Project description:Characterization of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) isolates from pigs in Thailand showed 30-aa discontinuous deletions in nonstructural protein 2, identical to sequences for highly pathogenic PRRSV. The novel virus is genetically related to PRRSV from China and may have spread to Thailand through illegal transport of infectious animals from bordering countries.
Project description:The objective of the present study was to evaluate the importance of genomic and antigenic variations which may have affected the major envelope glycoprotein GP5 of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) isolates responsible for outbreaks in Quebec and Ontario, in comparison with the modified-live U.S. vaccine strain (MLV) and the European prototype strain from Lelystad (LV). Nucleotide sequence analyses of the open reading frame (ORF)5 genes showed that all of the isolates studied were heterogenous, amino acid (aa) identities varied from 88 to 99% with the MLV strain, and between 51 and 54% with the LV strain. The aa substitutions were randomly scattered across the protein, although one region between residues 26 and 39 was found to correspond to a hypervariable region which involved 0 to 3 potential N-glycosylation sites. The ORF5 encoded products of 5 of these isolates, including the MLV and LV strains, were expressed in E. coli as recombinant proteins fused to the glutathione S-transferase (GST) protein and used to raise hyperimmune anti-ORF5 sera in rabbits. The reactivity patterns of strain-specific hyperimmune anti-ORF5 sera and a panel of 4 monoclonal antibodies directed against the ORF5 gene product of the Quebec IAF-Klop strain of PRRSV, indicated that GP5 of field isolates also underwent antigenic variations. The data suggest that neutralizing epitopes, independent of conformation and glycosylation, are also associated with antigenic variability of the GP5 of PRRSV.
Project description:Studying viral glycoprotein-host membrane protein interactions contributes to the discovery of novel cell receptors or entry facilitators for viruses. Glycoprotein 5 (GP5), which is a major envelope protein of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) virions, is a key target for the control of the virus. Here, the macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO), which is a member of the scavenger receptor family, was identified as one of the host interactors of GP5 through a DUALmembrane yeast two-hybrid screening. MARCO was specifically expressed on porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), and PRRSV infection downregulated MARCO expression both in vitro and in vivo. MARCO was not involved in viral adsorption and internalization processes, indicating that MARCO may not be a PRRSV-entry facilitator. Contrarily, MARCO served as a host restriction factor for PRRSV. The knockdown of MARCO in PAMs enhanced PRRSV proliferation, whereas overexpression suppressed viral proliferation. The N-terminal cytoplasmic region of MARCO was responsible for its inhibitory effect on PRRSV. Further, we found that MARCO was a proapoptotic factor in PRRSV-infected PAMs. MARCO knockdown weakened virus-induced apoptosis, whereas overexpression aggravated apoptosis. MARCO aggravated GP5-induced apoptosis, which may result in its proapoptotic function in PAMs. The interaction between MARCO and GP5 may contribute to the intensified apoptosis induced by GP5. Additionally, the inhibition of apoptosis during PRRSV infection weakened the antiviral function of MARCO, suggesting that MARCO inhibits PRRSV through the regulation of apoptosis. Taken together, the results of this study reveal a novel antiviral mechanism of MARCO and suggest a molecular basis for the potential development of therapeutics against PRRSV. IMPORTANCE Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been one of the most serious threats to the global swine industry. Glycoprotein 5 (GP5) exposed on the surface of PRRSV virions is a major glycoprotein, and it is involved in viral entry into host cells. A macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO), which is a member of the scavenger receptor family, was identified to interact with PRRSV GP5 in a DUALmembrane yeast two-hybrid screening. Further investigation demonstrated that MARCO may not serve as a potential receptor to mediate PRRSV entry. Instead, MARCO was a host restriction factor for the virus, and the N-terminal cytoplasmic region of MARCO was responsible for its anti-PRRSV effect. Mechanistically, MARCO inhibited PRRSV infection through intensifying virus-induced apoptosis in PAMs. The interaction between MARCO and GP5 may contribute to GP5-induced apoptosis. Our work reveals a novel antiviral mechanism of MARCO and advances the development of control strategies for the virus.
Project description:After infection of swine with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), there is a rapid rise of PRRSV-specific nonneutralizing antibodies (NNA), while neutralizing antibodies (NA) are detectable not sooner than 3 weeks later. To characterize neutralizing epitopes, we selected phages from a 12-mer phage display library using anti-PRRSV neutralizing monoclonal antibody (MAb) ISU25-C1. In addition, phages carrying peptides recognized by swine antibodies with high seroneutralizing titer were isolated after subtracting from the library those clones binding to swine anti-PRRSV serum with no neutralizing activity. Two epitopes located in the ectodomain of PRRSV GP5 were identified. One of these epitopes, which we named epitope B, was recognized both by neutralizing MAb ISU25-C1 and swine neutralizing serum (NS) but not by swine nonneutralizing serum (NNS), indicating that it is a neutralizing epitope. Epitope B is sequential, conserved among isolates, and not immunodominant. Antibodies directed against it are detected in serum late after infection. In contrast, the other epitope, which we named epitope A, is hypervariable and immunodominant. Antibodies against it appear early after infection with PRRSV. This epitope is recognized by swine NNA but is not recognized by either neutralizing MAb ISU25-C1 or swine NA, indicating that it is not involved in PRRSV neutralization. During infection with PRRSV, epitope A may act as a decoy, eliciting most of the antibodies directed to GP5 and delaying the induction of NA against epitope B for at least 3 weeks. These results are relevant to the design of vaccines against PRRSV.
Project description:Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a devastating disease which impacts the pig industry worldwide. The disease is caused by PRRS viruses (PRRSV-1 and -2) which leads to abortions and other forms of reproductive failure in sows and severe respiratory disease in growing pigs. Current PRRSV vaccines provide limited protection; only providing complete protection against closely related strains. The development of improved PRRSV vaccines would benefit from an increased understanding of epitopes relevant to protection, including those recognized by antibodies which possess the ability to neutralize distantly related strains. In this work, a reverse vaccinology approach was taken; starting first with pigs known to have a broadly neutralizing antibody response and then investigating the responsible B cells/antibodies through the isolation of PRRSV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). PBMCs were harvested from pigs sequentially exposed to a modified-live PRRSV-2 vaccine as well as divergent PRRSV-2 field isolates. Memory B cells were immortalized and a total of 5 PRRSV-specific B-cell populations were isolated. All identified PRRSV-specific antibodies were found to be broadly binding to all PRRSV-2 isolates tested, but not PRRSV-1 isolates. Antibodies against GP5 protein, commonly thought to possess a dominant PRRSV neutralizing epitope, were found to be highly abundant, as four out of five B cells populations were GP5 specific. One of the GP5-specific mAbs was shown to be neutralizing but this was only observed against homologous and not heterologous PRRSV strains. Further investigation of these antibodies, and others, may lead to the elucidation of conserved neutralizing epitopes that can be exploited for improved vaccine design and lays the groundwork for the study of broadly neutralizing antibodies against other porcine pathogens.
Project description:Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is characterized by its genetic variation and limited cross protection among heterologous strains. Even though several viral structural proteins have been regarded as inducers of neutralizing antibodies (NAs) against PRRSV, the mechanism underlying limited cross-neutralization among heterologous strains is still controversial. In the present study, examinations of NA cross reaction between a highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) strain, JXwn06, and a low pathogenic PRRSV (LP-PRRSV) strain, HB-1/3.9, were conducted with viral neutralization assays in MARC-145 cells. None of the JXwn06-hyperimmuned pigs' sera could neutralize HB-1/3.9 in vitro and vice versa. To address the genetic variation between these two viruses that are associated with limited cross-neutralization, chimeric viruses with coding regions swapped between these two strains were constructed. Viral neutralization assays indicated that variations in nonstructural protein 2 (nsp2) and structural proteins together contribute to weak cross-neutralization activity between JXwn06 and HB-1/3.9. Furthermore, we substituted the nsp2-, glycoprotein2 (GP2)-, GP3-, and GP4-coding regions together, or nsp2-, GP5-, and membrane (M) protein-coding regions simultaneously between these two viruses to construct chimeric viruses to test cross-neutralization reactivity with hyperimmunized sera induced by their parental viruses. The results indicated that the swapped nsp2 and GP5-M viruses increased the neutralization reactivity with the donor strain antisera in MARC-145 cells. Taken together, these results show that variations in nsp2 and GP5-M correlate with the limited neutralization reactivity between the heterologous strains HP-PRRSV JXwn06 and LP-PRRSV HB-1/3.9.
Project description:Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a recently discovered arterivirus swine pathogen, was shown to undergo homologous recombination. Co-infection of MA-104 cells with two culture-adapted North American PRRSV strains resulted in recombinant viral particles containing chimeric ORF 3 and ORF 4 proteins. Nucleotide sequence analysis of cloned recombinant PCR products, encompassing 1182 bases of the 15.4 kb viral genome, revealed six independent recombination events. Recombinant products persisted in culture for at least three passages, indicating continuous formation of recombinant viruses, growth of recombinant viruses in competition with parental viruses, or both. The frequency of recombination was estimated from <2% up to 10% in the 1182 b fragment analyzed, which is similar to recombination frequencies observed in coronaviruses. An apparent example of natural ORF 5 recombination between naturally occurring wild type viruses was also found, indicating that recombination is likely an important genetic mechanism contributing to PRRSV evolution.
Project description:Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus is a positive-stranded RNA virus of the family Arteriviridae. The Gp5/M dimer, the major component of the viral envelope, is required for virus budding and is an antibody target. We used alphafold2, an artificial-intelligence-based system, to predict a credible structure of Gp5/M. The short disulfide-linked ectodomains lie flat on the membrane, with the exception of the erected N-terminal helix of Gp5, which contains the antibody epitopes and a hypervariable region with a changing number of carbohydrates. The core of the dimer consists of six curved and tilted transmembrane helices, and three are from each protein. The third transmembrane regions extend into the cytoplasm as amphiphilic helices containing the acylation sites. The endodomains of Gp5 and M are composed of seven β-strands from each protein, which interact via β-strand seven. The area under the membrane forms an open cavity with a positive surface charge. The M and Orf3a proteins of coronaviruses have a similar structure, suggesting that all four proteins are derived from the same ancestral gene. Orf3a, like Gp5/M, is acylated at membrane-proximal cysteines. The role of Gp5/M during virus replication is discussed, in particular the mechanisms of virus budding and models of antibody-dependent virus neutralization.
Project description:The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) GP4 and GP5 proteins are two membrane-associated viral glycoproteins that have been shown to induce neutralizing antibodies. In the present study, the host cell gene expression profiles altered by the GP4 and GP5 proteins were investigated by the use of DNA microarrays. Sublines of Marc-145 and HeLa cells were established by stable transfection with open reading frame (ORF)4 and ORF5 of PRRSV, respectively, and differential gene expressions were studied using microarray chips embedded with 1718 human-expressed sequence tags. The genes for protein degradation, protein synthesis and transport, and various other biochemical pathways were identified. No genes involved in the apoptosis pathway appeared to be regulated in GP5-expressing cells. The microarray data may provide insights into the specific cellular responses to the GP4 and GP5 proteins during PRRSV infection.
Project description:It has been proposed that the N-linked glycan addition at certain sites in GP5 of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is important for production of infectious viruses and viral infectivity. However, such specific N-linked glycosylation sites do not exist in some field PRRSV isolates. This implies that the existence of GP5-associated glycan per se is not vital to the virus life cycle. In this study, we found that mutation of individual glycosylation sites at N30, N35, N44, and N51 in GP5 did not affect virus infectivity in cultured cells. However, the mutants carrying multiple mutations at N-linked glycosylation sites in GP5 had significantly reduced virus yields compared with the wild-type (wt) virus. As a result, no viremia and antibody response were detected in piglets that were injected with a mutant without all N-linked glycans in GP5. These results suggest that the N-linked glycosylation of GP5 is critically important for virus replication in vivo. The study also showed that removal of N44-linked glycan from GP5 increased the sensitivity of mutant virus to convalescent-phase serum samples but did not elicit a high-level neutralizing antibody response to wt PRRSV. The results obtained from the present study have made significant contributions to better understanding the importance of glycosylation of GP5 in the biology of PRRSV.