Isolation and Identification of a Subgroup A Avian Leukosis Virus from Imported Meat-type Grand-parent Chickens

An exogenous avian leukosis virus (ALV) strain SDAU09C1 was isolated in DF-1 cells from one of 240 imported 1-day-old white meat-type grand parent breeder chicks. Inoculation of SDAU09C1 in ALV-free chickens induced antibody reactions specific to subgroup A or B. But gp85 amino acid sequence comparisons indicated that SDAU09C1 fell into subgroup A; it had homology of 88.8%-90.3% to 6 reference strains of subgroup A, much higher compared to other subgroups including subgroup B. This is the first report for ALV of subgroup A isolated from imported breeders.

Establishment of an avian leukosis virus subgroup A-resistant cell line

Rapid diagnostic methods for classifying avian leukosis subgroups in the field were needed for routine, large-scale screening. As a first step in method development, we inserted the avian leukosis virus subgroup A （ALV-A） env gene into plasmid pcDNA3.1/Zeo （＋） and used this construct to transfect DF-1 cells. Zeocin-resistant cells were obtained after 2 weeks of zeocin selection. Then, the cells were analyzed using PCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blot for expression of the envA-encoded envelope protein after 30 serial passages. The DF-1/A cell line was completely resistant to 104 TCIDso/0.1 mL （50% tissue culture infective dose）ALV-A and was partially resistant to 10~ TCIDs0/0.1 mL ALV-A viral particles. By comparing the DF-1/A and DF-1 cell lines, an ALV-A isolate was identified using a gag-specific ELISAfor capsid protein p27. Thus, we established a DF-1/A cell line that was resistant to ALV-A infection. This cell line will be useful as a diagnostic tool.

Different quasispecies with great mutations hide in the same subgroup J field strain of avian leukosis virus

Blood samples were collected from a local strain of chickens associated with serious tumor cases in Shandong Province. The samples were inoculated into chicken embryo fibroblast and DF-1 cells for virus isolation and identification, respectively. The inoculated cells were screened for three common chicken tumor viruses. Nine strains of avian leukosis virus subgroup J （ALV-J） were identified, and were designated LY1201-LYI209. The env gene from the LY1201 strain was amplified and cloned. All nine resultant env clones （clones 01-09） were sequenced, and the gp85 and gp37 amino acid regions were subjected to homology analysis. Clones 01 and 03 had 10 amino acid deletions in the gp85 region compared to the other seven clones, suggesting that at least two quasispecies with obvious mutations coexist in the same field strain. Among these nine clones, three had identical gp85 and gp37 sequences, and were recognized as the dominant LY1201 quasispecies. The amino acid sequence homology of gp37 and gp85 among the nine clones was 98.5%-100.0% and 96.6%-100.0% respectively, suggesting that the gp85 region of the env gene can better display the quasispecies diversity of ALV-J than gp37.

Semen extracellular vesicles mediate vertical transmission of subgroup J avian leukosis virus

Subgroup J avian leukosis virus(ALV-J) is a highly oncogenic retrovirus that has been devastating the global poultry industry since the late 1990s. The major infection model of ALV-J is vertical transmission, which is responsible for the congenital infection of progeny from generation to generation. Increasing evidence has suggested that extracellular vesicles(EVs) derived from virus-infected cells or biological fluids have been thought to be vehicles of transmission for viruses. However, the role of EVs in infection and transmission of ALV-J remains obscure. In the present study, semen extracellular vesicles(SE) were isolated and purified from ALV-J-infected rooster seminal plasma(SE-ALV-J), which was shown to contain ALV-J genomic RNA and partial viral proteins, as determined by RNA sequencing, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and Western blotting. Furthermore, SE-ALV-J was proved to be able to transmit ALV-J infection to host cells and establish productive infection.More importantly, artificial insemination experiments showed that SE-ALV-J transmitted ALV-J infection to SPF hens, and subsequently mediated vertical transmission of ALV-J from the SPF hens to the progeny chicks. Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that ALV-J utilized host semen extracellular vesicles as a novel means for vertical transmission, enhancing our understanding on mechanisms underlying ALV-J transmission.

Influence of REV and ALV-J Co-Infection on Immunologic Function of T Lymphocytes and Histopathology in Broiler Chickens

The aim of present investigation is to study the effect of single- and co-infection with REV and ALV-J on T lymphocytes bioactivities and histopathology in broiler chickens. The bioactivities of blood and spleen T lymphocytes including lymphoproliferation responses, cytotoxicitic responses, and histopathology of spleen were detected in broiler chickens singly- or co-infected with REV and ALV-J at different days post inoculation and the virus expressions in spleen of infected broiler chickens were detected with immunofluorescence assay （IFA）. The results indicated that blood and spleen T lymphocytes proliferation responses and cytotoxicity in broilers infected with REV or/and ALV-J were inhibited in the whole observed period compared with controls. In the co-infected chickens they were highly inhibited than in the single-infected. The histopathology of spleen in infected chickens at 17 and 37 d post inoculation （dpi） indicated that cell interium increased, the numbers of lymphocytes decreased, and the regrowth were destroyed or decreased, especially more significantly at 17 than at 37 dpi. The different numbers of virus were detected in spleen lymphocytes in REV- infected and/or ALV-J-infected chickens. In the spleen of co-infected chicken, both REV and ALV-J were detected and the total numbers of viruses were more than in chickens singly-infected with REV or ALV-J. Thus, the co-effect of REV and ALV-J caused more immunosuppression on T lymphocytes bioactivities in broiler chickens than single-effect of ALV-J or REV, which contributed to the sever histopathology and the product of tumor cells. This study will be helpful for understanding the effect of co-infection with many viruses and control them in poultry.