Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of infectious bursal disease viruses isolated from chicken in South China in 2011

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a double-stranded RNA virus that causes immunosuppressive disease in young chickens. Thousands of cases of IBDV infection are reported each year in South China, and these infections can result in considerable economic losses to the poultry industry. To monitor variations of the virus during the outbreaks, 30 IBDVs were identified from vaccinated chicken flocks from nine provinces in South China in 2011. VP2 fragments from different virus strains were sequenced and analyzed by comparison with the published sequences of IBDV strains from China and around the world. Phylogenetic analysis of hypervariable regions of the VP2 (vVP2) gene showed that 29 of the isolates were very virulent (vv) IBDVs, and were closely related to vvIBDV strains from Europe and Asia. Alignment analysis of the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences of vVP2 showed the 29 vv isolates had high uniformity, indicated low variability and slow evolution of the virus. The non-vvIBDV isolate JX2-11 was associated with higher than expected mortality, and had high deduced aa sequence similarity (99.2 %) with the attenuated vaccine strain B87 (BJ). The present study has demonstrated the continued circulation of IBDV strains in South China, and emphasizes the importance of reinforcing IBDV surveillance.     

Prokaryotic Expression and Bioinformatics Analysis of VP2 Gene of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus C4 Strain

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the virulence characteristics of infectious bursal disease virus(IBDV) C4 strain and its VP2 amino acid sequence. The RNA of IBDV C4 strain was extracted,and its VP2 gene was amplified by RT-PCR.VP2 nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acids of different virulent IBDV strains were compared. At the same time, prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+) was used to express the VP2 gene. The expression of recombinant VP2 protein was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The results showed that the VP2 gene of IBDV C4 strain belonged to the very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) in evolutionary relationship, the VP2 nucleotides homology between IBDV C4 strain and other vvIBDV strains were 98.1% to 98.7%, and there were no mutations in S-W-S-A-S-G-S (326-332 amino acids) and 222(A), 256(I), 294(I) and 299(S). The VP2 amino acid sequence of IBDV C4 strain was consistent with the characteristics of other vvIBDV strains. However, there were three differences amino acids sites at 201(D/G), 281(G/R) and 313(V/A) between the amino acids of the C4 strain and the very virulent strain UK661. And the change of 281(R) was in the small hydrophilic region of 279 to 290, which was related to the antigenicity of the virus; The recombinant VP2 protein molecular weight expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 was about 67 ku. This study provided a basis for further research on antigenic changes resulting from amino acid variation of 201(G), 281 (R) and 313(A). These results indicated that the VP2 gene of the IBDV C4 strain was consistent with the major characteristics of the vvIBDV strain VP2 gene. The difference of three amino acid sites in the vvIBDV strain C4 might be related to the evolution of virulence of IBDV strain in China.     

传染性法氏囊病病毒C4毒株VP2基因的原核表达及生物信息学分析

试验旨在研究一株传染性法氏囊病病毒（IBDV）河南分离株的毒力特征及其与VP2氨基酸序列特征的关系。通过提取IBDV C4株RNA,利用RT-PCR扩增其VP2基因,与其他不同毒力IBDV毒株进行核苷酸及推导的氨基酸序列比对分析,同时使用pET-32a（+）原核表达载体表达VP2基因,用SDS-PAGE和Western blotting检测重组VP2蛋白的表达。结果显示,扩增的IBDV C4株的VP2基因序列在进化关系上属于超强毒力IBDV（vvIBDV）分类,与选取的vvIBDV毒株代表毒株核苷酸序列同源性在98.1%~98.7%之间,其七肽区为S-W-S-A-S-G-S（第326-332位氨基酸）符合超强毒株特征,且222（A）、256（I）、294（I）和299（S）位氨基酸与超强毒力毒株的4个特征性氨基酸一致;但IBDV C4毒株的VP2蛋白氨基酸序列与超强毒力毒株代表毒株UK661相比,201（D/G）、281（G/R）、313（V/A）位氨基酸不同,其中281位氨基酸的改变处于279-290的小亲水区内,与病毒抗原性有关;构建的pET-32a（+）-VP2原核表达载体在大肠杆菌BL21感受态细胞上表达出分子质量约67 ku的重组VP2蛋白,为进一步比较201（G）、281（R）、313（A）位氨基酸差异导致的抗原特性改变提供了研究基础。本试验结果表明,IBDV C4株VP2基因与vvIBDV毒株VP2基因的主要特性一致,但也有3处氨基酸与代表毒株UK661存在差异,这些改变可能与中国IBDV毒株毒力的进化有关。     

Differentiation of infectious bursal disease viruses isolated in Croatia

Infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) in 26 IBDV-positive bursa samples collected in Croatia during the period 1996-2000 and in two commercially available vaccines were differentiated by the presence or absence of the CfoI, SacI, SspI, StuI, and TaqI restriction sites in the 422-bp fragment of segment A of the VP2 gene (nt 732-1153). The fragments from 14 (54%) field isolates were TaqI+ StuI+ SspI+ and SacI- CfoI-, indicating their very virulent (vv) character. The presence of CfoI restriction site in 10 (38%) field isolates is uncommon for vvIBDV strains. It was detected in only the 88180 vvIBDV strain. Nevertheless, these isolates can be classified as vv strains according to TaqI+ StuI+ SspI+ SacI- restrictions. Two SacI+ StuI+ CfoI+ TaqI- SspI- field isolates (8%) could be classified as non-vvIBDVs. The StuI+ restriction is common to vvIBDV strains. However, the StuI recognition sequence is present in the F52/70 classic European and 002-73 attenuated strains as well. The SacI+ CfoI+ StuI- SspI- restrictions and the lack of the TaqI restriction at nt position 832 show that the IBDV in GUMBOKAL IM-SPF vaccine corresponds to the attenuated and/or vaccine strains. The TaqI restriction at nt position 875 suggests that the IBDV in GUMBOKAL SPF vaccine could belong to the mild strains.     

Sequence analysis of both genome segments of three Croatian infectious bursal disease field viruses

In order to determine the mutations responsible for virulence, three Croatian field infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDV), designated Cro-Ig/02, Cro-Po/00, and Cro-Pa/98 were characterized. Coding regions of both genomic segments were sequenced, and the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were compared with previously reported full-length sequenced IBDV strains. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of polyprotein and VP1, was performed. Eight characteristic amino acid residues, that were common to very virulent (vv) IBDV, were detected on polyprotein: 222A, 256I, 294I, 451L, 685N, 715S, 751D, and 1005A. All eight were found in Cro-Ig/02 and Cro-Po/00. C-Pa/98 had all the characteristics of an attenuated strain, except for glutamine on residue 253, which is common for vv, classical virulent, and variant strains. Between less virulent and vvIBDV, three substitutions were found on VP5: 49 G --> R, 79 --> F, and 137 R --> W. In VP1, there were nine characteristic amino acid residues common to vvwIBDV: 146D, 147N, 242E, 390M, 393D, 511S, 562P, 687P, and 695R. All nine residues were found in A-Ig/02, and eight were found in B-Po/00, which had isoleucine on residue 390. Based on our analyses, isolates Cro-Ig/02 and Cro-Po/00 were classified with vv IBDV strains. C-Pa/98 shared all characteristic amino acid residues with attenuated and classical virulence strains, so it was classified with those.     

广西梧州地区近十年传染性法氏囊病病毒vVP2变化特征分析

为了解近10年来广西梧州地区鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒(IBDV)分子进化情况,对2013年—2014年间来自该地区传染性法氏囊病(Infectious bursal disease,IBD)的法氏囊样品进行IBDV的分离鉴定,并对分离株以及课题组2006年—2013年间分离的毒株,共24株的VP2高变区(vVP2)进行序列分析和遗传进化分析。结果表明,QX0601等23个分离株在关键氨基酸位点上具有256I、284A、294I等超强毒株(vvIBDV)的分子特征,遗传进化分析表明,这23株分离株与UK661、HK46等超强毒参考株同处一个分支中,亲缘关系较近;QX110603在关键性氨基酸位点上则具有256V、284T、294L等弱毒株的特征,遗传进化分析显示,其与BJ836等致弱株处于同一分支,亲缘关系较近。对所有分离株进行氨基酸位点分析发现,该地区IBDV进化出现了新的特点,212D-212N符合国内近年来的分离株的变化趋势,209T-209A、338R-338H、359T-359R则表现出地域特点,未曾见过相似报道。研究结果表明,具有vvIBDV分子特征的分离株是该地区近10年来主要流行毒株,该地区IBDV毒株在vVP2序列上仍处于不断进化中,且带有地域特点。     

Genetic characterization of very virulent infectious bursal disease viruses from Latin America

Very virulent infectious bursal disease viruses (vvIBDVs) were detected in phenol inactivated bursal samples obtained from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. After nucleotide sequence analysis of the hypervariable region of VP2 gene, the vvIBDVs from Brazil and Venezuela exhibited all of the 14 nucleotide changes that are conserved in the European UK-661 and most other vvIBDV strains. However, the vvIBDV from the Dominican Republic presented 11 nucleotide changes that are conserved in vvIBDV strains. After phylogenetic analysis, the Latin American strains were found to be related to other vvIBDV strains from Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, Brazilian and Dominican vvIBDVs clustered in two separate subgroups, while the vvIBDVs from Venezuela were closely related to other strains from other parts of the world. By deduced amino acid sequence, the three conserved amino acid residues in vvIBDV strains (222 Ala, 256 Ile, and 294 Ile) were confirmed in the Latin American viruses, and one amino acid change (300 Ala) was unique to all vvIBDVs from the Dominican Republic. The occurrence of this change in the Dominican vvIBDVs may have an impact in their antigenic makeup. Results of this study indicate that the vvIBDVs detected in Latin America are genetically similar to IBDV strains from other parts of the world. However, vvIBDVs from Venezuela were more similar to the vvIBDV strains from Europe and Asia. Of all the samples analyzed, vvIBDVs from Brazil and the Dominican Republic exhibited more genetic changes. These changes may have emerged as a result of the different management practices and environmental conditions present in each particular geographic area.     

Sequence analysis of the VP2 hypervariable region of eight very virulent infectious bursal disease virus isolates from the northeast of China

Nucleotide sequences of the VP2 gene of eight infectious bursal disease viruses isolated from vaccinated chicken flocks in the northeast of China were determined. The sequence analysis showed that all of the isolates were also characterized by the vvIBDV conserved amino acid residues: 222A, 256I, 294I, and 299S. Four of them had one amino acid change (D-->N) at position 212 in VP2 major hydrophilic peak A, while two of the four isolates had another one (A-->V) at position 321 in major hydrophilic peak B. The other isolates were similar to the UK661 strain. Our findings demonstrated that the vvlBDV strains in the northeast of China could be diverse.