Genetic Variation of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Isolate 201105ZJ

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the genetic variation of porcine circovirus type 2 （PCV2） in China. [Method] The strain was isolated from infected samples by cel passage and preliminarily identified by PCR and IFA. Ful-length genome of the isolated strain was obtained by specific amplification for homology and phylogenetic analysis. [Result] A PCV2 strain was successful y isolated and named 201105ZJ, which could proliferate in PK15 cel lines. Specific fragments could be amplified by specific PCR assay. According to results of IFA assay, specif-ic immunofluorescence was observed; the TCID50 was low （102.67）; the ful-length genome sequence of the isolated strain was 1 768 bp, sharing 94.1%-96.8% ho-mology with 13 reference strains; to be specific, the isolated strain exhibited the highest homology of 96.8% with AF055392PCV2a; the isolated strain 201105ZJ and reference strain AF055392 belonged to genotype PCV2a, exhibiting a distant genetic relationship with genotype PCV2c. [Conclusion] Characteristics of genetic variation of PCV2 isolate 201105ZJ provided theoretical basis for vaccine development, investi-gation of PCV2 pathogenesis, and prevention and control of porcine circovirus-as-sociated diseases （PCVAD） in East China.

Molecular detection of porcine circovirus type 3 in Shanxi Province,China

Porcine circovirus type 3(PCV3),which was first detected in the United States of America in 2015,is a potential threat to the swine industry.However,the prevalence of PCV3 in Shanxi Province,China,is unclear.In this research,the prevalence and genetic diversity of PCV3 were investigated in above area.Lung tissue samples(n=491)from 19 pig slaughterhouses across 11 cities throughout Shanxi Province were analyzed for PCV3 infection by PCR in 2019.The results showed that PCV3 positive rates in slaughterhouses and individuals were 100%(19/19)and 86.76%(426/491),respectively.PCV2 and PCV3 double-positive rates in slaughterhouses and individuals were 100%(19/19)and 59.27%(291/491),respectively.PCR positive samples were further sequenced and 8 PCV3 isolates were identified.The nucleotide homology of these isolates with other PCV3 isolates in NCBI database was 97.45-99.90%.A phylogenetic analysis,based on the complete genomic sequence and ORF2,divided these PCV3 strains into 2 major groups.Based on A24A/and R27/K amino acid mutations of capsid protein,the 8 identified PCV3 strains were separated to 2 clades.This was the first detailed investigation into the epidemiology of PCV3 in Shanxi Province.Our findings enabled us to assess the possibility of widespread transmission from this region.Thus,current findings establish a basis for further studies of genetic variations in PCV3 strains circulating in China.

Host immune response to infection with porcine circoviruses

Porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2),which serves as a major causative agent of PCV2-associated diseases and causes severe loss to the pig industry worldwide,can dysregulate the immune response and induce immunosuppression in PCV2-infected pigs.Similar to PCV2(porcine circovirus type 3(PCV3),a newly identified swine circovirus which might be closely associated with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome,reproductive disorder,and multisystemic inflammatoty responses,also interferes with host immune defense.Interaction between host immune system and PCVs is considered to be a crucial determinant of pathogenicity in pigs.Here,we sought to briefly discuss the current knowledge regarding the interaction of porcine circovirus type 2 and/or 3 with host immune cells and immune responses to better depict the viral immunomodulatory capacity,pathogenic mechanisms,and the future research direction in host immune responses to infection with PCV2 and PCV3.

A survey on porcine circovirus type 2 infection and phylogenetic analysis of its ORF2 gene in Hangzhou,Zhejiang Province,China

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is closely related to the postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). In this study, the pig serum and tissue samples collected from different regions of Hangzhou District in Zhejiang Province of China between 2003 and 2005 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PCV2 antibody and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for ORF2 gene. The results show that out of 1250 randomly collected serum samples, 500 sera (40%) were seropositive for PCV2. PCR results demonstrate that Hangzhou PCV2 with more than 50% Chinese PCV2 strains and French PCV2 formed Cluster A. Only one PCV2 from Hangzhou belonged to Cluster B with some other Chinese PCV2 and Netherlands’s isolates. Cluster C consisted of PCV2 isolates from China, US, Canada, UK and Germany. The results indicate that the PCV2 infection was widespread in Hangzhou.

Complete Genome Sequence Analysis of Duck Circovirus Strains from Cherry Valley Duck

To investigate molecular epidemiology of DuCV in Cherry Valley ducks in China, the complete genomes of six DuCV strains, which were detected from Cherry Valley ducks in China between 2007 and 2008, were sequenced. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis were carried out to compare these six strains with another 27 DuCV strains from Mulard duck, Muscovy duck, Pekin ducks and Mule duck. The analysis showed that the six DuCV strains exhibited typical genetic features of the family of DuCV, such as a stem-loop structure, three major open reading frames (Rep, Cap and ORF3), four intergenic repeats and the conserved motifs for rolling circle replication and for the dNTP binding domain located in the Rep protein. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the complete genome and Cap gene of these strains together with those that have been previously published demonstrated two distinct DuCV genotypes. The DuCV strains with complete genomes containing 1988 and 1989 nucleotides clustered in genotype A, whereas the strains with complete genomes containing 1991, 1992, 1995 and 1996 nucleotides lay in genotype B. The six DuCV strains from Cherry Valley ducks were divided into the two groups. The results of the study provides some insight into the variation of DuCVs in Cherry Valley ducks.

PCR Detection and Sequence Analysis of Duck Circovirus in Sick Muscovy Ducks

The duck circovirus （DuCV） infection in sick ducks from Fujian Province was investigated. The liver samples of 43 sick Muscovy ducks with infectious serositis were collected from 12 duck farms in Fujian Province Based on the published sequences of DuCV, two primers were designed for the detection of DuCV and four pairs of primers were designed to amplify four overlapping fragments that cover the complete genome of DuCV. The specific PCR products were amplified from positive samples. The fragments were then cloned into pMD18-T vector and sequenced, and the full length genomic sequence of the FJ0601 isolate of DuCV was obtained. PCR analysis showed that the proportion of ducks which were positive for circovirus was 79% and 10 out of the 12 farms were positive. Sequence analysis showed that the complete genome of DuCV-FJ0601 was 1988 bp and possessed features common to the family Circoviridae which included a stem-loop structure and the Rep protein motifs. Homology analysis showed that FJ0601 isolate of DuCV had 97.3%-97.5% nucleotide sequence identity to all the four Taiwan isolates （TC1/2002, TC2/2002, TC3/2002, TC4/2002）, 82.9% identity to the America （33753-52） isolate and 82.3% identity to the Germany isolate. Phylogenetic analysis with Clustal W, however, showed that FJ0601 isolate of DuCV was on a common branch with Taiwan isolates, and Germany and America isolates belonged to the other branch.

Development of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Porcine Circovirus Type 2

In this study, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was used to develop a rapid and simple detection system for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). According to the PCV2 sequences published in GenBank, multiple LAMP primers were designed targeting conserved sequences of PCV2. Using the DNA extracted from PCV2 isolates HUN-09 and SD-09 as the template, LAMP reactions in a PCV2 LAMP system was performed, the amplification products were detected by adding SYBR Green I and could be observed directly by the naked eye. The results showed highly-efficient and specific amplification in 30 min at 63°C with a LAMP real-time turbidimeter. Furthermore, PCV2 DNA templates, with a detection limit of 5.5×10-5 ng of nucleic acid, indicated that this assay was highly sensitive. The results obtained with the naked eye after SYBR Green I staining were consistent with those detected by the real-time turbidimeter, showing the potential simplicity of interpretation of the assay results. The LAMP assay appeared to have greater accuracy than PCR and virus isolation for the analysis of 18 clinical samples. In addition it offers higher specificity and sensitivity, shorter reaction times and simpler procedures than the currently available methods of PCV2 detection. It is therefore a promising tool for the effective and efficient detection of PCV2.

The codon-optimized capsid gene of duck circovirus can be highly expressed in yeast and self-assemble into virus-like particles

The capsid （Cap） protein, which is the only structural protein of duck circovirus （DuCV）, is the most important antigen for the development of vaccines against DuCV and the virus＇s serological diagnostic methods. In order to use yeast expression system to produce a large quantities of DuCVCap protein which is close to its natural form to display the antigen peptides perfectly, the Cap gene was optimized into the codon-optimized capsid （Opt-Cap） gene towards the preference of yeast firstly. Then, the genes of Cap and Opt-Cap were separately cloned into pPIC9K plasmid and transformed into Picha pas- toris GSl15. The strains that displayed the phenotype of Mut~ and contained multiple inserts of expression cassette were selected from those colonies. After the induction expression, the secretory type of Cap protein, which was about 43 kDa, was best expressed under 0.5% （v/v） methanol and sorbitol induction. Compared with the Cap gene, the expression level of Opt-Cap gene was much higher. What＇s more, the purified Cap protein had a good reactivity to its specific polyclone antibody and DuCV-positive serum, and it was able to self-assemble into virus-like particles （VLPs）. These VLPs, with a diameter of 15-20 nm and without a nucleic acid structure, showed a high level of similarity to DuCV particles in size and shape. All of the resultsdemonstrated that, based on the codon-optimization, it is suitable to use the P. pastoris expression system to produce DuCV VLPs on a large scale. It is the first time that a large amounts of DuCV VLPs were produced successfully in P. pastoris, which might be particularly useful for the further studies of serological diagnosis and vaccines of DuCV.

Homology Modelling and Structural Comparisons of Capsid-Associated Proteins from Circoviruses Reveal Important Virus-Specific Surface Antigens

Circoviridae represent a growing family of small animal viruses. Some of these viruses have veterinary and medical importance, although, a vast amount of these newly discovered viruses have unknown effects on their hosts. The capsid-associated protein (Cap) of circoviruses is of interest because of its role in viral structure, immune evasion, host cell entry, and nuclear shuttling of viral components. The structure of the porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) Cap has been solved and offered insight to these functions. Based on the crystallographic PCV2 Cap structure, models from circoviruses isolated from avian, fish, and mammalian hosts have been constructed and analyzed to better understand the roles of these proteins in the virus family. A high degree of conservation is observed in the models, however, the surface antigens differ among viruses. This is likely a reflection of the small genome harbored by circoviruses, and therefore the requirement of their few proteins to carry out specific vital functions, while maintaining enough variation to successfully infect their hosts. Here we describe the putative structures of a range of Cap proteins from circoviruses based on the crystallographic determination of porcine Cap, identifying key regions for function and inhibition of crystal formation.

Mouse models of porcine circovirus 2 infection

PCV2 is considered the main pathogen of porcine circovirus diseases and porcine circovirus-associated diseases(PCVD/PCVAD). However, the exact mechanism underlying PCVD/PCVAD is currently unknown. Mouse models of PCV2 are valuable experimental tools that can shed light on the pathogenesis of infection and will enable the evaluation of antiviral agents and vaccine candidates. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge of mouse models used in PCV2 research that has been performed to date, highlighting their strengths and limitations, as well as prospects for future PCV2 studies.

Genetic Diversity of Intragenomic Rearrangement of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 in vitro and in vivo

We characterized the genome sequences of defective-interfering(DI) particle DNA of porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2) by sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. DI particles were both generated by serial passage of PCV2 in PK15 cells and obtained from sera of pigs with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome(PMWS). These subviral isolates ranged from 358 nt to 1 125 nt genomes. Investigating the complexity and diversity of PCV2 DI in vivo and in vitro can help elucidating the evolutionary history of PCV2.

Advances in Laboratory Diagnostic Methods for Duck Circovirus Infection

Duck circovirus infection is an immunosuppressive disease that is characterized by growth retardant and odd deaths. Its infection is usually combined with other pathogens, making the clinical diagnosis more difficult. With the rapid development of molecular biological and immunological technologies, the laboratory diagnostic methods for duck circovirus infection also advance greatly. The paper summarizes the research advances in various laboratory detection methods for duck cireovirus infection including PCR, nested PCR, multiple PCR, fluorescence quantitative PCR, LAMP, nucleic acid probe and ELISA, as well as their ad- vantages and shortages, aiming at providing reference for finding novel detection methods and for the diagnosis and comprehensive prevention and control.

Recent Advances in Epidemiology of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 and Diagnosis of Porcine Circovirus-Associated Diseases

Porcine cimovirus （PCV） is the smallest animal virus so far and has two serotypes. PCV1 is nonpathogenic, but PCV2 is pathogenic and causes post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome （ PMWS）. Factors to induce PMWS include immunity and infection status of sows, infec- tion time, mixed infection, PCV2 variants, physical status of gilts, and feeding management. For final diagnosis, histopathological changes and ex- istence of PCV2 in lymphoid tissues are professional standards, because fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR is not enough specific or sensitive. The commemial PCV2 vaccines can reduce occurrence of PMWS and PCV-related diseases. This paper reviews recent advances in epidemiology of PCV2 as well as diagnosis and control of PMWS.

Phylogenetic Relationship Analysis of the Complete Genomes of Porcine Circovirus Type 2( PCV2) Strains Isolated from Hainan Province

[ Objective] This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics of porcine circovirus type 2 （PCV2） strains isolated from Hainan Province. [ Method] The complete genome of PCV2 was amplified from PMWS-suspected samples by PCR for sequence analysis. [ Result] A total of eight PCV2 strains were isolated and identified. All the eight isolates belonged to genotype PCV2b, among which seven isolates belonged to subgenotype PCV2b-1 C, and one isolate be- longed to subgenotype PCV2b-IA/1B. ORF2 gene of PCV2 isolates from Hainan Province was 705 bp in length, encoding 234 amino acids. Antigenic epitopes of Cap protein exhibited certain changes. Nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of ORF2 gene shared 95.3% -99.7% and 93.6% - 100% simi- larities among eight PCV2 isolates from Hainan Province, respectively. Moreover, nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of ORF2 gene of PCV2 isolates from Hainan Province shared 91.0% -99.9% and 91.0% -99.6% similarities with other PCV2 strain isolated from China （AY682994, AF381175, JX945577, JX682407, AY180397 ）, respectively; nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of ORF2 gene of PCV2 isolates from Hainan Province shared 90.0% - 97.0% and 88.0% -97.9% similarities with PCV2 isolates from other countries （ NC_005148, JQ994268, KJ187306, AF201307, AF454546, AY＂/Sd020）, respectively; nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of ORF2 gene of PCV2 isolates from Hainan Province shared 98.2% -100% and 94.9% -100% similarities with vaccine strain SH, respectively; nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of ORF2 gene of PCV2 isolates from Hainan Province shared 90.6% -91.7% and 89.7% - 91.0% similarities with vaccine strain LG, respectively. [ Conclusion] This study provided theoretical hasis for the prevention and control of PCV2 and selection of vaccine strains in Hainan Province.

Expression of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 ORF2 Gene in Myocardial Cells of Detached Cherry Valley Duck

The objective of this study was to construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid of ORF2 gene harboring enhanced green fluorescent protein （EGFP） report gene. ORF2 gene of porcine circovirus type 2 cloned by PCR was ligated to the expression vector pEGFP-N1, which contains enhanced green fluorescent protein （EGFP） report gene, the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pEGFP-N1-ORF2 was constructed successfully and was transfected into pre- pared duck myocardial cells （DMCs） by lipofectin. According to the result, the fluorescence expression was directly detected with fluorescence microscope, and the expression of ORF2 were analyzed by RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assay （IFA） respectively. About 48 h after transfection, green fluorescent can be observed on transfected cells ： T-PCR and IFA were positive. This indicated that ORF2 gene of PCV2 was expressed efficiently in transfected duck myocardial cells.

An Immunochromatographic Strip Test for Rapid Detection of Antibodies against Porcine Circovirus Type 2

Porcine cimovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection causes huge economic losses, but no serological method is available for batch detection of field samples. The aim of the study was to develop a method for large-batch detection of PCV2 infection. Colloidal gold-labeled staphylococcal protein A (SPA) was sprayed on glass fibers to prepare a conjugate pad. The recombinant ORF2 protein of PCV2 was blotted on the test line of the nitrocellulose (NC) membrane, and pig IgG was streaked on the control line of the NC membrane. Then, the immunochromatographic strip was used for detection of antibodies against PCV2. The results show that the strip test was simple and the results could be determined within 10 min with naked eyes. The test strip was highly specific for pig serum against PCV2 and no cross-reaction with pig serum against other pathogens was observed. The test strip had close similarity with ELISA. Storage at RT for 6 months did not affect the specificity and sensitivity obviously. A total of 324 clinical pig sera were detected by both ELISA and the developed test strip, and the coincidence was 98.77%. Therefore, the developed immunochromatographic strip is specific, sensitive, stable, fast and simple, and it is suitable for on-site detection of antibodies against PCV2.

Epidemiology Survey of Porcine Parvovirus and Porcine Circovirus Type 2 in Sichuan Province

[ Objective] The study aimed to analyze the prevalence of Porcine Parvovirus （PPV） and Porcine Circovirus Type 2 （ PCV2 ） and the mixed infection in Sichuan Province to lay the foundation for further predicting the tendency of the plague and formulating appropriate prevention and control strategies. [ Method] Two hundred and seventy -three samples were collected from 21 large pig farms in Sichuan province, and epidemiology of PPV and PCV2 were investigated by PCR detecting. [ Result] The positive rate of PPV was 17.22% （47/273）, and positive rate of pig farms was 38.1% （8/21）, meanwhile it also displayed the feature that infection rate of boar was higher than that of piglets; The positive rate of PCV2 was 52.38% （143/273）, and positive rate of pig farms was 85.7% （18/21）, and it showed the trend that the infection rate of PCV2 was rising with the growth of the age. The co-infection rate of PPV and PCV2 was 10.62% （29/273）, and co-infection rate of pig farms was 28.7% （6/21）, which mainly concentrated in the sow and nursery piglets. Only 14.3% （3/21） pig farms was epidemiologically negative of PPV and PCV2. [ Conclusion] PPV and PCV2 and co-infection was widely popular in Sichuan province, and it did more serious harm to the pig-raising industry.

Prevalence and Countermeasures of Porcine Circovirus 3

The development history, etiology, epidemiology, clinical symptoms, pathological changes and diagnosis technology of porcine circovirus 3 were summarized, and countermeasures for prevention and control of the disease were put forward based on the prevalence status in China.

Research on Propagation Characteristics of DifferentIsolates of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 in vivo

[Objective]The aim of this study is to explore the dynamic changes of Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and the propagation differences between different PCV2 strains.[Method]A rapid, sensitive and SYBR Green I-based real-time quantitative PCR assay was developed to detect PCV2 in mice. The Balb/c mice were inoculated with 200 μL of 1×10^6 TCID 50 /mL different strains of PCV2;the serum and tissues of mice were collected at different time. SYBR Green I fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to determine the viral titer in the serum and tissues of mice.[Result]The results indicated that the SYBR Green I PCR could speci fically detect PCV2 with high specificity. All strains were detected in the serum 14 d after infection, and 2007HA strain had the highest level of 1.21×10^8 copies/mL. The titers of all strains decreased 21 d after infection and then increased 28 d after infection. In addition, 2010NJ strain had the highest titer in serum 28 d after infection. The two PCV2b isolates, 2010NJ and 2009ZJ, had the highest titer in lungs and spleens. [Conclusion]All results showed that different PCV2 isolates have different proliferation ef ficiencies in Balb/c mice, even if they belong to the same subtype. In addition, the proliferation rate of 2009ZJ in visceral organs was significantly higher than that in serum. However, this phenomenon is not obvious for other strains. These results laid a foundation for the analysis of proliferation characteristics and pathogenicity of different PCV2 strains in vivo.

Establishment and Application of a Real-time Fluorescent Quantitative PCR Method for Detection of Porcine Circovirus Type 2

[ Objective ] To establish a real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （PCR） method with SYBR Green I for the detection of porcine circovirus type 2 （PCV2）. [Methods] Specific primers were designed to amplify the conserved gene segments of PCV2 with a size of 177 bp by PCR. The ampli- fied gene was cloned into the vector of pMD 18-T and transformed into DHSct to screen positive clones. After being extracted and purified, the recombinant plasraids pMD 18-T-177 were taken as the standard DNA templates to establish the fluorescence quantitative PCR method for the detection of PCV2, and the PCR re- action conditions were optimized. [ Results] Ct value of the established PCR method showed a good linear relationship with the standard DNA templates within a viral load of 3.21 × 100 -4.16 × 108 copies/μL , the correlation coefficient was O. 998 8 and the slope was - 3.286. The method did not show any cress-reactions with the genomes of PRRSV, PCV1, CSFV, PRV, PPV and Escherichia coli. Sensitivity of this method was proved to be 3.21 × 10 copies/μL, which was 1 000 times higher as conventional PCR method. Variation coefficients of the repeated trims among same batch or different batches were both less than 3.00%. Positive rate of clinical samples detected by the established PCR method was 58.94%, which was significantly higher than the detection rate by conventional PCR. [ Conclusions ] A reM-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method with SYBR Green I for the detection of PCV2 was established, which was better for conducting the quan- titative analysis and the early diagnosis of PCV2 infection.