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Serotype specific primers and gel-based RT-PCR assays for 'typing' African horse sickness virus: identification of strains from Africa.

ABSTRACT: African horse sickness is a devastating, transboundary animal disease, that is 'listed' by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). Although attenuated, inactivated and subunit vaccines have been developed for African horse sickness virus (AHSV), these are serotype-specific and their effective deployment therefore relies on rapid and reliable identification of virus type. AHSV serotype is controlled by the specificity of interactions between neutralising antibodies, and components of the outer-capsid, particularly protein VP2 (encoded by AHSV genome segment 2 (Seg-2)). We report the development and evaluation of novel gel based reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays targeting AHSV Seg-2, which can be used to very significantly increase the speed and reliability of detection and identification (compared to virus neutralisation tests) of the nine serotypes of AHSV. Primer sets were designed targeting regions of Seg-2 that are conserved between strains within each of the AHSV serotype (types 1 to 9). These assays were evaluated using multiple AHSV strains from the orbivirus reference collection at IAH (www.reoviridae.org/dsRNA_virus_proteins/ReoID/AHSV-isolates.htm). In each case the Seg-2 primers showed a high level of specificity and failed to cross-amplify the most closely related heterologous AHSV types, or other related orbiviruses (such as bluetongue virus (BTV), or equine encephalosis virus (EEV)). The assays are rapid and sensitive, and can be used to detect and type viral RNA in blood, tissue samples, or cultivated viral suspensions within 24 h. They were used to identify AHSV strains from recent outbreaks in sub-Saharan African countries. These methods also generate cDNAs suitable for sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of Seg-2, identifying distinct virus lineages within each virus-type and helping to identify strain movements/origins. The RT-PCR methods described here provide a robust and versatile tool for rapid and specific detection and identification of AHSV serotypes 1 to 9.

SUBMITTER: Maan NS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3197586 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Serotype specific primers and gel-based RT-PCR assays for 'typing' African horse sickness virus: identification of strains from Africa.

Maan Narender S NS Maan Sushila S Nomikou Kyriaki K Belaganahalli Manjunatha N MN Bachanek-Bankowska Katarzyna K Mertens Peter P C PP

PloS one 20111020 10

African horse sickness is a devastating, transboundary animal disease, that is 'listed' by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). Although attenuated, inactivated and subunit vaccines have been developed for African horse sickness virus (AHSV), these are serotype-specific and their effective deployment therefore relies on rapid and reliable identification of virus type. AHSV serotype is controlled by the specificity of interactions between neutralising antibodies, and components of the o ...[more]

PMID: 22028787

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Project description:Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) is an emerging arboviral pathogen of wild and domestic ruminants worldwide. It is closely related to bluetongue virus (BTV) and is transmitted by adult females of competent Culicoides vector species. The EHDV genome consists of ten linear double-stranded (ds)RNA segments, encoding five non-structural and seven structural proteins. Genome-segment reassortment contributes to a high level of genetic variation in individual virus strains, particularly in the areas where multiple and distinct virus lineages co-circulate. In spite of the relatively close relationship between BTV and EHDV herd-immunity to BTV does not appear to protect against the introduction and infection of animals by EHDV. Although EHDV can cause up to 80% morbidity in affected animals, vaccination with the homologous EHDV serotype is protective. Outer-capsid protein VP2, encoded by Seg-2, is the most variable of the EHDV proteins and determines both the specificity of reactions with neutralizing antibodies and consequently the identity of the eight EHDV serotypes. In contrast, VP6 (the viral helicase), encoded by Seg-9, is highly conserved, representing a virus species/serogroup-specific antigen. We report the development and evaluation of quantitative (q)RT-PCR assays targeting EHDV Seg-9 that can detect all EHDV strains (regardless of geographic origin/topotype/serotype), as well as type-specific assays targeting Seg-2 of the eight EHDV serotypes. The assays were evaluated using orbivirus isolates from the 'Orbivirus reference collection' (ORC) at The Pirbright Institute and were shown to be EHDV pan-reactive or type-specific. They can be used for rapid, sensitive and reliable detection and identification (typing) of EHDV RNA from infected blood, tissue samples, homogenized Culicoides, or tissue culture supernatant. None of the assays detected RNA from closely related but heterologous orbiviruses, or from uninfected host animals or cell cultures. The techniques presented could be used for both surveillance and vaccine matching (serotype identification) as part of control strategies for incursions in wild and domestic animal species.

Dataset Information

Serotype specific primers and gel-based RT-PCR assays for 'typing' African horse sickness virus: identification of strains from Africa.

Publications

Serotype specific primers and gel-based RT-PCR assays for 'typing' African horse sickness virus: identification of strains from Africa.

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