Production and properties of monoclonal antibodies against African horsesickness virus, serotype 3.

Four polyethylene glycol-mediated cell fusions yielded a total of 23 monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) specific for African horsesickness virus (AHSV). Two recognised the major core structural polypeptide, VP7, while one each was specific for the outer capsid proteins, VP2 and VP5. The remainder co-precipitated both VP2 and VP7. An inhibition ELISA and radio-immunoprecipitation revealed two types of co-precipitating McAbs, distinguishable from each other by the different relative amounts of the two proteins they precipitated. Only co-precipitating McAbs reduced the size and number of plaques formed by AHSV on VERO cell monolayers, but even at low dilution did not completely abolish virus infectivity. A McAb specific for VP7 showed potential as a group-reactive diagnostic reagent since guinea pig antisera to all nine serotypes of AHSV, as well as an anti-serotype 4 horse serum and an anti-serotype 3 rabbit serum, inhibited its binding in ELISA to AHSV serotype 3.     

非洲马瘟病毒VP7基因拼接、表达及重组ELISA方法的建立与初步应用

采用人工拼接的方式拼接了非洲马瘟病毒（AHSV）含有绝大多数线性抗原表位的VP7编码基因片段,克隆于pET-30a构建重组质粒pET-30a-VP7,将pET-30a—VP7转化BL21（DE3）,经1．0mmol／LIPTG诱导,外源基因以包涵体的形式获得高效表达。通过Dot-EuSA以及ELISA试验证明表达产物具有良好的反应原性。以纯化后表达产物作为诊断抗原包被酶标板建立了检测AHSV抗体的间接ELISA方法。结果表明,抗原的最佳包被浓度为0．25μg／mL,血清的最佳稀释度为1：40,待检血清阳性临界值初步定为0．25。用此方法和商品化ELISA试剂盒检测了184份血清样品,结果完全符合。     

Egg yolk IgY against RHDV capsid protein VP60 promotes rabbit defense against RHDV infection

VP60 capsid protein is the major structural and immunogenicity protein of RHDV (Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, RHDV), and has been implicated as a main protein antigen in RHDV diagnosis and vaccine design. In this report, egg yolk antibody (IgY) against N-terminal of VP60 was evaluated and developed as a new strategy for RHDV therapy. Briefly, N-terminal of VP60 (～250aa) fragment was cloned and inserted into pET28a expression vector, and then the resultant plasmid, pET28a/VP60-N, was transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) for recombinant VP60-N protein (rVP60-N) expression. Next, the rVP60-N was purified by Ni⁺-affinity purification chromatography and identified by Western blotting with RHDV antiserum. After immunizing the chickens with rVP60-N, the anti-rVP60-N IgY was isolated, and the activity and specificity of the IgY antibody were analyzed by ELISA and Western blotting. In our results, the rVP60-N could be expressed in E. coli as soluble fraction, and the isolated anti-rVP60-N IgY demonstrated a high specificity and titer (1:22,000) against rVP60-N antigen. For further evaluation of the IgY efficacy in vivo, rabbits were grouped randomly and challenged with RHDV, and the results showed that anti-rVP60-N IgY could significantly protect rabbits from virus infection and promote the host survival after a sustained treatment with anti-rVP60-N IgY for 5 days. Taken together, our study demonstrates evidence that production of IgY against VP60 could be as a novel strategy for the RHDV therapy.     

非洲马瘟病毒VP7蛋白研究进展

非洲马瘟(African horse sickness, AHS)是由非洲马瘟病毒(African horse sickness virus, AHSV)引起的一种通过库蜢等昆虫传播的、主要感染马科动物的传染病。我国是世界动物卫生组织认可的非洲马瘟无疫国,随着AHS疫情在东南亚的传播,增大了疫情传入我国的风险。AHSV编码了7种结构蛋白(VP1～VP7),其中VP7是病毒内衣壳蛋白的主要组成部分,在AHSV 9个血清型中高度保守,常作检测的靶标。此外,VP7蛋白的自组装特点对于AHSV亚单位疫苗和病毒样颗粒疫苗(VLP)的研究有基础性作用。对当前AHSV VP7蛋白相关研究进展进行了综述,以期为AHSV检测方法及疫苗等研究提供参考。     

Serotype- and serogroup-specific detection of African horsesickness virus using phage displayed chicken scFvs for indirect double antibody sandwich ELISAs

There is an ongoing need for standardized, easily renewable immunoreagents for detecting African horsesickness virus (AHSV). Two phage displayed single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies, selected from a semi-synthetic chicken antibody library, were used to develop double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (DAS-ELISAs) to detect AHSV. In the DAS-ELISAs, the scFv previously selected with directly immobilized AHSV-3 functioned as a serotype-specific reagent that recognized only AHSV-3. In contrast, the one selected with AHSV-8 captured by IgG against AHSV-3 recognized all nine AHSV serotypes but not the Bryanston strain of equine encephalosis virus. Serving as evidence for its serogroup-specificity. These two scFvs can help to rapidly confirm the presence of AHSV while additional serotype-specific scFvs may simplify AHSV serotyping.     

Protein aggregation complicates the development of baculovirus-expressed African horsesickness virus serotype 5 VP2 subunit vaccines

This paper describes the expression of a cloned African horsesickness virus (AHSV) serotype 5 VP2-gene by a baculovirus recombinant that was generated by the BAC-TO-BAC system. Immunization of horses with crude cell lysates containing recombinant baculovirus-expressed AHSV5 VP2 did induce neutralizing antibodies, but afforded only partial protection against virulent virus challenge. Further analysis of partially protective crude cell lysates revealed that baculovirus-expressed AHSV5 VP2 was predominantly present in the form of insoluble aggregates. Only approximately 10% of VP2 was present in a soluble form. Immunization of guinea-pigs with aggregated and soluble forms of AHSV5 VP2 established that only soluble VP2 was capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies. This finding adds a new dimension to the development of AHSV VP2s as subunit vaccines. Further investigation is needed to limit formation of insoluble aggregates and optimize conditions for producing VP2 in a form capable of inducing protective immunity.     

An African horse sickness virus serotype 4 recombinant canarypox virus vaccine elicits specific cell-mediated immune responses in horses

A recombinant canarypox virus vectored vaccine co-expressing synthetic genes encoding outer capsid proteins, VP2 and VP5, of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) serotype 4 (ALVAC(?)-AHSV4) has been demonstrated to fully protect horses against homologous challenge with virulent field virus. Guthrie et al. (2009) detected weak and variable titres of neutralizing antibody (ranging from <10 to 40) 8 weeks after vaccination leading us to hypothesize that there could be a participation of cell mediated immunity (CMI) in protection against AHSV4. The present study aimed at characterizing the CMI induced by the experimental ALVAC(?)-AHSV4 vaccine. Six horses received two vaccinations twenty-eight days apart and three horses remained unvaccinated. The detection of VP2/VP5 specific IFN-γ responses was assessed by enzyme linked immune spot (ELISpot) assay and clearly demonstrated that all ALVAC(?)-AHSV4 vaccinated horses developed significant IFN-γ production compared to unvaccinated horses. More detailed immune responses obtained by flow cytometry demonstrated that ALVAC(?)-AHSV4 vaccinations induced immune cells, mainly CD8(+) T cells, able to recognize multiple T-epitopes through all VP2 and only the N-terminus sequence of VP5. Neither VP2 nor VP5 specific IFN-γ responses were detected in unvaccinated horses. Overall, our data demonstrated that an experimental recombinant canarypox based vaccine induced significant CMI specific for both VP2 and VP5 proteins of AHSV4.     

Serological differentiation of five bluetongue virus serotypes in indirect ELISA.

The serological reactivity in indirect ELISA of five different bluetongue virus (BTV) serotypes (4, 10, 15, 16 & 20) was compared using polyclonal antisera raised against virus particles and an outer structural protein, VP2. Rabbit and sheep antisera against BTV-10 produced higher ELISA values with their homologous antigens than with heterologous serotypes. A hyperimmune rabbit serum specific for virus particles was able to distinguish heterologous serotypes from each other, but a sheep serum from an infected animal was not. An antiserum directed against VP2, the protein responsible for serotype specificity in neutralization tests, was not serotype-specific in ELISA and cross-reacted with other serotypes. The discriminatory ability of a BTV-4 antiserum was improved by cross-absorption with heterologous antigens. This greatly reduced the ELISA signals with heterologous serotypes and produced an antiserum that was effectively serotype-specific.     

抗猪流行性腹泻病毒变异株卵黄抗体的制备、纯化及其活性影响因素的研究

为制备抗猪流行性腹泻病毒（porcine epidemic diarrhea virus，PEDV）变异株卵黄抗体并探索卵黄抗体的纯化方法，本试验采用灭活的PEDV变异株CH/JX01全病毒免疫蛋鸡，收集免疫后所产的鸡蛋，分别用水稀释法、PEG-6000法和水稀释-硫酸铵二次沉淀法对鸡蛋中IgY进行提纯，然后运用间接ELISA和Western blotting方法鉴定和比较3种方法的提纯效果，获得可用于规模化生产的提纯方法；同时研究不同温度、pH条件下抗体活性，寻找对提纯IgY活性具有保护作用的物质。结果显示，本试验成功制备了抗PEDV变异株的卵黄抗体。浓度检测结果表明，水稀释法提取的IgY浓度最高，为6.204 mg/mL；PEG-6000方法提纯的IgY浓度次之，为4.673 mg/mL；水稀释-硫酸铵二次沉淀法IgY浓度最低，为3.359 mg/mL。间接ELISA检测结果表明，水稀释-硫酸铵二次沉淀法提纯的IgY效价最高，为1：12 800；其次是PEG-6000，为1：6 400；而水稀释法最低，为1：1 600。综合3种方法所提纯的卵黄抗体浓度与效价，发现水稀释-硫酸铵二次沉淀法的提纯效果优于其他两种方法。活性影响因素试验结果表明，提纯的IgY在37~60℃活性稳定；pH为4.0~11.0时具有良好的活性；在酸性条件下，20%硫糖铝对IgY活性具有较好的保护作用。本试验结果将为卵黄抗体的大规模生产运用与储存提供了有效的参考依据。     

抗CP型、NCP型牛病毒性腹泻病毒高免卵黄抗体的制备

本研究采用致细胞病变（cytopathic,CP）型牛病毒性腹泻病毒（bovine viral diarrhea virus,BVDV）标准毒和非致细胞病变（noncytopathic,NCP）型新疆优势毒株免疫产蛋鸡,用改良PEG法提取卵黄抗体(IgY),并对提取的IgY采用SDS-PAGE检测纯度,间接ELISA检测免疫后每隔7 d的抗体效价,并测定所得抗体对NCP型BVDV的中和效价。结果表明,用该法提取的IgY纯度较高;间接ELISA结果证明,经过4次免疫后,抗CP型BVDV的效价达到1∶32000,抗NCP型BVDV的效价达到1∶40000,3个月后再次检测,卵黄抗体效价未见明显下降。最后一次免疫14 d的抗体对NCP型BVDV的中和效价达到1×10_^-3。     

Epitope Mapping and Immuno-detection of VP7 Protein of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 1

In this study,in order to map the key amino epitope of VP7 protein of blue tongue virus serotype 1 (BTV1),we used monoclonal antibody against VP7 protein of BTV1 to screen 7 mer phage display random peptide library. The selected phages including VP7 protein consensus sequence were amplified and purified,immunoreactivity between epitope of selected phages and monoclonal antibody against VP7 of BTV1 was analyzed by ELISA and competitive ELISA (c-ELISA).The result showed that the epitope of phages including LNWPMVR sequence could specially combine monoclonal antibody against VP7 of BTV1,and the combination could be inhibited or blocked by BTV1,it demonstrated that 7 mer phage simulated the antigenic determinant of BTV protein which could combine monoclonal antibody against VP7 of BTV1.The results suggested that the amino acides 163 to 189(LNAGARGDVQQIFQGRNDPMMLYLVWR) were the specific epitope of VP7 protein of BTV.     

蓝舌病1型病毒VP7蛋白表(拟)位定位及免疫检测分析

为研究蓝舌病1型病毒VP7蛋白关键性氨基酸表位定位,本试验应用抗蓝舌病1型病毒VP7蛋白单克隆抗体淘选噬菌体展示的7肽随机肽库,对筛选的共有序列噬菌体扩增纯化,通过ELISA、竞争性ELISA分析共有噬菌体拟位与蓝舌1型病毒VP7蛋白单克隆抗体的免疫反应性。结果表明,含有LNWPMVR基序的噬菌体拟位能够与蓝舌病1型病毒VP7蛋白单克隆抗体发生特异性结合,并且此结合能被蓝舌病1型病毒抑制或阻断,表明噬菌体7肽模拟了BTV蛋白上与蓝舌病1型病毒VP7蛋白单克隆抗体结合的抗原决定簇,提示蓝舌病病毒VP7蛋白的第163-189位氨基酸（LNAGARGDVQQIFQGRNDPMMIYLVWR）构成蓝舌病病毒VP7蛋白特异性表位。     

African horse sickness virus structure

African horse sickness virus (AHSV), of which there are nine serotypes (AHSV-1, -2, etc.), is a member of Orbivirus genus within the Reoviridae family. Both in morphology and molecular constituents AHSV particles are comparable to those of bluetongue virus (BTV), the prototype virus of the genus. The two viruses have seven structural proteins (VP1–7) organized in two layered capsid. The outer capsid is composed of VP2 and VP5. The inner capsid, or core, is composed of two major proteins, VP3 and VP7, and three minor proteins, VP1, VP4 and VP6. Within the core is the virus genome. This genome consists of 10 double-stranded (ds)RNA segments of different sizes, three large, designated L1–L3, three medium, M4–M6, and four small, S7–S10. In addition to the seven stuctural proteins that are coded by seven of the RNA species, four non-structural proteins, NS1, NS2, NS3 and NS3A, are coded by three RNA segments, M5, S8 and S10. The two smallest proteins (NS3 and NS3A) are synthesized by the S10 RNA segment, probably from different in-frame translation initiation codons. Nucleotide sequences of eight RNA segments (L2, L3, M4, M5, M6, S7, S8 and S10) and the predicted amino acid sequences of the encoded gene products are also available, mainly representing one serotype, AHSV-4. In this review the properties of the AHSV genes and gene products are discussed. The sequence and hybridization analyses of the different AHSV dsRNA segments indicate that the segments that code for the core proteins, as well as those that code for NS1 and NS2 proteins, are highly conserved between the different virus serotypes. However, the RNA encoding NS3 and NS3A, and the two segments encoding the outer capsid proteins, are more variable between the AHSV serotypes. A close phylogenetic relationship between AHSV, BTV and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), three Culicoides-transmitted orbiviruses, has been revealed when the equivalent sequences of genes and gene products are compared. Recently, the four major AHSV capsid proteins have been expressed using recombinant baculoviruses. Biochemically and antigenically these proteins are similar to the authentic proteins. Since the AHSV VP7 protein is highly conserved among the different serotypes, it has been utilized as a diagnostic reagent. The expressed VP7 protein has also been purified to homogeneity and crystallized for three-dimensional X-ray analysis. The expressed outer capsid proteins, VP2 and VP5, have been purified and used to raise antisera in rabbits. The VP2 antisera neutralize virus infections in vitro indicating the importance of this protein for vaccine development.     

Characterisation of monoclonal antibodies to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus of deer (EHDV) and bluetongue virus by immunisation of mice with EHDV recombinant VP7 antigen.

Immunisation of mice with recombinant VP7 antigen of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus of deer (EHDV) induced serum antibody responses to EHDV. However, from the 19 monoclonal antibodies (Mab) produced from these mice, 15 were specific for EHDV and four for bluetongue virus (BTV). No Mabs were identified with the specificity for an epitope of VP7 shared by both EHDV and BTV in spite of the fact that they share a large portion of homology in VP7 amino acids composition. These Mabs were divided into five groups based on their specificity and interaction with each other. Group II Mabs, consisting of 13 Mabs, recognises a potential serogroup specific, linear epitope of EHDV VP7 antigen. One of the Mabs to BTV (Group V) was identified as BTV VP7 specific with the possibility of being the serogroup specific and recognizes a potential conformational epitope. Two Mabs from these VP7 specific groups were further analysed and found to be useful in a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C - ELISA) for detection of specific antibodies against EHDV and BTV in bovine sera.     

非洲马瘟间接ELISA方法的建立及初步应用

为建立检测非洲马瘟间接酶联免疫吸附试验方法,利用重组杆状病毒感染昆虫细胞表达出具有良好抗原性的VP7蛋白,将感染VP7重组杆状病毒的昆虫细胞裂解液作为包被抗原,通过优化包被抗原浓度、二抗稀释度等,建立了检测非洲马瘟的间接ELISA方法,并进行了初步运用。结果表明,直接利用真核细胞表达VP7蛋白的昆虫细胞裂解液作为包被液可成功建立检测非洲马瘟的间接ELISA方法。     

Use of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to monitor antibody responses in swine with experimentally induced infection with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.

A blocking ELISA was developed to detect antibodies directed against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The PEDV antigen was first incubated with dilutions of test sera. Any antigen that was not blocked by antibodies in the serum was assayed in a double-antibody sandwich ELISA, using 2 monoclonal antibodies directed against different antigenic sites on PEDV as capture and detecting antibodies, respectively. The blocking ELISA was compared with a fixed-cell ELISA that used monolayers of Vero cells infected with PEDV prototype strain CV777 as a solid phase and a conjugate of an IgG-specific monoclonal antibody for antibody detection. Pigs were inoculated with PEDV strain CV777 or 1 of 2 field isolates, and antibody responses were measured by use of the 2 tests. Antibodies were detected by the blocking ELISA as early as postinoculation day 7 and, by the fixed-cell ELISA, as early as postinoculation day 14. From day 14 on, antibody titers for both tests correlated highly. Titers for the fixed-cell ELISA were 5.4 times higher than those for the blocking ELISA. The latter technique is easier to perform and discriminates well between infected and noninfected pigs, which makes this test useful for routine diagnosis and serologic surveys of porcine epidemic diarrhea.     

抗奶牛乳腺炎多价卵黄抗体的制备及含量测定

本研究的目的是制备抗奶牛乳腺炎主要致病菌的多价卵黄抗体并检测特异性抗体的含量。采用金黄色葡萄球菌、无乳链球菌和大肠杆菌混合抗原免疫产蛋母鸡。通过水稀释法分离卵黄抗体。采用ELISA法检测抗体效价和特异性抗体含量。多价抗体与大肠杆菌的结合效价最高可达25600,与金黄色葡萄球菌和无乳链球菌的结合效价为12800。每毫升卵黄液中大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和无乳链球菌特异性卵黄抗体（egg yolk immunoglobulin,IgY）的最高含量分别为2.13、2.01和1.92 mg。免疫后特异性抗体含量随时间变化趋势与抗体效价变化趋势一致。     

非洲马瘟病毒VP7基因的克隆及其在昆虫细胞中的表达

为了获得具有天然活性的非洲马瘟病毒重组VP7蛋白,制备针对非洲马瘟VP7蛋白的单克隆抗体及建立快速抗体检测方法,本试验通过PCR扩增、胶回收纯化后经Xba Ⅰ和Hind Ⅲ特异性酶切,将VP7基因克隆于昆虫杆状病毒表达载体pFastBacHTB,经PCR、酶切、测序鉴定后,成功构建了携带VP7基因的重组质粒pFastBacHTB-AHSV-VP7。该重组质粒转化含有杆状病毒穿梭载体的DH10Bac感受态细胞,经抗生素、PCR筛选,获得转座的杆粒Bacmid-AHSV-VP7,并在脂质体介导下转染Sf9昆虫细胞,获得重组杆状病毒,再感染Sf9昆虫细胞,收获表达产物。表达产物经Western blotting分析表明,VP7重组蛋白得到表达,其分子质量大小约为45 ku,且具有良好的生物活性。     

Preparation of Anti-Rabies Virus N Protein IgYs by DNA Immunization of Hens Using Different Types of Adjuvants

DNA immunization has been used to study vaccination methods and for production of specific antibodies. The present study aimed to apply DNA immunization to prepare specific IgYs, which react against rabies virus N protein (RV-N) and can be used to research and diagnose rabies virus. The DNA sequence of RV-N was ligated into a pcDNA 3.1 plasmid for constructing pcDNA-N. Eight hens were divided into four groups. Group 1 comprised the control group (non-immunized). In Groups 2, 3, and 4, hens were injected intramuscularly with pcDNA-N (400 µg/hen). Eight injections were administered every other week. From the 4th week, an adjuvant was injected in addition to pcDNA-N. Freund''s complete adjuvant (FCA) and λ-carrageenan were administered to Groups 3 and 4, respectively. Eggs were collected daily, and the specific antibody activities of egg yolks were measured by ELISA. IgYs were purified from pooled egg yolks at 16–19 weeks post-administration in each group. The detection sensitivities of the RV-N were compared using purified IgY as the primary antibody for ELISA, dot blotting, and western blotting. Egg yolks from one of the two hens in Group 2 (pcDNA-N alone) and all hens in Groups 3 (pcDNA-N + FCA) and 4 (pcDNA-N + λCarra) had increased ELISA values. The combined use of λ-carrageen in DNA immunization resulted in an adjuvant effect comparable to that of FCA. Each purified specific IgY detected RV-N in the ELISA, western blotting, and dot blotting; however, the detection sensitivity differed. Higher detection sensitivity of the +λCarra IgY was observed by ELISA, whereas there was higher detection sensitivity of +FCA IgY in western blotting and dot blotting. In summary, anti-rabies virus N protein IgY was prepared through DNA immunization of hens using FCA or λ-carrageenan as adjuvants and can be used as a primary antibody to detect rabies viruses.