皖南黄肉种鸡种蛋中禽白血病病毒的感染状态检测

本研究首次通过检测种蛋中禽白血病病毒(ALV)评价了皖南黄父母代肉种鸡的ALV感染状态.收集该鸡群的120枚鸡蛋,取40枚鸡蛋孵化至9～11 d后分别制备CEF,培养10 d,取细胞上清用ELISA试剂盒检测ALV p27抗原.另取80枚鸡蛋卵白直接检测p27抗原,同时分别将80枚鸡蛋卵白接种CEF(DF1),培养10 d后取细胞上清检测p27抗原.比较p27阳性检出率的结果表明,受精蛋孵化9～11 d后制备CEF,再培养10 d的细胞上清检出率(10/36)高于直接检测卵白(17/80)与卵白接种CEF(DF1)的细胞上清(7/80).将经DF1培养后p27抗原阳性样品,用针对ALV-J的单抗JE9做IFA,ALV-J的阳性率为6/7.检测该80枚鸡蛋的卵黄抗体,ALV-J、ALV-AB的抗体阳性率分别为18/80、1/80.结果表明,该皖南黄父母代肉种鸡群存在的外源性ALV感染主要为ALV-J.该研究为ALV的净化提供了可行性检测方法.     

禽腺病毒血清4型感染鸡组织中NLRP3基因转录水平的实时荧光定量PCR分析

旨在分析禽腺病毒血清4型（FAdV-4）感染鸡组织中NLRP3基因的转录水平,本研究设计鸡NLRP3特异性引物,利用RT-PCR扩增NLRP3基因180 bp片段并克隆至pMD-18T载体,制备重组质粒pMD-18T-NLRP3。以pMD-18T-NLRP3质粒作为标准品进行荧光定量PCR并建立标准曲线。通过反应条件优化,成功建立了检测NLRP3基因的实时荧光定量PCR方法,并利用该方法对致病性FAdV-4感染鸡组织中NLRP3基因的转录水平进行了分析。结果显示,所设计的NLRP3引物可特异性扩增鸡NLRP3基因,建立的实时荧光定量PCR对鸡NLRP3标准质粒的扩增曲线良好,标准品的拷贝数与Cq值呈现良好的线性关系。与对照组相比,NLRP3分子在FAdV-4感染鸡肝和脾中的转录水平极显著高于对照组（P<0.001）,在盲肠扁桃体和法氏囊的表达显著高于对照组（P<0.01）。本研究所建立的鸡NLRP3基因SYBR Green Ⅰ实时荧光定量PCR可以检测FAdV-4感染鸡不同组织中NLRP3的转录水平;致病性FAdV-4感染所造成的组织炎症损伤与NLRP3分子密切相关。     

禽致病性大肠杆菌Hcp2b对雏鸡气管黏膜细胞因子-细胞因子受体相互作用通路的影响

T6SS （type VI secretion system）是革兰阴性菌中常见的一种分泌系统,其效应蛋白Hcp2b作用机制迄今仍未明晰。本研究以禽致病性大肠杆菌（avian pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC） Hcp2b蛋白为研究主体,旨在探究Hcp2b蛋白在APEC感染鸡气管黏膜过程中发挥的作用及机制。采用Red重组方法以质粒pKD3为模板构建hcp2b缺失株,pSTV-28质粒连接hcp2b目的片段构建重组载体,导入感受态Δhcp2b菌株构建回复株,并对Δhcp2b菌株的生长曲线进行测定。7日龄雏鸡气管感染hcp2b缺失株及野生株,感染后12、24 h收集鸡气管黏膜细胞进行转录组学测序及生物信息学分析。结果表明,hcp2b缺失株及回复株构建成功,hcp2b基因缺失对菌株的生长性能无影响。hcp2b基因缺失株感染气管黏膜后,mRNA的表达谱发生变化,感染后12 h,有144个基因表达量发生变化（上调差异基因87个,下调57个）;感染后24 h,有135个基因表达量发生变化（上调差异基因79个,下调56个）。生物信息学分析发现差异基因富集在Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction、Protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum等信号通路。hcp2b基因缺失未影响APEC的生长特性,hcp2b基因缺失后影响雏鸡气管黏膜Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction通路基因mRNA转录水平的变化,IL-1β、IL-12b的表达均上调。该结果为APEC的致病机制研究提供了理论依据。     

3株H9亚型禽流感病毒的分离与鉴定

为了获得H9亚型禽流感病毒(AIV)流行毒株并掌握流行毒株的分子特征和致病性,采用病毒分离、血凝性试验、鸡胚半数感染量(EID₅₀)测定、HA基因序列分析、致病性试验、交叉保护性试验等对3份临床疑似H9亚型AIV感染病料进行了研究。结果:3份临床病料样品可引起10日龄SPF鸡胚规律性死亡,3株分离毒株对1%鸡红细胞的凝集效价分别10log₂、11log₂和10log₂;对SPF鸡胚的EID₅₀分别为10^-8.83/mL、10^-9.50/mL和10^-9.0/mL;与2018年上海分离毒株亲缘关系较近,进化树处于同一分支;对SPF雏鸡的发病率分别为80%、100%和90%;均未引起SPF雏鸡死亡;彼此之间具有100%的交叉保护率,商品化禽流感(H9亚型)灭活疫苗对3株分离毒株的保护率分别为100%、90%和100%。本试验成功分离鉴定到了3株低致病性H9亚型AIV流行毒株,并证实当前商品化疫苗对H9亚型AIV流行毒株仍具有较好的保护效果。     

Avian anaesthesia related mortality and the associated risk factors in a UK zoological collection

ObjectiveTo analyse avian anaesthesia-related mortality in a UK zoological collection over a 5-year period and identify risk factors for mortality.Study designRetrospective cohort study.AnimalsA total of 135 individual birds across 37 species, anaesthetized during 206 events in a UK zoological collection between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2019 (inclusive).MethodsAnaesthesia records were reviewed and variables such as age, body condition, weight, sex, duration of anaesthesia and health status were collated. Anaesthesia-related mortality was defined as those deaths occurring during anaesthesia and up to 7 days postanaesthesia. Outcome was analysed using multivariable conditional logistic regression. Overall mortality was defined and included birds euthanised during anaesthesia for non-anaesthesia related reasons. Data were summarised as median (range). A value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for the association between risk factors and anaesthetic death where a statistically significant difference was found.ResultsThe overall mortality rate was 10.19% (95% CI = 6.06–14.3%), while anaesthesia-related mortality was 3.88% (95% CI = 1.69–7.51%). Birds with an abnormal health status had a 15.53-fold (95% CI = 1.95–123.63) increased risk of death compared with those with a normal health status. The duration of anaesthesia was also a statistically significant risk factor (p = 0.021) in the univariable analysis, but not when combined with health status. No other variables were associated with anaesthesia-related mortality.Conclusions and clinical relevanceAbnormal health status and longer anaesthetic procedures were associated with a significantly increased risk of anaesthesia-related death in this population of birds. It is recommended that anaesthetic duration is minimized, and pre-existing diseases are diagnosed where possible prior to general anaesthesia of birds. Anaesthetizing healthy birds was associated with a low risk of mortality.     

Cloning and Sequence Analysis of HA and NA Genes of One Strain of H6N6 Subtype Avian Influenza Virus Isolated from Guizhou Province

To investigate the epidemic situation of H6N6 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) in Guizhou province,A/duck/Guizhou/013/2014 was isolated from Sansui duck in live poultry market of Guizhou in 2014,the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of DK/GZ/14 were subjected to clone and sequence analysis.The results showed that HA gene had the highest nucleotide homologies (97.5%) with the duck-origin H6N6 subtype AIV isolated from Eastern China in 2009,and the strains of HA gene proteolytic cleavage sites was P-Q-I-E-T-R-G,which accordeol with the molecular characteristic of low pathogenic AIV (LPAIV).However,NA gene of A/duck/Guizhou/013/2014 had the highest nucleotide homologies (98.2%) with the duck-origin H6N6 subtype AIV isolated from Fujian in 2007.The phylogenetic tree showed that A/duck/Guizhou/013/2014 and Hunan strains located in the same branch,while three duck-origin H6N6 subtype AIV isolated from Guizhou in 2007 and A/duck/Guizhou/013/2014 located in the different branch for HA and NA genes in genetic evolution,which suggested that A/duck/Guizhou/013/2014 was far with the local H6N6 subtype.The results also clearly indicated that duck-origin H6N6 subtype AIV had genetic diversity in duck population in Guizhou.     

Basic characterization of avian β‐defensin genes in the Japanese quail,Coturnix japonica

In this study, we identified a cluster of 14 avian β‐defensins (AvBD; approximately 66 kbp) in the Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica. Except for AvBD12 (CjAvBD12) and ‐13, the CjAvBDs coding sequences exhibited greater than 78.0% similarity to the respective orthologous chicken AvBD genes (GgAvBD). The putative amino acid sequence encoded by each CjAvBD contained six cysteine residues and the GXC (X1‐2) motif considered essential for the β‐defensin family. Each CjAvBDs also formed a sub‐group with the respective orthologous genes of various bird species in a phylogenetic tree analysis. Synteny between the CjAvBD cluster and GgAvBD cluster was confirmed. The CjAvBD cluster was mapped on the long‐arm end of chromosome 3 by linkage analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CjAvBD1 and CjAvBD12 (approximately 46kbp), as well as GgAvBD cluster. We also confirmed that CjAvBD1, ‐4, ‐5, ‐9, and ‐10 are transcribed in 20 tissues, including immune and digestive tissues. However, our experimental data indicated that the CjAvBD cluster lacks the AvBD3 and ‐7 loci, whereas the CjAvBD101α, ‐101β, and ‐101θ loci arose from gene duplication of the AvBD6 orthologous locus in the CjAvBD cluster after differentiation between Coturnix ‐ Gallus.