A multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of classical swine fever virus,African swine fever virus,and atypical porcine pestivirus

With the implementation of the C-strain vaccine,classical swine fever(CSF) has been under control in China,which is currently in a chronic atypical epidemic situation.African swine fever(ASF) emerged in China in 2018 and spread quickly across the country.It is presently occurring sporadically due to the lack of commercial vaccines and farmers’ increased awareness of biosafety.Atypical porcine pestivirus(APPV) was first detected in Guangdong Province,China,in 2016,which mainly harms piglets and has a local epidemic situation in southern China.These three diseases have similar clinical symptoms in pig herds,which cause considerable losses to the pig industry.They are difficult to be distinguished only by clinical diagnosis.Therefore,developing an early and accurate simultaneous detection and differential diagnosis of the diseases induced by these viruses is essential.In this study,three pairs of specific primers and Taq-man probes were designed from highly conserved genomic regions of CSFV(5’ UTR),African swine fever virus(ASFV)(B646L),and APPV(5’ UTR),followed by the optimization of reaction conditions to establish a multiplex real-time PCR detection assay.The results showed that the method did not cross-react with other swine pathogens(porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2),porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),foot-and-mouth disease virus(FMDV),pseudorabies virus(PRV),porcine parvovirus(PPV),and bovine viral diarrhea virus BVDV).The sensitivity results showed that CSFV,ASFV,and APPV could be detected as low as 1 copy μL–1;the repeatability results showed that the intra-assay and interassay coefficient of variation of ASFV,CSFV,and APPV was less than 1%.Twenty-two virus samples were detected by the multiplex real-time PCR,compared with national standard diagnostic and patented method assay for CSF(GB/T 27540–2011),ASF(GB/T 18648–2020),and APPV(CN108611442A),respectively.The sensitivity of this triple real-time PCR for CSFV,ASFV,and APPV was almost the same,and the compliance results were the same(100%).A total of 451 clinical samples were detected,and the results showed that the positive rates of CSFV,ASFV,and APPV were 0.22% (1/451),1.3%(6/451),and 0%(0/451),respectively.This assay provides a valuale tool for rapid detection and accurate diagnosis of CSFV,ASFV,and APPV.

Inhibition of African swine fever virus in liquid and feed by medium-chain fatty acids and glycerol monolaurate

Background:The ongoing African swine fever virus(ASFv)epidemic has had a major impact on pig production globally and biosecurity efforts to curb ASFv infectivity and transmission are a high priority.It has been recently identified that feed and feed ingredients,along with drinking water,can serve as transmission vehicles and might facilitate transboundary spread of ASFv.Thus,it is important to test the antiviral activity of regulatory compatible,antiviral feed additives that might inhibit ASFv infectivity in feed.One promising group of feed additive candidates includes medium-chain fatty acids(MCFA)and monoglyceride derivatives,which are known to disrupt the lipid membrane surrounding certain enveloped viruses and bacteria.Results:The antiviral activities of selected MCFA,namely caprylic,capric,and lauric acids,and a related monoglyceride,glycerol monolaurate(GML),to inhibit ASFv in liquid and feed conditions were investigated and suitable compounds and inclusion rates were identified that might be useful for mitigating ASFv in feed environments.Antiviral assays showed that all tested MCFA and GML inhibit ASFv.GML was more potent than MCFA because it worked at a lower concentration and inhibited ASFv due to direct virucidal activity along with one or more other antiviral mechanisms.Dose-dependent feed experiments further showed that sufficiently high GML doses can significantly reduce ASFv infectivity in feed in a linear manner in periods as short as 30 min,as determined by infectious viral titer measurements.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)experiments revealed that GML treatment also hinders antibody recognition of the membrane-associated ASFv p72 structural protein,which likely relates to protein conformational changes arising from viral membrane disruption.Conclusion:Together,the findings in this study indicate that MCFA and GML inhibit ASFv in liquid conditions and that GML is also able to reduce ASFv infectivity in feed,which may help to curb disease transmission.

Development of a recombinant pB602L-based indirect ELISA assay for detecting antibodies against African swine fever virus in pigs

African swine fever(ASF),caused by the African swine fever virus(ASFV),is a devastating disease of domestic and wild pigs.There is no effective vaccine,and the control of the disease relies mainly on surveillance and early detection of infected pigs.Previously,serological assays,such as ELISA,have been developed mainly based on recombinant structural viral proteins of ASFV,including p72,p54,and p30.However,the antibodies against these proteins do not provide efficient protection against ASFV infection in pigs.Therefore,new serological assays that can be applied for clinical diagnosis and evaluating serological immune response in vaccinated pigs are still required.In this study,we expressed and purified a recombinant p B602 L protein.The purified p B602 L protein was then used as an antigen to develop an indirect ELISA assay.This assay has no cross-reaction with the anti-sera against the 15 most common pig pathogens in China,such as classical swine fever virus,pseudorabies virus,and porcine parvovirus.This assay and a commercial ELISA kit were then used to detect 60 field pig serum samples,including an unknown number of antiASFV sera.The coincidence of the two assays was 95%.Furthermore,the p B602 L-based ELISA was employed to test the antibody responses to the seven-gene-deleted ASFV strain HLJ/18-7 GD in pigs.The results showed that the antibody levels in all vaccinated pigs,starting from the 10 th day post-inoculation,have increased continuously during the observation period of 45 days.Our results indicate that this p B602 L-based indirect ELISA assay can be employed potentially in the field of ASFV diagnosis.

Insights into African swine fever virus immunoevasion strategies

African swine fever(ASF) is an acute and highly contagious disease that causes severe economic losses to the swine industry. ASF is caused by infection of African swine fever virus(ASFV) in domestic pigs, leading to almost 100% mortality. However, no effective vaccines and pharmacologic treatment against ASF are available. ASF poses a severe threat to the swine industry and the economy. Here we summarize potential virus-host cell interaction mechanisms involving the suppression of innate and adaptive immune responses to ASFV entry and infection. These mechanisms include modulation of apoptosis, inhibition of inflammatory responses, reduction of IFN production, inhibition of autophagy, and suppression of MHC-I expression. Insights into immunoevasion strategies by ASFV may shed light on the development of vaccines, as well as preventive and therapeutic drugs.

Development of a Recombinase-aided Amplification Combined With Lateral Flow Dipstick Assay for the Rapid Detection of the African Swine Fever Virus

Objective To establish a sensitive,simple and rapid detection method for African swine fever virus(ASFV)B646L gene.Methods A recombinase-aided amplification-lateral flow dipstick(RAA-LFD)assay was developed in this study.Recombinase-aided amplification(RAA)is used to amplify template DNA,and lateral flow dipstick(LFD)is used to interpret the results after the amplification is completed.The lower limits of detection and specificity of the RAA assay were verified using recombinant plasmid and pathogenic nucleic acid.In addition,30 clinical samples were tested to evaluate the performance of the RAA assay.Results The RAA-LFD assay was completed within 15 min at 37°C,including 10 min for nucleic acid amplification and 5 minutes for LFD reading results.The detection limit of this assay was found to be 200 copies per reaction.And there was no cross-reactivity with other swine viruses.Conclusion A highly sensitive,specific,and simple RAA-LFD method was developed for the rapid detection of the ASFV.

African swine fever virus MGF505-3R inhibits cGAS-STING-mediated IFN-βpathway activation by degrading TBK1

African swine fever virus(ASFV)is an important pathogen causing acute infectious disease in domestic pigs and wild boars that seriously endangers the global swine industry.As ASFV is structurally complex and encodes a large number of functional proteins,no effective vaccine has been developed to date.Thus,dissecting the mechanisms of immune escape induced by ASFV proteins is crucial.A previous study showed that the ASFV-encoded protein is an important factor in host immunity.In this study,we identified a negative regulator,MGF505-3R,that significantly downregulated cGAS/STING-and poly(dG:dC)-mediated IFN-βand interferon stimulation response element(ISRE)reporter activity and suppressed IFNB1 and IFIT2 mRNA levels.In addition,TBK1,IRF3 and IκBαphosphorylation levels were also inhibited.Mechanistically,MGF505-3R interacted with cGAS/TBK1/IRF3 and targeted TBK1 for degradation,thereby disrupting the cGAS-STING-mediated IFN-βsignaling pathway,which appears to be highly correlated with autophagy.Knockdown MGF505-3R expression enhanced IFN-βand IL-1βproduction.Taken together,our study revealed a negative regulatory mechanism involving the MGF505-3R-cGAS-STING axis and provided insights into an evasion strategy employed by ASFV that involves autophagy and innate signaling pathways.

Viricidal activity of several disinfectants against African swine fever virus

Prevention of African swine fever,a disease caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV),requires maintenance of high biosecurity standards,which principally relies on disinfection.Finding the perfect disinfectant against ASFV is difficult because of the lack of relevant data.Therefore,we aimed to find the most effective disinfectant and to optimise its concentration as well as contact time to confirm the viricidal effect against ASFV in vitro.We evaluated the viricidal activity of three concentrations each of six common disinfectants against ASFV using immersion disinfection assay(IDA)and spray disinfection assay(SDA);the concentrations of these disinfectants at which complete viral inactivation occurred were almost same as the manufacturer-recommended concentrations,but the exposure times for viral inactivation are different.The following disinfectants(assay:concentration,exposure time)showed complete inactivation:iodine and acid mixed solution(IDA/SDA:0.5%,10 min);compound potassium peroxymonosulfate(IDA:0.25%,30 min;SDA:0.25%,60 min);citric acid(IDA:0.25%,60 min;SDA:0.5%,60 min);sodium dichloroisocyanurate(IDA:0.125%,60 min;SDA:0.25%,60 min);and glutaral ang deciquam(IDA/SDA:0.2%,60 min);and deciquam(IDA/SDA:0.5%,60 min).However,in the presence of organic material contamination,disinfectants did not show a marked inactivation effect.Therefore,disinfection procedures should be performed in two steps:thorough mechanical cleaning followed by application of disinfectant.In conclusion,all the tested disinfectants can inactivate ASFV;these can be used as alternative disinfectants to enhance biosecurity.

A Universal Real-Time Fluorescence qPCR Method for Identifying Epidemic Strains of African Swine Fever Virus

Objective Establishing a highly sensitive real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for universal testing of epidemic African swine fever virus (ASFV) strains. Methods The ASFV p72 gene was targeted to design primer probes covering 24 p72 genotypes. The optimal amount of dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) for qPCR amplification was determined, Various sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) tests were performed, and clinical samples from China and imported goods were tested. Results The optimal primer-probe combination could specifically detect ASFV, 1.5% DMSO was optimal for qPCR, and LOD reached 3.2 copies/μL with good reproducibility (n = 20, p = 0.369). The method was employed to test 142 clinically suspected samples, of which 30 pig blood and 37 pig tissue samples were ASFV-positive. Moreover, the positive testing rate for ASFV was higher than for the standard qPCR method recommended by the Office International Des Epizooties (OIE), and for the commercially available kit. Thus, our method is superior for testing weakly positive samples with low virus titre, and epidemic strains present in imported goods. Conclusion Our method could be employed for universal testing of epidemic ASFV strains worldwide, ensuring wider coverage of hosts and ASFV strains/endemic strains, reducing false negatives, and benefitting early diagnosis.

Nanobodies against African swine fever virus p72 and CD2v proteins as reagents for developing two cELISAs to detect viral antibodies

African swine fever virus(ASFV)poses a significant threat to the global swine industry.Currently,there are no effective vaccines or treatments available to combat ASFV infection in pigs.The primary means of controlling the spread of the disease is through rapid detection and subsequent elimination of infected pig.Recently,a lower virulent ASFV isolate with a deleted EP402R gene(CD2v-deleted)has been reported in China,which further complicates the control of ASFV infection in pig farms.Furthermore,an EP402R-deleted ASFV variant has been developed as a potential live attenuated vaccine candidate strain.Therefore,it is crucial to develop detection methods that can distinguish wild-type and EP402R-deleted ASFV infections.In this study,two recombinant ASFV-p72 and-CD2v proteins were expressed using a prokaryotic system and used to immunize Bactrian camels.Subsequently,eight nanobodies against ASFV-p72 and ten nanobodies against ASFV-CD2v were screened.Following the production of these nanobodies with horse radish peroxidase(HRP)fusion proteins,the ASFV-p72-Nb2-HRP and ASFV-CD2v-Nb22-HRP fusions were selected for the development of two competitive ELISAs(cELISAs)to detect anti-ASFV antibodies.The two cELISAs exhibited high sensitivity,good specificity,repeatability,and stability.The coincidence rate between the two cELISAs and commercial ELISA kits was 98.6%and 97.6%,respectively.Collectively,the two cELISA for detecting antibodies against ASFV demonstrated ease of operation,a low cost,and a simple production process.The two cELISAs could determine whether pigs were infected with wild-type or CD2v-deleted ASFV,and could play an important role in monitoring ASFV infections in pig farms.

Identification of host proteins that interact with African swine fever virus pE301R

African swine fever virus(ASFV)infection poses enormous threats and challenges to the global pig industry;however,no effective vaccine is available against ASFV,attributing to the huge viral genome(approximately189 kb)and numerous encoding products(>150 genes)due to the limited understanding on the molecular mechanisms of viral pathogenesis.Elucidating the host-factor/viral-protein interaction network will reveal new targets for developing novel antiviral therapies.Using proteomic analysis,we identified 255 cellular proteins that interact with the ASFV-encoded pE301R protein when transiently expressed in HEK293T cells.Gene ontology(GO)annotation,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)database enrichment,and protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analyses revealed that pE301R-interacting host proteins are potentially involved in various biological processes,including protein translation and folding,response to stimulation,and mitochondrial transmembrane transport.The interactions of two putative cellular proteins(apoptosis inducing factor mitochondria associated 1(AIFM1)and vimentin(VIM))with pE301R-apoptosis inducing factor have been verified by co-immunoprecipitation.Our study revealed the inhibitory role of pE301R in interferon(IFN)induction that involves VIM sequestration by pE301R,identified interactions between ASFV pE301R and cellular proteins,and predicted the potential function of pE301R and its associated biological processes,providing valuable information to enhance our understanding of viral protein function,pathogenesis,and potential candidates for the prevention and control of ASFV infection.

OGG1 inhibition suppresses African swine fever virus replication

African swine fever virus(ASFV)is an important pathogen that causes a highly contagious and lethal disease in swine,for which neither a vaccine nor treatment is available.The DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1(OGG1),which excises the oxidative base lesion 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine(8-oxoG),has been linked to the pathogenesis of different diseases associated with viral infections.However,the role of OGG1-base excision repair(BER)in ASFV infection has been poorly investigated.Our study aimed to characterize the alteration of host reactive oxygen species(ROS)and OGG1 and to analyse the role of OGG1 in ASFV infection.We found that ASFV infection induced high levels and dynamic changes in ROS and 8-oxoG and consistently increased the expression of OGG1.Viral yield,transcription level,and protein synthesis were reduced in ASFV-infected primary alveolar macrophages(PAMs)treated by TH5487 or SU0268 inhibiting OGG1.The expression of BER pathway associated proteins of ASFV was also suppressed in OGG1-inhibited PAMs.Furthermore,OGG1 was found to negatively regulate interferonβ(IFN-β)production during ASFV infection and IFN-βcould be activated by OGG1 inhibition with TH5487 and SU0268,which blocked OGG1 binding to 8-oxoG.Additionally,the interaction of OGG1 with viral MGF360-14-L protein could disturb IFN-βproduction to further affect ASFV replication.These results suggest that OGG1 plays the crucial role in successful viral infection and OGG1 inhibitors SU0268 or TH5487 could be used as antiviral agents for ASFV infection.

African swine fever virus S273R protein antagonizes type I interferon production by interfering with TBK1 and IRF3 interaction

African swine fever(ASF)is originally reported in East Africa as an acute hemorrhagic fever.African swine fever virus(ASFV)is a giant and complex DNA virus with icosahedral structure and encodes a variety of virulence factors to resist host innate immune response.S273R protein(pS273R),as a SUMO-1 specific cysteine protease,can affect viral packaging by cutting polymeric proteins.In this study,we found that pS273R was an important antagonistic viral factor that suppressed cGAS-STING-mediated type I interferon(IFN-I)production.A detailed analysis showed that pS273R inhibited IFN-I production by interacting with interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3).Subsequently,we showed that pS273R disrupted the association between TBK1 and IRF3,leading to the repressed IRF3 phosphorylation and dimerization.Deletion and point mutation analysis verified that pS273R impaired IFN-I production independent of its cysteine protease activity.These findings will help us further understand ASFV pathogenesis.

Identification of African swine fever virus MGF505-2R as a potent inhibitor of innate immunity in vitro

African swine fever(ASF)is etiologically an acute,highly contagious and hemorrhagic disease caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV).Due to its genetic variation and phenotypic diversity,until now,no efficient commercial vaccines or therapeutic options are available.The ASFV genome contains a conserved middle region and two flexible ends that code for five multigene families(MGFs),while the biological functions of the MGFs are not fully characterized.Here,ASFV MGF505-2R-deficient mutant ASFV-Δ2R was constructed based on a highly virulent genotype II field isolate ASFV CN/GS/2018 currently circulating in China.Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated that ASFV-Δ2R was capable of inducing a larger number of differentially expressed genes(DEGs)compared with ASFV CN/GS/2018.Hierarchical clustering of up-regulated DEGs revealed that ASFV-Δ2R induced the most dramatic expression of interferon-related genes and inflammatory and innate immune genes,as further validated by RT-qPCR.The GO and KEGG pathway analysis identified significantly enriched pathways involved in pathogen recognition and innate antiviral immunity.Conversely,pharmacological activation of those antiviral immune responses by exogenous cytokines,including type I/II IFNs,TNF-αand IL-1β,exerted combinatory effects and synergized in antiviral capacity against ASFV replication.Collectively,MGF505-2R is a newly identified inhibitor of innate immunity potentially implicated in immune evasion.

Emergence and prevalence of naturally occurring lower virulent African swine fever viruses in domestic pigs in China in 2020

African swine fever virus(ASFV)has been circulating in China for more than two years,and it is not clear whether the biological properties of the virus have changed.Here,we report on our surveillance of ASFVs in seven provinces of China,from June to December,2020.A total of 22 viruses were isolated and characterized as genotype II ASFVs,with mutations,deletions,insertions,or short-fragment replacement occurring in all isolates compared with Pig/HLJ/2018(HLJ/18),the earliest isolate in China.Eleven isolates had four different types of natural mutations or deletion in the EP402R gene and displayed a nonhemadsorbing(non-HAD)phenotype.Four isolates were tested for virulence in pigs;two were found to be as highly lethal as HLJ/18.However,two non-HAD isolates showed lower virulence but were highly transmissible;infection with 106 TCID50 dose was partially lethal and caused acute or sub-acute disease,whereas 103 TCID50 dose caused non-lethal,sub-acute or chronic disease,and persistent infection.The emergence of lower virulent natural mutants brings greater difficulty to the early diagnosis of ASF and creates new challenges for ASFV control.

African Swine Fever Virus MGF360-12L Inhibits Type Ⅰ Interferon Production by Blocking the Interaction of Importin α and NF-κB Signaling Pathway

African swine fever(ASF)is an infectious transboundary disease of domestic pigs and wild boar and spreading throughout Eurasia.There is no vaccine and treatment available.Complex immune escape strategies of African swine fever virus(ASFV)are crucial factors affecting immune prevention and vaccine development.MGF360 genes have been implicated in the modulation of the IFN-Ⅰresponse.The molecular mechanisms contributing to innate immunity are poorly understood.In this study,we demonstrated that ASFV MGF360-12 L(MGF360 families 12 L protein)significantly inhibited the mRNA transcription and promoter activity of IFN-βand NF-κB,accompanied by decreases of IRF3,STING,TBK1,ISG54,ISG56 and AP-1 m RNA transcription.Also,MGF360-12 L might suppress the nuclear localization of p50 and p65 mediated by classical nuclear localization signal(NLS).Additionally,MGF360-12 L could interact with KPNA2,KPNA3,and KPNA4,which interrupted the interaction between p65 and KPNA2,KPNA3,KPNA4.We further found that MGF360-12 L could interfere with the NF-κB nuclear translocation by competitively inhibiting the interaction between NF-κB and nuclear transport proteins.These findings suggested that MGF360-12 L could inhibit the IFN-Ⅰproduction by blocking the interaction of importinαand NF-κB signaling pathway,which might reveal a novel strategy for ASFV to escape the host innate immune response.

African Swine Fever Virus MGF-110-9L-deficient Mutant Has Attenuated Virulence in Pigs

African swine fever virus(ASFV)is the etiological agent of African swine fever(ASF),an often lethal disease in domestic and wild pigs.ASF represents a major threat to the swine industry worldwide.Currently,no commercial vaccine is available because of the complexity of ASFV or biosecurity concerns.Live attenuated viruses that are naturally isolated or genetically manipulated have demonstrated reliable protection against homologous ASFV strain challenge.In the present study,a mutant ASFV strain with the deletion of ASFV MGF-110-9L(ASFV-D9L)was generated from a highly virulent ASFV CN/GS/2018 parental strain,a genotypeⅡASFV.Relative to the parental ASFV isolate,deletion of the MGF-110-9L gene significantly decreased the ability of ASFV-D9L to replicate in vitro in primary swine macrophage cell cultures.The majority of animals inoculated intramuscularly with a low dose of ASFV-D9L(10 HAD50)remained clinically normal during the 21-day observational period.Three of five ASFV-D9L-infected animals displayed low viremia titers and low virus shedding and developed a strong virus-specific antibody response,indicating partial attenuation of the ASFV-D9L strain in pigs.The findings imply the potential usefulness of the ASFV-D9L strain for further development of ASF control measures.

African Swine Fever Virus Protein E199L Promotes Cell Autophagy through the Interaction of PYCR2

African swine fever virus(ASFV),as a member of the large DNA viruses,may regulate autophagy and apoptosis by inhibiting programmed cell death.However,the function of ASFV proteins has not been fully elucidated,especially the role of autophagy in ASFV infection.One of three Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductases(PYCR),is primarily involved in conversion of glutamate to proline.Previous studies have shown that depletion of PYCR2 was related to the induction of autophagy.In the present study,we found for the first time that ASFV E199 L protein induced a complete autophagy process in Vero and HEK-293 T cells.Through co-immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry(Co IP-MS)analysis,we firstly identified that E199 L interact with PYCR2 in vitro.Importantly,our work provides evidence that E199 L down-regulated the expression of PYCR2,resulting in autophagy activation.Overall,our results demonstrate that ASFV E199 L protein induces complete autophagy through interaction with PYCR2 and down-regulate the expression level of PYCR2,which provide a valuable reference for the role of autophagy during ASFV infection and contribute to the functional clues of PYCR2.

Regulation of antiviral immune response by African swine fever virus(ASFV)

African swine fever(ASF)is a highly contagious and acute hemorrhagic viral disease with a high mortality approaching 100%in domestic pigs.ASF is an endemic in countries in sub-Saharan Africa.Now,it has been spreading to many countries,especially in Asia and Europe.Due to the fact that there is no commercial vaccine available for ASF to provide sustainable prevention,the disease has spread rapidly worldwide and caused great economic losses in swine industry.The knowledge gap of ASF virus(ASFV)pathogenesis and immune evasion is the main factor to limit the development of safe and effective ASF vaccines.Here,we will summarize the molecular mechanisms of how ASFV interferes with the host innate and adaptive immune responses.An in-depth understanding of ASFV immune evasion strategies will provide us with rational design of ASF vaccines.

Porcine Immunoglobulin Fc Fused P30/P54 Protein of African Swine Fever Virus Displaying on Surface of S. cerevisiae Elicit Strong Antibody Production in Swine

African swine fever virus(ASFV)infects domestic pigs and European wild boars with strong,hemorrhagic and high mortality.The primary cellular targets of ASFV is the porcine macrophages.Up to now,no commercial vaccine or effective treatment available to control the disease.In this study,three recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae(S.cerevisiae)strains expressing fused ASFV proteins-porcine Ig heavy chains were constructed and the immunogenicity of the S.cerevisiae-vectored cocktail ASFV feeding vaccine was further evaluated.To be specific,the P30-Fcγand P54-Fcαfusion proteins displaying on surface of S.cerevisiae cells were produced by fusing the Fc fragment of porcine immunoglobulin IgG1 or IgA1 with p30 or p54 gene of ASFV respectively.The recombinant P30-Fcγand P54-Fcαfusion proteins expressed by S.cerevisiae were verified by Western blotting,flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assay.Porcine immunoglobulin Fc fragment fused P30/P54 proteins elicited P30/P54-specific antibody production and induced higher mucosal immunity in swine.The absorption and phagocytosis of recombinant S.cerevisiae strains in IPEC-J2 cells or porcine alveolar macrophage(PAM)cells were significantly enhanced,too.Here,we introduce a kind of cheap and safe oral S.cerevisiae-vectored vaccine,which could activate the specific mucosal immunity for controlling ASFV infection.

A simple nanobody-based competitive ELISA to detect antibodies against African swine fever virus

African swine fever virus(ASFV) infection is a big threat to the global pig industry. Because there is no effective vaccine, rapid, low-cost, and simple diagnosis methods are necessary to detect the ASFV infection in pig herds.Nanobodies, with advantages of small molecular weight and easy genetic engineering, have been universally used as reagents for developing diagnostic kits. In this study, the recombinant ASFV-p30 was expressed and served as an antigen to immunize the Bactrian camel. Then, seven nanobodies against ASFV-p30 were screened using phage display technique. Subsequently, the seven nanobodies fused horseradish peroxidase(nanobody-HRP) were secretory expressed and one fusion protein ASFV-p30-Nb75-HRP was selected with the highest sensitivity in blocking ELISA. Using the ASFV-p30-Nb75-HRP fusion protein as a probe, a competitive ELISA(cELISA) was developed for detecting anti-ASFV antibodies in pig sera. The cut-off value of cELISA was determined to be 22.7%by testing 360 negative pig sera. The detection limit of the cELISA for positive pig sera was 1:320, and there was no cross-reaction with anti-other swine virus antibodies. The comparative assay showed that the agreement of the cELISA with a commercial ELISA kit was 100%. More importantly, the developed cELISA showed low cost and easy production as a commercial kit candidate. Collectively, a simple nanobody-based cELISA for detecting antibodies against ASFV is developed and it provides a new method for monitoring ASFV infection in the pig herds.