the year 2000 it has spread to several countries, causing severe hemorrhagic enteritis in dogs. In 2014 and 2015, 58 fecal samples were collected from dogs in Beijing with suspected CPV infection. Regardless of the vaccination status of the dogs, 43 samples were found positive for CPV according to PCR results; i.e., 18, 7, and 18 respectively belonged to antigenic types new CPV-2a, new CPV-2b, and CPV-2c. A phylogenetic tree based on their VP2 gene sequences indicated that the Chinese CPV-2c strains form a separate cluster. In addition to synonymous mutations, the CPV-2c strains also contain a unique coding mutation in VP2 that leads to glycine at residue 5, instead of the highly conserved alanine at this position in all other CPV-2c strains sequenced to date. Using F81 cells, several novel isolates of CPV-2c, each with the Ala5Gly mutation, were obtained. One of these was used to infect experimentally beagle dogs, which subsequently developed the typical clinical symptoms of CPV infection. Hence, it appears that CPV-2c is still evolving in China, a finding that warrants continuous surveying and the eventual adaptation of current vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a member of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae and has caused severe economic losses in China. Nucleocapsid protein (N) is the major structural viral protein and can be used to diagnose CDV and other morbilliviruses. In this study, a specific monoclonal antibody, 1N8, was produced against the CDV N protein (amino acids 277–471). A linear N protein epitope was identified by subjecting a series of partially overlapping synthesized peptides to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis. The results indicated that 350 LNFGRSYFDPA 360 was the minimal linear epitope that could be recognized by mAb 1N8. ELISA assays revealed that mouse anti-CDV sera could also recognize the minimal linear epitope. Alignment analysis of the amino acid sequences indicated that the epitope was highly conserved among CDV strains. Furthermore, the epitope was conserved among other morbilliviruses, which was confirmed with PRRV using western blotting. Taken together, the results of this study may have potential applications in the development of suitable diagnostic techniques for CDV or other morbilliviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts Rabies has emerged as a serious problem in the most recent years in northern China. A rabies virus (RABV) isolate, IMDRV-13, was recovered from brain samples of dog-bitten rabid fallow deer ( Dama dama ) in a farm in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. We tested the susceptibility of mouse neuroblastoma (MNA) cells and BSR cells as well as that of adult mice to IMDRV-13. The isolate was found to be a virulent isolate with an equivalent pathogenicity index (0.12) and a slight lower neurotropism index (1.07) compared with those of challenge virus standard, CVS-24, which was 0.13 and 1.23, respectively. The complete genome of IMDRV-13 was determined subsequently and found to be 11,924 nucleotides (nt) in length with the same genomic organization as other RABVs. Phylogenetic tree based on complete genome sequences of 43 RABV isolates and strains indicated that IMDRV-13, along with other two isolates in Inner Mongolia, CNM1101C and CNM1104D, clustered within the dog-associated China I clade, which is also the dominant lineage in the current rabies epidemic in China. In addition, sequence analysis of the glycoprotein G identified an amino acid substitution (I 338 → T 338 ) unique to the IMDRV-13 within antigenic sites III (330–338), this mutation also leads to an additional potential N -glycosylation site (N 336 ), which may represent a useful model to study relationship of N -glycosylation in G protein and specific properties such as pathogenicity or host adaption of RABV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is often detected in commercial bovine serum. BVDV genetic diversity was investigated in commercial bovine serum of Chinese origin. Twenty-two batches of bovine serum were obtained from 10 suppliers with different geographic origins in China, and 20 batches of bovine serum were positive by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing. Phylogenetic reconstructions of partial 5′UTR sequences indicated that the samples examined in this work clustered within the BVDV type 1 and BVDV type 2 genotypes. Interestingly, 3 sample sequences clustered into CSFV. These results suggest a high genetic diversity in Chinese BVDV field isolates. This study will benefit epidemiological surveys of BVDV detected in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to screen immunogenic candidate antigens for the development of a brucellosis subunit vaccine, an immunoproteomic assay was used to identify immunogenic proteins from Brucella melitensis 16M soluble proteins. In this study, a total of 56 immunodominant proteins were identified from the two-dimensional electrophoresis immunoblot profiles by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Two proteins of interest, riboflavin synthase alpha chain (RS-α) and Loraine synthase (LS-2), which are both involved in riboflavin synthesis, were detected by two-dimensional immunoblots using antisera obtained from Brucella-infected human and goats. LS-2, however, is an already well-known vaccine candidate. Therefore, we focussed our studies on the novel vaccine candidate RS-α. B. melitensis RS-α and LS-2 were then expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with His tag. The humoral and cellular immune responses to the recombinant (r)RS-α was characterized. In response to in vitro stimulation by rRS-α, splenocytes from mice vaccinated with rRS-α were able to produce γ-interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-2 but not interleukin (IL)-4 and interleukin (IL)-10. Furthermore, rRS-α or rLS-2-vaccinated mice were partially protected against B. melitensis infection. Our results suggested that we have developed a high-throughout, accurate, rapid and highly efficient method for the identification of candidate antigens by a combination of immunoproteomics with immunisation and bacterial challenge and rRs-α could be a useful candidate for the development of subunit vaccines against B. melitensis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]