Riding apoptotic bodies for cell-cell transmission by African swine fever virus.

African swine fever virus (ASFV), a devastating pathogen to the worldwide swine industry, mainly targets macrophage/monocyte lineage, but how the virus enters host cells has remained unclear. Here, we report that ASFV utilizes apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs) for infection and cell-cell transmission. We show that ASFV induces cell apoptosis of primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) at the late stage of infection to productively shed ApoBDs that are subsequently swallowed by neighboring PAMs to initiate a secondary infection as evidenced by electron microscopy and live-cell imaging. Interestingly, the virions loaded within ApoBDs are exclusively single-enveloped particles that are devoid of the outer layer of membrane and represent a predominant form produced during late infection. The in vitro purified ApoBD vesicles are capable of mediating virus infection of naive PAMs, but the transmission can be significantly inhibited by blocking the "eat-me" signal phosphatidyserine on the surface of ApoBDs via Annexin V or the efferocytosis receptor TIM4 on the recipient PAMs via anti-TIM4 antibody, whereas overexpression of TIM4 enhances virus infection. The same treatment however did not affect the infection by intracellular viruses. Importantly, the swine sera to ASFV exert no effect on the ApoBD-mediated transmission but can partially act on the virions lacking the outer layer of membrane. Thus, ASFV has evolved to hijack a normal cellular pathway for cell-cell spread to evade host responses.

Disruption of pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier by dysregulated claudin-8 and claudin-4: uncovered mechanisms in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection.

The pulmonary endothelium is a dynamic and metabolically active monolayer of endothelial cells. Dysfunction of the pulmonary endothelial barrier plays a crucial role in the acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), frequently observed in the context of viral pneumonia. Dysregulation of tight junction proteins can lead to the disruption of the endothelial barrier and subsequent leakage. Here, the highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV) served as an ideal model for studying ALI and ARDS. The alveolar lavage fluid of pigs infected with HP-PRRSV, and the supernatant of HP-PRRSV infected pulmonary alveolar macrophages were respectively collected to treat the pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) in Transwell culture system to explore the mechanism of pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier leakage caused by viral infection. Cytokine screening, addition and blocking experiments revealed that proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and TNF-α, secreted by HP-PRRSV-infected macrophages, disrupt the pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier by downregulating claudin-8 and upregulating claudin-4 synergistically. Additionally, three transcription factors interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2), general transcription factor III C subunit 2 (GTF3C2), and thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein 3 (THRAP3), were identified to accumulate in the nucleus of PMVECs, regulating the transcription of claudin-8 and claudin-4. Meanwhile, the upregulation of ssc-miR-185 was found to suppress claudin-8 expression via post-transcriptional inhibition. This study not only reveals the molecular mechanisms by which HP-PRRSV infection causes endothelial barrier leakage in acute lung injury, but also provides novel insights into the function and regulation of tight junctions in vascular homeostasis.

Viral evasion of PKR restriction by reprogramming cellular stress granules.

Protein kinase R (PKR) is a critical host restriction factor against invading viral pathogens. However, this molecule is inactivated in the cells infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), an economically devastating pathogen to the world swine industry. Here, we report that this event is to suppress cellular inflammation and is mediated by the viral replicase protein nsp1ß. We show that nsp1ß is a stress-responsive protein, enters virus-induced stress granules (SGs) during infection, and repurposes SGs into a proviral platform, where it co-opts the SG core component G3BP1 to interact with PKR in a regulated manner. RNA interference silencing of G3BP1 or mutation of specific nsp1ß residues (VS19GG) can abolish the antagonization of PKR activation. The viral mutant carrying the corresponding mutations induces elevated level of PKR phosphorylation and pronounced production of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-8), whereas small-interfering RNA knockdown of PKR or treatment with C16, a PKR inhibitor, blocks this effect. Thus, PRRSV has evolved a unique strategy to evade PKR restriction to suppress host inflammatory responses.

The Genetic Variation of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Replicase Protein nsp2 Modulates Viral Virulence and Persistence.

Fast evolution in the field of the replicase nsp2 represents a most prominent feature of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Here, we determined its biological significance in viral pathogenesis by constructing interlineage chimeric mutants between the Chinese highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) strain JXwn06 (lineage 8) and the low-virulent NADC30-like strain CHsx1401 (lineage 1). Replacement with nsp2 from JXwn06 was surprisingly lethal to the backbone virus CHsx1401, but combined substitution with the structural protein-coding region (SP) gave rise to viable virus CHsx1401-SPnsp2JX. Meanwhile, a derivative carrying only the SP region (CHsx1401-SPJX) served as a control. Subsequent animal experiments revealed that acquisition of SP alone (CHsx1401-SPJX) did not allow CHsx1401 to gain much virulence, but additional swapping of HP-PRRSV nsp2 (CHsx1401-SPnsp2JX) enabled CHsx1401 to acquire some properties of HP-PRRSV, exemplified by prolonged high fever, microscopic lung hemorrhage, and a significant increase in proinflammatory cytokines in the acute stage. Consistent with this was the transcriptomic analysis of persistently infected secondary lymphoid tissues that revealed a much stronger induction of host cellular immune responses in this group and identified several core immune genes (e.g., TLR4, IL-1ß, MPO, etc.) regulated by HP-PRRSV nsp2. Interestingly, immune activation status in the individual groups correlated well with the rate of viremia clearance and viral tissue load reduction. Overall, the above results suggest that the Chinese HP-PRRSV nsp2 is a critical virulence regulator and highlight the importance of nsp2 genetic variation in modulating PRRSV virulence and persistence via immune modulation. IMPORTANCE Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been a major threat to the world swine industry. In the field, rapid genetic variations (e.g., deletion, mutation, recombination, etc.) within the nsp2 region present an intriguing conundrum to PRRSV biology and pathogenesis. By making chimeric mutants, here, we show that the Chinese highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) nsp2 is a virulence factor and a much stronger inducer of host immune responses (e.g., inflammation) than its counterpart, currently epidemic, NADC30-like strains. Differences in the ability to modulate host immunity provide insight into the mechanisms of why NADC30-like strains and their derivatives are rising to be the dominant viruses, whereas the Chinese HP-PRRSV strains gradually give away center stage in the field. Our results have important implications in understanding PRRSV evolution, interlineage recombination, and persistence.

Preparation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against porcine gasdermin D protein.

Pyroptosis is a newly discovered type of pro-inflammatory programmed cell death that plays a vital role in various processes such as inflammations, immune responses, and pathogen infections. As one of the main executioners of pyroptosis, gasdermin D (GSDMD) is a membrane pore-forming protein that typically exists in a self-inhibitory state. Once activated, GSDMD will be cleaved into an N-terminal fragment with pore-forming activity, becoming the key indicator of pyroptosis activation, and a C-terminal fragment. Although commercial antibodies against human and murine GSDMD proteins are currently available, their reactivity with porcine GSDMD (pGSDMD) is poor, which limits research on the biological functions of pGSDMD and pyroptosis in pigs in vivo and in vitro. Here, five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were prepared by immunizing BALB/c mice with procaryotically expressed full-length pGSDMD, all of which did not cross react with human and murine GSDMD proteins. Epitope mapping demonstrated that 15H6 recognizes amino acids (aa) at positions 28-34 of pGSDMD (LQTSDRF), 19H3 recognizes 257-260aa (PPQF), 23H10 and 27A10 recognize 78-82aa (GPFYF), and 25E2 recognizes 429-435aa (PPTLLGS). The affinity constant and isotype of 15H6, 19H3, 23H10, 27A10, and 25E2 mAbs were determined to be 1.32 × 10-9, 3.66 × 10-9, 9.04 × 10-9, 1.83 × 10-9, and 8.00 × 10-8 mol/L and IgG1/κ, IgG2a/κ, IgG2a/κ, IgG1/κ, and IgG1/κ, respectively. Heavy- and light-chain variable regions sequencing showed that the heavy-chain complementarity-determining region (CDR) sequences of all five mAbs are completely different, while the light-chain CDR sequences of the four mAbs that recognize the N-terminus of pGSDMD are identical. Our prepared mAbs provide valuable materials for studying pGSDMD function and pyroptosis. KEY POINTS: • A total of five mouse anti-pGSDMD mAbs were prepared, of which four recognize the N-terminus of pGSDMD and one recognize its C-terminus. • The main performance parameters of the five mAbs, including epitope, antibody titer, affinity constant, isotype, and heavy- and light-chain CDR, were characterized. • All five mAbs specifically recognize pGSDMD protein and do not cross react with human and murine GSDMD proteins.

Identification of an Intramolecular Switch That Controls the Interaction of Helicase nsp10 with Membrane-Associated nsp12 of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus.

A critical step in replication of positive-stranded RNA viruses is the assembly of replication and transcription complexes (RTC). We have recently mapped the nonstructural protein (nsp) interaction network of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and provided evidence by truncation mutagenesis that the recruitment of viral core replicase enzymes (nsp9 and nsp10) to membrane proteins (nsp2, nsp3, nsp5, and nsp12) is subject to regulation. Here, we went further to discover an intramolecular switch within the helicase nsp10 that controls its interaction with the membrane-associated protein nsp12. Deletion of nsp10 linker region amino acids 124 to 133, connecting domain 1B to 1A, led to complete relocalization and colocalization in the cells coexpressing nsp12. Moreover, single-amino-acid substitutions (e.g., nsp10 E131A and I132A) were sufficient to enable the nsp10-nsp12 interaction. Further proof came from membrane floatation assays that revealed a clear movement of nsp10 mutants, but not wild-type nsp10, toward the top of sucrose gradients in the presence of nsp12. Interestingly, the same mutations were not able to activate the nsp10-nsp2/3 interaction, suggesting a differential requirement for conformation. Reverse genetics analysis showed that PRRSV mutants carrying the single substitutions were not viable and were defective in subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) accumulation. Together, our results provide strong evidence for a regulated interaction between nsp10 and nsp12 and suggest an essential role for an orchestrated RTC assembly in sgRNA synthesis. IMPORTANCE Assembly of replication and transcription complexes (RTC) is a limiting step for viral RNA synthesis. The PRRSV RTC macromolecular complexes are comprised of mainly viral nonstructural replicase proteins (nsps), but how they come together remains elusive. We previously showed that viral helicase nsp10 interacts nsp12 in a regulated manner by truncation mutagenesis. Here, we revealed that the interaction is controlled by single residues within the domain linker region of nsp10. Moreover, the activation mutations lead to defects in viral sgRNA synthesis. Our results provide important insight into the mechanisms of PRRSV RTC assembly and regulation of viral sgRNA synthesis.

Induction of Rod-Shaped Structures by Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein I.

The envelope glycoprotein I (gI) of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a critical mediator of virus-induced cell-to-cell spread and cell-cell fusion. Here, we report a previously unrecognized property of this molecule. In transfected cells, the HSV-1 gI was discovered to induce rod-shaped structures that were uniform in width but variable in length. Moreover, the gI within these structures was conformationally different from the typical form of gI, as a previously used monoclonal antibody mAb3104 and a newly made peptide antibody to the gI extracellular domain (ECD) (amino acids [aa] 110 to 202) both failed to stain the long rod-shaped structures, suggesting the formation of a higher-order form. Consistent with this observation, we found that gI could self-interact and that the rod-shaped structures failed to recognize glycoprotein E, the well-known binding partner of gI. Further analyses by deletion mutagenesis and construction of chimeric mutants between gI and gD revealed that the gI ECD is the critical determinant, whereas the transmembrane domain served merely as an anchor. The critical amino acids were subsequently mapped to proline residues 184 and 188 within a conserved PXXXP motif. Reverse genetics analyses showed that the ability to induce a rod-shaped structure was not required for viral replication and spread in cell culture but rather correlated positively with the capability of the virus to induce cell fusion in the UL24syn background. Together, this work discovered a novel feature of HSV-1 gI that may have important implications in understanding gI function in viral spread and pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE The HSV-1 gI is required for viral cell-to-cell spread within the host, but the molecular mechanisms of how gI exactly works have remained poorly understood. Here, we report a novel property of this molecule, namely, induction of rod-shaped structures, which appeared to represent a higher-order form of gI. We further mapped the critical residues and showed that the ability of gI to induce rod-shaped structures correlated well with the capability of HSV-1 to induce cell fusion in the UL24syn background, suggesting that the two events may have an intrinsic link. Our results shed light on the biological properties of HSV-1 gI and may have important implications in understanding viral pathogenesis.

Reprogramming the unfolded protein response for replication by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) constitutes a critical component of host innate immunity against microbial infections. In this report, we show that porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) utilizes the UPR machinery for its own benefit. We provide evidence that the virus targets the UPR central regulator GRP78 for proteasomal degradation via a mechanism that requires viral glycoprotein GP2a, while both IRE1-XBP1s and PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 signaling branches of the UPR are turned on at early stage of infection. The activated effector XBP1s was found to enter the nucleus, but ATF4 was unexpectedly diverted to cytoplasmic viral replication complexes by means of nonstructural proteins nsp2/3 to promote viral RNA synthesis. RNAi knockdown of either ATF4 or XBP1s dramatically attenuated virus titers, while overexpression caused increases. These observations reveal attractive host targets (e.g., ATF4 and XBP1s) for antiviral drugs and have implications in vaccine development.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells Infected with Porcine Deltacoronavirus Using iTRAQ-Coupled LC-MS/MS.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emergent enteropathogenic coronavirus associated with swine diarrhea. Porcine small intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC) are the primary target cells of PDCoV infection in vivo. Here, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labeling coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to quantitatively identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in PDCoV-infected IPEC-J2 cells. A total of 78 DEPs, including 23 upregulated and 55 downregulated proteins, were identified at 24 h postinfection. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD019975. To ensure reliability of the proteomics data, two randomly selected DEPs, the downregulated anaphase-promoting complex subunit 7 (ANAPC7) and upregulated interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1), were verified by real-time PCR and Western blot, and the results of which indicate that the proteomics data were reliable and valid. Bioinformatics analyses, including GO, COG, KEGG, and STRING, further demonstrated that a majority of the DEPs are involved in numerous crucial biological processes and signaling pathways, such as immune system, digestive system, signal transduction, RIG-I-like receptor, mTOR, PI3K-AKT, autophagy, and cell cycle signaling pathways. Altogether, this is the first study on proteomes of PDCoV-infected host cells, which shall provide valuable clues for further investigation of PDCoV pathogenesis.

The nsp2 Hypervariable Region of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain JXwn06 Is Associated with Viral Cellular Tropism to Primary Porcine Alveolar Macrophages.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) poses a major threat to global pork production and has been notorious for its rapid genetic evolution in the field. The nonstructural protein 2 (nsp2) replicase protein represents the fastest evolving region of PRRSV, but the underlying biological significance has remained poorly understood. By deletion mutagenesis, we discovered that the nsp2 hypervariable region plays an important role in controlling the balance of genomic mRNA and a subset of subgenomic mRNAs. More significantly, we revealed an unexpected link of the nsp2 hypervariable region to viral tropism. Specifically, a mutant of the Chinese highly pathogenic PRRSV strain JXwn06 carrying a deletion spanning nsp2 amino acids 323 to 521 (nsp2Δ323-521) in its hypervariable region was found to lose infectivity in primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), although it could replicate relatively efficiently in the supporting cell line MARC-145. Consequently, this mutant failed to establish an infection in piglets. Further dissection of the viral life cycle revealed that the mutant had a defect (or defects) lying in the steps between virus penetration and negative-stranded RNA synthesis. Taken together, our results reveal novel functions of nsp2 in the PRRSV life cycle and provide important insights into the mechanisms of PRRSV RNA synthesis and cellular tropism.IMPORTANCE The PRRSV nsp2 replicase protein undergoes rapid and broad genetic variations in its middle region in the field, but the underlying significance has remained enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that the nsp2 hypervariable region not only plays an important regulatory role in maintaining the balance of different viral mRNA species but also regulates PRRSV tropism to primary PAMs. Our results reveal novel functions for PRRSV nsp2 and have important implications for understanding the mechanisms of PRRSV RNA synthesis and cellular tropism.

The S Gene Is Necessary but Not Sufficient for the Virulence of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Novel Variant Strain BJ2011C.

The recently emerged highly virulent variants of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) have caused colossal economic losses to the worldwide swine industry. In this study, we investigated the viral virulence determinants by constructing a series of chimeric mutants between the highly virulent strain BJ2011C and the avirulent strain CHM2013. When tested in the 2-day-old piglet model, wild-type (WT) BJ2011C caused severe diarrhea and death of the piglets within 72 h. In contrast, its chimeric derivative carrying the S gene from CHM2013 (BJ2011C-SCHM) was avirulent to the piglets. Moreover, reciprocal substitution of the BJ2011C S gene (CHM2013-SBJ) did not enable CHM2013 to gain any virulence. However, when the whole structural protein-coding region of BJ2011C (CHM2013-SPBJ) was swapped, CHM2013 started to gain the ability to efficiently colonize the intestinal tract and caused diarrhea in piglets. A further gain of virulence required additional acquisition of the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of BJ2011C, and the resultant virus (CHM2013-SP + 3UTRBJ) caused more severe diarrhea and death of piglets. Together, our findings suggest that the virulence of PEDV epidemic strains is a multigenic event and that the S gene is only one of the necessary determinants.IMPORTANCE The recently emerged highly virulent PEDV variants are the major cause of the global porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) pandemic. The S gene of the variants undergoes remarkable variations and has been thought to be the virulence determinant for the enhanced pathogenesis. Our studies here showed that the S gene is only part of the story and that full virulence requires cooperation from other genes. Our findings provide insight into the pathogenic mechanism of the highly virulent PEDV variants and have implications for future vaccine development.

Mapping the Nonstructural Protein Interaction Network of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a positive-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Arteriviridae Synthesis of the viral RNA is directed by replication/transcription complexes (RTC) that are mainly composed of a network of PRRSV nonstructural proteins (nsps) and likely cellular proteins. Here, we mapped the interaction network among PRRSV nsps by using yeast two-hybrid screening in conjunction with coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) and cotransfection assays. We identified a total of 24 novel interactions and found that the interactions were centered on open reading frame 1b (ORF1b)-encoded nsps that were mainly connected by the transmembrane proteins nsp2, nsp3, and nsp5. Interestingly, the interactions of the core enzymes nsp9 and nsp10 with transmembrane proteins did not occur in a straightforward manner, as they worked in the co-IP assay but were poorly capable of finding each other within intact mammalian cells. Further proof that they can interact within cells required the engineering of N-terminal truncations of both nsp9 and nsp10. However, despite the poor colocalization relationship in cotransfected cells, both nsp9 and nsp10 came together with membrane proteins (e.g., nsp2) at the viral replication and transcription complexes (RTC) in PRRSV-infected cells. Thus, our results indicate the existence of a complex interaction network among PRRSV nsps and raise the possibility that the recruitment of key replicase proteins to membrane-associated nsps may involve some regulatory mechanisms during infection.IMPORTANCE Synthesis of PRRSV RNAs within host cells depends on the efficient and correct assembly of RTC that takes places on modified intracellular membranes. As an important step toward dissecting this poorly understood event, we investigated the interaction network among PRRSV nsps. Our studies established a comprehensive interaction map for PRRSV nsps and revealed important players within the network. The results also highlight the likely existence of a regulated recruitment of the PRRSV core enzymes nsp9 and nsp10 to viral membrane nsps during PRRSV RTC assembly.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus S1 protein is the critical inducer of apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) is an acute and highly contagious enteric disease caused by PED virus (PEDV), characterized by vomitting, watery diarrhea and fatal dehydration with high mortality in sucking piglets of one week of age. Although PEDV induced cell apoptosis has been established in vitro and in vivo, the functional protein that contributes to this event remains unclear. METHODS: The activation or cleavage of main apoptosis-associated molecular such as AIFM1, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 and PARP in PEDV infected host cells were analyzed by western blotting. The nuclear change of infected cell was monitored by confocal immunofluorescence assay. The overexpressing plasmids of 16 non-structural proteins (Nsp1-16) and 6 structural proteins (M, N, E, ORF3, S1 and S2) were constructed by cloning. Cell apoptosis induced by PEDV or overexpression non-structural or structural proteins was measured by the flow cytometry assay. RESULTS: PEDV could infect various host cells including Vero, Vero-E6 and Marc-145 and cause obvious cytopathic effects, including roundup, cell fusion, cell membrane vacuolation, syncytium formation and cause apparent apoptosis. In infected cells, PEDV-induced apoptosis is accompanied by nuclear concentration and fragmentation as a result of caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation and AIFM1 and PARP cleavage. Overexpression of S1 Spike protein of PEDV SM98 strain effectively induced host cell apoptosis, while the expression of the other non-structure proteins (Nsp1-16) and structural proteins (M, N, E, S2 and ORF3) has no or less effect on cell apoptosis. Similarly, expression of S1 protein from wild-type strain BJ2011 or cell-adapted strain CV777, also induce apoptosis in transfected cells. Finally, we demonstrated that the S1 proteins from various coronavirus family members such as TGEV, IBV, CCoV, SARS and MERS could also induce Vero-E6 cells apoptosis. CONCLUSION: S1 Spike protein is one of the most critical functional proteins that contribute to cell apoptosis. Expression of S1 proteins of the coronavirus tested in this study could all induce cell apoptosis suggesting S1 maybe is an effective inducer in Coronavirus-induced cell apoptosis and targeting S1 protein expression probably is a promising strategy to inhibit coronavirus infection and thus mediated apoptosis on host cells.

Targeting Swine Leukocyte Antigen Class I Molecules for Proteasomal Degradation by the nsp1α Replicase Protein of the Chinese Highly Pathogenic Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain JXwn06.

UNLABELLED: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a critical pathogen of swine, and infections by this virus often result in delayed, low-level induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in pigs. Here, we report that a Chinese highly pathogenic PRRSV strain possessed the ability to downregulate swine leukocyte antigen class I (SLA-I) molecules on the cell surface of porcine alveolar macrophages and target them for degradation in a manner that was dependent on the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Moreover, we found that the nsp1α replicase protein contributed to this property of PRRSV. Further mutagenesis analyses revealed that this function of nsp1α required the intact molecule, including the zinc finger domain, but not the cysteine protease activity. More importantly, we found that nsp1α was able to interact with both chains of SLA-I, a requirement that is commonly needed for many viral proteins to target their cellular substrates for proteasomal degradation. Together, our findings provide critical insights into the mechanisms of how PRRSV might evade cellular immunity and also add a new role for nsp1α in PRRSV infection. IMPORTANCE: PRRSV infections often result in delayed, low-level induction of CTL responses in pigs. Deregulation of this immunity is thought to prevent the virus from clearance in an efficient and timely manner, contributing to persistent infections in swineherds. Our studies in this report provide critical insight into the mechanism of how PRRSV might evade CTL responses. In addition, our findings add a new role for nsp1α, a critical viral factor involved in antagonizing host innate immunity.

Epitope mapping and characterization of a novel Nsp10-specific monoclonal antibody that differentiates genotype 2 PRRSV from genotype 1 PRRSV.

BACKGROUND: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), the causative agent of PRRS, has two distinct and highly diverse genotypes (genotype 1 and genotype 2) in the field. Accurate diagnosis and differentiation of the two genotypes of PRRSV are critical to the effective prevention and control of PRRS. The non-structural protein 10 (Nsp10) plays a vital role in viral replication and is one of the most conserved proteins of PRRSV, thus constituting a good candidate for PRRSV diagnosis. RESULTS: In this study, we generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) 4D9 against Nsp10 by immunizing BALB/c mice with purified recombinant Nsp10 expressed by an Escherichia coli system. Through fine epitope mapping of mAb 4D9 using a panel of eukaryotic expressed polypeptides with GFP-tags, we identified the motif 286AIQPDYRDKL295 as the minimal unit of the linear B-cell epitope recognized by mAb 4D9. Protein sequence alignment indicated that 286AIQPDYRDKL295 was highly conserved in genotype 2 PRRSV strains, whereas genotype 1 PRRSV strains had variable amino acids in this motif. Furthermore, a mutant of the motif carrying two constant amino acids of genotype 1 PRRSV, Cys290 and Glu293, failed to react with mAb 4D9. More importantly, the mAb 4D9 could differentiate genotype 2 PRRSV strains from genotype 1 PRRSV strains using Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that Nsp10-specific mAb generated in this study could be a useful tool for basic research and may facilitate the establishment of diagnostic methods to discriminate between genotype 1 and genotype 2 PRRSV infection.

Interleukin-2 enhancer binding factor 2 interacts with the nsp9 or nsp2 of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and exerts negatively regulatory effect on the viral replication.

BACKGROUND: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes reproductive failures in sows and respiratory diseases in growing pigs, resulting in huge economic loss for the pig production worldwide. The nonstructural protein 9 (nsp9) and nonstructural protein 2 (nsp2) of PRRSV are known to play important roles in viral replication. Cellular interleukin-2 enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) participates in many cellular pathways and involves in life cycle of some viruses. In the present study, we analyzed the interaction of cellular ILF2 with the nsp9 and nsp2 of PRRSV in vitro and explored the effect of ILF2 on viral replication. METHODS: The interaction of ILF2 with the nsp9 or nsp2 of PRRSV was analyzed in 293FT cells and MARC-145 cells by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and the co-localization of ILF2 with the nsp9 or nsp2 of PRRSV in MARC-145 cell and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) was examined by confocal immunofluorescence assay. The effect of ILF2 knockdown and over-expression on PRRSV replication was explored in MARC-145 cells by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and lentivirus transduction, respectively. RESULTS: The interaction of ILF2 with nsp9 or nsp2 was first demonstrated in 293FT cells co-transfected with ILF2-expressing plasmid and nsp9-expressing plasmid or nsp2-expressing plasmid. The interaction of endogenous ILF2 with the nsp9 or nsp2 of PRRSV was further confirmed in MARC-145 cells transduced with GFP-nsp9-expressing lentiviruses or infected with PRRSV JXwn06. The RdRp domain of nsp9 was shown to be responsible for its interaction with ILF2, while three truncated nsp2 were shown to interact with ILF2. Moreover, we observed that ILF2 partly translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and co-localized with nsp9 and nsp2 in PRRSV-infected MARC-145 cells and PAMs. Finally, our analysis indicated that knockdown of ILF2 favored the replication of PRRSV, while over-expression of ILF2 impaired the viral replication in MARC-145 cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings are the first to confirm that the porcine ILF2 interacts with the nsp9 and nsp2 of PRRSV in vitro, and exerts negatively regulatory effect on the replication of PRRSV. Our present study provides more evidence for understanding the roles of the interactions between cellular proteins and viral proteins in the replication of PRRSV.

Nsp9 and Nsp10 contribute to the fatal virulence of highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus emerging in China.

Atypical porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which is caused by the Chinese highly pathogenic PRRS virus (HP-PRRSV), has resulted in large economic loss to the swine industry since its outbreak in 2006. However, to date, the region(s) within the viral genome that are related to the fatal virulence of HP-PRRSV remain unknown. In the present study, we generated a series of full-length infectious cDNA clones with swapped coding regions between the highly pathogenic RvJXwn and low pathogenic RvHB-1/3.9. Next, the in vitro and in vivo replication and pathogenicity for piglets of the rescued chimeric viruses were systematically analyzed and compared with their backbone viruses. First, we swapped the regions including the 5'UTR+ORF1a, ORF1b, and structural proteins (SPs)-coding region between the two viruses and demonstrated that the nonstructural protein-coding region, ORF1b, is directly related to the fatal virulence and increased replication efficiency of HP-PRRSV both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we substituted the nonstructural protein (Nsp) 9-, Nsp10-, Nsp11- and Nsp12-coding regions separately; or Nsp9- and Nsp10-coding regions together; or Nsp9-, Nsp10- and Nsp11-coding regions simultaneously between the two viruses. Our results indicated that the HP-PRRSV Nsp9- and Nsp10-coding regions together are closely related to the replication efficiency in vitro and in vivo and are related to the increased pathogenicity and fatal virulence for piglets. Our findings suggest that Nsp9 and Nsp10 together contribute to the fatal virulence of HP-PRRSV emerging in China, helping to elucidate the pathogenesis of this virus.

Nonstructural proteins 2C and 3D are involved in autophagy as induced by the encephalomyocarditis virus.

BACKGROUND: Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) can infect a variety of animal species and humans. Although the EMCV infection is known to induce autophagy to promote its replication in host cells, the viral proteins that are responsible for inducing autophagy are unknown. METHODS: The recombinant plasmids that were expressing the EMCV proteins were constructed to analyze the role of each protein in the induction of autophagy. Autophagy inductions by the EMCV proteins in BHK-21 cells were investigated by confocal microscopy, Western blotting and transmission electron microscopy. ER stress in BHK-21 cells was examined by detecting the marker molecules using western blotting and luciferase assays. RESULTS: This study presents the first demonstration that the nonstructural proteins 2C or 3D of EMCV were involved in inducing autophagy in BHK-21 cells that were expressing 2C or 3D, and we found that inhibiting Beclin1 expression influenced this autophagy induction process. Next, 2C and 3D were shown to be involved in inducing autophagy by activating the ER stress pathway. Finally, EMCV 2C or 3D were demonstrated to regulate the proteins associated with PERK and ATF6alpha pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that 2C and 3D are involved in EMCV-induced autophagy by activating ER stress molecules and regulating the proteins expression associated with UPR pathway, helping to better understand the EMCV-induced autophagy process.

Characterisation of novel linear antigen epitopes on North American-type porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus M protein.

The M protein, encoded by the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) ORF6 gene, is considered to be one of the most conserved PRRSV proteins. In recent decades, highly specific monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) have been exploited to provide reliable diagnoses for many diseases. In this study, two different Mab clones targeting the linear epitopes on the PRRSV M protein were generated and characterized. Both Mabs showed binding activity against the native PRRSV virion and recombinant M protein when analyzed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and Western blot. The targeted epitope of each Mab was mapped by serial truncation of the M protein to generate overlapping fragments. Fine epitope mapping was then performed using a panel of expressed polypeptides. The polypeptide sequences of the two epitopes recognized by Mabs 1C8 and 3F7 were (3)SSLD(6) and (155)VLGGRKAVK(163), respectively, with the former being a newly identified epitope on the M protein. In both cases, these two epitopes were finely mapped for the first time. Alignments of Mab epitope sequences revealed that the two epitopes on the M protein were highly conserved between the North American-type strains. These Mabs, along with their mapped epitopes, are useful for the development of diagnostic and research tools, including immunofluorescence, ELISA and Western blot.

African swine fever virus structural protein p17 inhibits IRF3 activation by recruiting host protein PR65A and inducing apoptotic degradation of STING.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is notoriously known for evolving strategies to modulate IFN signaling. Despite lots of efforts, the underlying mechanisms have remained incompletely understood. This study concerns the regulatory role of viral inner membrane protein p17. We found that the ASFV p17 shows a preferential interaction with cGAS-STING-IRF3 pathway, but not the RIG-I-MAVS-NF-κB signaling, and can inhibit both poly(I:C)- and poly(A:T)-induced activation of IRF3, leading to attenuation of IFN-ß induction. Mechanistically, p17 interacts with STING and IRF3 and recruits host scaffold protein PR65A, a subunit of cellular phosphatase PP2A, to down-regulate the level of p-IRF3. Also, p17 targets STING for partial degradation via induction of cellular apoptosis that consequently inhibits activation of both p-TBK1 and p-IRF3. Thus, our findings reveal novel regulatory mechanisms for p17 modulation of IFN signaling and shed light on the intricate interplay between ASFV proteins and host immunity.