Identification of a conservative site in the African swine fever virus p54 protein and its preliminary application in a serological assay

BackgroundASF was first reported in Kenya in 1910 in 1921. In China, ASF spread to 31 provinces including Henan and Jiangsu within six months after it was first reported on August 3, 2018. The epidemic almost affected the whole China, causing direct economic losses of tens of billions of yuan. Cause great loss to our pig industry. As ELISA is cheap and easy to operate, OIE regards it as the preferred serological method for ASF detection. P54 protein has good antigenicity and is an ideal antigen for detection.ObjectiveTo identify a conservative site in the African swine fever virus (ASFV) p54 protein and perform a Cloth-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting the ASFV antibody in order to reduce risks posed by using the live virus in diagnostic assays.MethodWe used bioinformatics methods to predict the antigen epitope of the ASFV p54 protein in combination with the antigenic index and artificially synthesized the predicted antigen epitope peptides. Using ASFV-positive serum and specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), we performed indirect ELISA and blocking ELISA to verify the immunological properties of the predicted epitope polypeptide.ResultsThe results of our prediction revealed that the possible antigen epitope regions were A23–29, A36–45, A72–94, A114–120, A124–130, and A137–150. The indirect ELISA showed that the peptides A23–29, A36–45, A72–94, A114–120, and A137–150 have good antigenicity. Moreover, the A36–45 polypeptide can react specifically with the mAb secreted by hybridoma cells, and its binding site contains a minimum number of essential amino acids in the sequence 37DIQFINPY44.ConclusionsOur study confirmed a conservative antigenic site in the ASFV p54 protein and its amino acid sequence. A competitive ELISA method for detecting ASFV antibodies was established based on recombinant p54 and matching mAb. Moreover, testing the protein sequence alignment verified that the method can theoretically detect antibodies produced by pigs affected by nearly all ASFVs worldwide.     

引起浙贝母黑斑病的交链格孢单抗及检测试纸条的制备

浙贝母黑斑病是危害浙贝母茎叶的重要真菌性病害之一, 该病侵染叶片产生叶斑?叶枯, 严重时全株枯死?本研究制备了针对浙贝母黑斑病致病菌交链格孢Alternaria alternata的单克隆抗体(单抗), 并开发了胶体碳免疫层析试纸条用于黑斑病早期精准检测?以交链格孢提取液免疫Bal b/c小鼠, 采用杂交瘤技术制备单抗, 间接ELISA法和Western blot分析单抗的效价?灵敏度?特异性?抗体类型及结合蛋白?以双抗夹心法制备胶体碳免疫层析试纸条?得到3种针对交链格孢的单抗及其杂交瘤细胞株AaA1?AaC2和AaC5?3种单抗对交链格孢均具有高度特异性, 灵敏度为12.21~24.41 ng/mL, 效价≥6.40×105, 抗体类型分别为IgG2a?IgG3和IgG3, 结合蛋白的分子量分别为37?62 kDa和66 kDa?以AaA1为碳标单抗, AaC2为划膜单抗的胶体碳试纸条检测交链格孢的方法快速简便?准确灵敏?经济环保?从田间采样到出结果用时少于15 min, 样品简单研磨后取汁液加入加样孔即完成全部操作, 对交链格孢抗原的检测灵敏度为6.25 μg/mL, 试纸条采用环保材料制备, 单个试纸条的成本约1.7元?     

禽呼肠孤病毒P17蛋白基因在大肠杆菌中的表达及其ELISA检测方法的建立

用设计合成的1对跨越禽呼肠孤病毒（ARV）P17非结构蛋白基因完整开放阅读框（ORF）的特异性引物，对ARVS1133株进行了RT-PCR扩增。扩增产物与pGEX-4T-1原核表达载体连接后，转化大肠杆菌BL21感受态细胞。经0．2mmol／LIPTG诱导，表达的融合蛋白分子质量为42.4ku，占茵体总蛋白的34％。表达产物P17蛋白经不同浓度尿素纯化后，纯度达到85％。Western-blotting显示，纯化的P17蛋白能与感染ARV的阳性血清反应，说明其具有抗原性。以此重组蛋白为包被抗原初步建立了用于鉴别检测ARV活病毒感染与灭活疫苗免疫的SPF鸡血清的ELISA。     

应用ELISA检测猪繁殖和呼吸综合征抗体

用ＥＬＩＳＡ法对青海省东部各县的部分猪群进行了猪繁殖和呼吸综合征抗征抗体检测。共检测了１２０６份猪血清,检出阳性血清２７８份,阳性率为２３．０５％,说明青海省的猪群中有可能存在ＰＲＲＳ。     

The estimation of duration of maternally-derived antibodies against Akabane,Aino, and Chuzan virus in calves by the receiver operating characteristic analysis

The duration of maternally-derived antibodies against three arboviruses was investigated in calves, using the results of arbovirus serosurveillance performed in Kagoshima Prefecture during 2002–2016. The duration of maternally-derived antibodies against Akabane virus (AKAV), Aino virus (AINOV), and Chuzan virus (CHUV) was estimated to be 178 (sensitivity: 0.769, specificity: 0.730), 156 (sensitivity: 0.806, specificity: 0.791), and 156 days of age (sensitivity: 0.845, specificity: 0.814), by receiver operating characteristic analysis. The duration of maternally-derived antibodies against AKAV, AINOV, and CHUV differed 7–14, 22–28, and 20–31 days in the same calf types between the regions far from each other although it was similar between the adjacent regions. The dairy calves showed 6–29 days longer duration than the beef calves rearing in a similar region.     

Two Akabane virus glycoprotein Gc domains induce neutralizing antibodies in mice

Akabane virus (AKAV), belonging to the genus Orthobunyavirus and family Peribunyaviridae, causes reproductive and congenital abnormalities in ruminants. Its envelope glycoprotein Gc is a neutralizing antigen, on which at least five distinct antigenic regions have been identified. We attempted to identify the domains using truncated recombinant AKAV Gc proteins expressed in Escherichia coli and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with AKAV-neutralizing activity. Dot blot analysis revealed that amino acid positions 1–97 and 189–397 (Gc_1–97 and Gc_189–397) in the truncated recombinant proteins reacted with the mAbs. Additionally, AKAV was neutralized by sera from mice immunized with these recombinant proteins. The results suggested that the two domains contain neutralizing epitopes and could be potential subunit vaccines against AKAV.     

Faecal shedding detected earlier than immune responses in goats naturally infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

Paratuberculosis was diagnosed in a goat herd that participated in a sanitation program against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. The aim of this study was to characterise the development of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and antibody responses as well as the occurrence of faecal shedding. Faecal culture appeared surprisingly sensitive as about 18% and 40% of the goats were positive at 9 and 15-17 months of age, respectively, and shedding was often seen prior to peripheral immune responses. Peripheral IFN-γ responses were not related to protection as clinical and high shedding goats often had high responses. An IFN-γ response usually preceded a humoral response. However, positive antibody titers could sometimes be seen simultaneously with, and even prior to, IFN-γ responses. In conclusion, faecal culture appeared as sensitive as IFN-γ testing. Furthermore, the antibody ELISA and the IFN-γ assay may perform equally well in an infected herd if surveillance is conducted annually.     

Prevalence of campylobacter in pigs during fattening; an epidemiological study

Summary

Numerous epidemiological reports implicate foods of animal origin as vehicles of human campylobacteriosis. Pigs are probably an important reservoir of campylobacter and a potential source of human infection. In order to improve our knowledge of the epidemiology of campylobacter in pigs, the prevalence of campylobacter and its contamination of feed were monitored in eight pig farms. Faeces samples of pigs aged 11 and 22 weeks, and samples of rectal, ileal and gastric content at a slaughterhouse were collected for bacteriological examination. On 5 farms, subsequent groups of pigs housed in the same stalls was sampled, too. A selection of the campylobacter isolates was characterized with a genetic typing method (RFLP). More than 85% of the sampled porkers were shown to be intestinal carriers of campylobacter at all stages of fattening. Subsequent groups of pigs housed in the same stalls were all carriers, too. The level of campylobacters in the faeces tended to decrease as the pigs got older. There was no difference in the frequency and level of infection with campylobacter between porkers on different farms. The feeding system (wet feed versus dry pellets) did not seem to influence the prevalence of campylobacter although wet feed gave lower counts of Enterobacteriaceae in the faeces.

RFLP‐typing showed a high diversity of campylobacter strains at each sampling on the farm. Similarities were seen between strains isolated during two subsequent samplings of the same group of pigs, but not between strains isolated on the same farm from subsequent groups of pigs housed in the same stall. This suggests that the piglets were already infected at a young age on the breeding farm.     

Evaluation of a competitive ELISA for antibody detection against avian influenza virus

Active serologic surveillance is necessary to control the spread of the avian influenza virus (AIV). In this study, we evaluated a commercially-available cELISA in terms of its ability to detect AIV antibodies in the sera of 3,358 animals from twelve species. cELISA detected antibodies against reference H1- through H15-subtype AIV strains without cross reactivity. Furthermore, the cELISA was able to detect antibodies produced following a challenge of the AIV H9N2 subtype in chickens, or following vaccination of the AIV H9 or H5 subtypes in chickens, ducks and geese. Next, we tested the sensitivity and specificity of the cELISA with sera from twelve different animal species, and compared these results with those obtained by the hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test, the "gold standard" in AIV sera surveillance, a second commercially-available cELISA (IZS ELISA), or the agar gel precipitation (AGP) test. Compared with the HI test, the sensitivities and specificities of cELISA were 95% and 96% in chicken, 86% and 88% in duck, 97% and 100% in turkey, 100% and 87% in goose, and 91% and 97% in swine, respectively. The sensitivities and specificities of the cELISA in this study were higher than those of IZS ELISA for the duck, turkey, goose, and grey partridge sera samples. The results of AGP test against duck and turkey sera also showed significant correlation with the results of cELISA (R-value >0.9). In terms of flock sensitivity, the cELISA correlated better with the HI test than with commercially-available indirect ELISAs, with 100% flock sensitivity.