Genetic Characterization of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N8) Virus from Domestic Ducks, England, November 2014.

Genetic sequences of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) virus in England have high homology to those detected in mainland Europe and Asia during 2014. Genetic characterization suggests this virus is an avian-adapted virus without specific affinity for zoonoses. Spatio-temporal detections of H5N8 imply a role for wild birds in virus spread.

Hyperdynamic microtubules, cognitive deficits, and pathology are improved in tau transgenic mice with low doses of the microtubule-stabilizing agent BMS-241027.

Tau is a microtubule (MT)-stabilizing protein that is altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. It is hypothesized that the hyperphosphorylated, conformationally altered, and multimeric forms of tau lead to a disruption of MT stability; however, direct evidence is lacking in vivo. In this study, an in vivo stable isotope-mass spectrometric technique was used to measure the turnover, or dynamicity, of MTs in brains of living animals. We demonstrated an age-dependent increase in MT dynamics in two different tau transgenic mouse models, 3xTg and rTg4510. MT hyperdynamicity was dependent on tau expression, since a reduction of transgene expression with doxycycline reversed the MT changes. Treatment of rTg4510 mice with the epothilone, BMS-241027, also restored MT dynamics to baseline levels. In addition, MT stabilization with BMS-241027 had beneficial effects on Morris water maze deficits, tau pathology, and neurodegeneration. Interestingly, pathological and functional benefits of BMS-241027 were observed at doses that only partially reversed MT hyperdynamicity. Together, these data suggest that tau-mediated loss of MT stability may contribute to disease progression and that very low doses of BMS-241027 may be useful in the treatment of AD and other tauopathies.

Challenges for accurate and prompt molecular diagnosis of clades of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses emerging in Vietnam.

Forty-six chickens and 48 ducks were sampled from four Vietnamese poultry premises in 2009 infected with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.2 and 2.3.4 viruses, which also differed by cleavage site (CS) sequences in their haemagglutinin (HA) genes. All clinical specimens (n=282), namely tracheal and cloacal swabs plus feathers, were tested by five Eurasian reverse-transcriptase AI RealTime polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) methods. Bayesian modelling showed similar high sensitivity for the validated H5 HA2 RRT-PCR and a new modified M-gene RRT-PCR that utilizes lyophilized reagents. Both were more sensitive than the validated "wet" M-gene RRT-PCR. Another RRT-PCR, which targeted the H5-gene CS region, was effective for clade 2.3.4 detection, but severely compromised for clade 2.3.2 viruses. Reduced sensitivity of the H5 CS and "wet" M-gene RRT-PCRs correlated with mismatches between the target and the primer and/or probe sequences. However, the H5 HA2 RRT-PCR sensitively detected both clade 2.3.2 and 2.3.4 viruses, and agreed with N1 RRT-PCR results. Feather testing from diseased chicken and duck flocks by AI RRT-PCRs resulted in the most sensitive identification of H5N1 HPAI-infected birds. Evolution of new H5N1 HPAI clades remains a concern for currently affected Asian countries, but also for more distant regions where it is important to be prepared for new incursions of H5N1 HPAI viruses. Genetic evidence for adamantane resistance and sensitivity was also observed in isolates from both clades.

Rapid PCR-based molecular pathotyping of H5 and H7 avian influenza viruses.

While the majority of avian influenza virus (AIV) subtypes are classified as low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAIV), the H5 and H7 subtypes have the ability to mutate to highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) in poultry and therefore are the etiological agents of notifiable AIV (NAIV). It is of great importance to distinguish HPAIV from LPAIV variants during H5/H7 outbreaks and surveillance. To this end, a novel and fast strategy for the molecular pathotyping of H5/H7 AIVs is presented. The differentiation of the characteristic hemagglutinin (HA) protein cleavage sites (CSs) of HPAIVs and LPAIVs is achieved by a novel PCR method where the samples are interrogated for all existing CSs with a 484-plex primer mixture directly targeting the CS region. CSs characteristic for HP or LP H5/H7 viruses are distinguished in a seminested duplex real-time PCR format using plexor fluorogenic primers. Eighty-six laboratory isolates and 60 characterized NAIV-positive clinical specimens from poultry infected with H5/H7 both experimentally and in the field were successfully pathotyped in the validation. The method has the potential to substitute CS sequencing in the HA gene for the determination of the molecular pathotype, thereby providing a rapid means to acquire additional information concerning NAIV outbreaks, which may be critical to their management. The new assay may be extended to the LP/HP differentiation of previously unknown H5/H7 isolates. It may be considered for integration into surveillance and control programs in both domestic and wild bird populations.

Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences for the HN gene of 22 avian paramyxovirus type 2 viruses reveals marked heterogeneity.

The nucleotide sequence of the HN gene was determined for 21 isolates of avian paramyxovirus type 2 virus and compared with the published HN gene of APMV-2/chicken/California/Yucaipa/56. The HN gene of the 22 viruses had five different lengths in the range of 1737 to 1755 nucleotides coding for 579 to 585 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of a corresponding 1734-nucleotide sequence from the HN gene of each virus established five genetic groups (I to V), two of which (II and IV) could be divided into two sub-groups (IIa and IIb; and IVa and IVb). Although there were some exceptions, generally isolates placed in the same genetic group had >80% similarity in nucleotide sequence and <80% with the other isolates; while those in the same sub-group had >90% nucleotide sequence similarity.

Accumulation of pathological tau species and memory loss in a conditional model of tauopathy.

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, but recent studies in a conditional mouse model of tauopathy (rTg4510) have suggested that NFT formation can be dissociated from memory loss and neurodegeneration. This suggests that NFTs are not the major neurotoxic tau species, at least during the early stages of pathogenesis. To identify other neurotoxic tau protein species, we performed biochemical analyses on brain tissues from the rTg4510 mouse model and then correlated the levels of these tau proteins with memory loss. We describe the identification and characterization of two forms of tau multimers (140 and 170 kDa), whose molecular weight suggests an oligomeric aggregate, that accumulate early in the pathogenic cascade in this mouse model. Similar tau multimers were detected in a second mouse model of tauopathy (JNPL3) and in tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease and FTDP-17 (frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17). Moreover, levels of the tau multimers correlated consistently with memory loss at various ages in the rTg4510 mouse model. Our findings suggest that accumulation of early-stage aggregated tau species, before the formation of NFT, is associated with the development of functional deficits during the pathogenic progression of tauopathy.

Abnormal long-lasting synaptic plasticity and cognition in mice lacking the mental retardation gene Pak3.

Mutations in the Pak3 gene lead to nonsyndromic mental retardation characterized by selective deficits in cognition. However, the underlying mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. We report here that the knock-out mice deficient in the expression of p21-activated kinase 3 (PAK3) exhibit significant abnormalities in synaptic plasticity, specifically hippocampal late-phase long-term potentiation, and deficiencies in learning and memory. A dramatic reduction in the active form of transcription factor cAMP-responsive element-binding protein in the knock-out mice implicates a novel signaling mechanism by which PAK3 and Rho signaling regulate synaptic function and cognition.

Wild waterfowl migration and domestic duck density shape the epidemiology of highly pathogenic H5N8 influenza in the Republic of Korea.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses threaten human and animal health yet their emergence is poorly understood, partly because sampling of the HPAI Asian-origin H5N1 lineage immediately after its identification in 1996 was comparatively sparse. The discovery of a novel H5N8 virus in 2013 provides a new opportunity to investigate HPAI emergence in greater detail. Here we investigate the origin and transmission of H5N8 in the Republic of Korea, the second country to report the new strain. We reconstruct viral spread using phylogeographic methods and interpret the results in the context of ecological data on poultry density, overwintering wild bird numbers, and bird migration patterns. Our results indicate that wild waterfowl migration and domestic duck density were important to H5N8 epidemiology. Specifically, we infer that H5N8 entered the Republic of Korea via Jeonbuk province, then spread rapidly among western provinces where densities of overwintering waterfowl and domestic ducks are higher, yet rarely persisted in eastern regions. The common ancestor of H5N8 in the Republic of Korea was estimated to have arrived during the peak of inward migration of overwintering birds. Recent virus isolations likely represent re-introductions via bird migration from an as-yet unsampled reservoir. Based on the limited data from outside the Republic of Korea, our data suggest that H5N8 may have entered Europe at least twice, and Asia at least three times from this reservoir, most likely carried by wild migrating birds.

Impaired conditioned taste aversion learning in APP transgenic mice.

Cognition in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been predominantly characterized in explicit spatial orientation tasks. However, dementia in AD encompasses also implicit memory systems. In the present study a line of transgenic mice (TgCRND8) encoding a double mutated allele of the human amyloid precursor protein (APP) genes was evaluated in an implicit associative learning task of conditioned taste aversion (CTA). CTA is a form of Pavlovian classical conditioning, in which a mouse learns to avoid a novel taste of saccharine (conditioned stimulus) paired with an experimentally induced (systemic injection of lithium chloride) nausea (unconditioned stimulus). In contrast to conditioned non-Tg mice, TgCRND8 APP mice developed weaker aversion against saccharine and quickly increased its consumption in repeated tests. These results indicate that TgCRND8 mice show a significant impairment not only in explicit spatial memory, as has been previously shown [Nature 408 (2000) 979], but also in implicit memory. Control experiments confirmed that TgCRND8 and non-Tg mice had comparable taste sensitivities in response to appetitive as well as aversive tastes. The study suggests that the CTA paradigm can be a sensitive tool to evaluate deficits in implicit associative learning in APP transgenic mouse models of AD.

Normal cognition in transgenic BRI2-Aß mice.

BACKGROUND: Recent research in Alzheimer's disease (AD) field has been focused on the potential role of the amyloid-ß protein that is derived from the transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP) in directly mediating cognitive impairment in AD. Transgenic mouse models overexpressing APP develop robust AD-like amyloid pathology in the brain and show various levels of cognitive decline. In the present study, we examined the cognition of the BRI2-Aß transgenic mouse model in which secreted extracellular Aß1-40, Aß1-42 or both Aß1-40/Aß1-42 peptides are generated from the BRI-Aß fusion proteins encoded by the transgenes. BRI2-Aß mice produce high levels of Aß peptides and BRI2-Aß1-42 mice develop amyloid pathology that is similar to the pathology observed in mutant human APP transgenic models. RESULTS: Using established behavioral tests that reveal deficits in APP transgenic models, BRI2-Aß1-42 mice showed completely intact cognitive performance at ages both pre and post amyloid plaque formation. BRI2-Aß mice producing Aß1-40 or both peptides were also cognitively intact. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that high levels of Aß1-40 or Aß1-42, or both produced in the absence of APP overexpression do not reproduce memory deficits observed in APP transgenic mouse models. This outcome is supportive of recent data suggesting that APP processing derivatives or the overexpression of full length APP may contribute to cognitive decline in APP transgenic mouse models. Alternatively, Aß aggregates may impact cognition by a mechanism that is not fully recapitulated in these BRI2-Aß mouse models.

Age-related increase in amyloid plaque burden is associated with impairment in conditioned fear memory in CRND8 mouse model of amyloidosis.

INTRODUCTION: The current pathological confirmation of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still based on postmortem identification of parenchymal amyloid beta (Aß) plaques, intra-neuronal neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss. The memory deficits that are present in the early stages of AD are linked to the dysfunction of structures in the entorhinal cortex and limbic system, especially the hippocampus and amygdala. Using the CRND8 transgenic mouse model of amyloidosis, which over-expresses a mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene, we evaluated hippocampus-dependent contextual and amygdala-dependent tone fear conditioned (FC) memory, and investigated the relationship between the fear memory indices and Aß plaque burden. METHODS: Mice were tested at three, six, and 12 months of age, which corresponds to early, mild, and severe Aß plaque deposition, following a cross-sectional experimental design. We used a delay version of the fear conditioning paradigm in which tone stimulus was co-terminated with foot-shocks during exploration of the training chamber. The Aß plaque burden was evaluated at each age after the completion of the behavioral tests. RESULTS: CRDN8 mice showed context fear memory comparable to control mice at three and six months, but were significantly impaired at 12 months of age. In contrast, the tone fear memory was significantly impaired in the model at each age of testing. The Aß plaque burden significantly increased with age, and was correlated with the overall impairment in context and tone fear memory in the CRND8 mice within the studied age. CONCLUSIONS: Our data extend previous studies showing that other APP mouse models exhibit impairment in fear conditioned memory, by demonstrating that this impairment is progressive and correlates well with an overall increase in Aß burden. Also, the demonstrated greater sensitivity of the tone conditioning test in the identification of age dependent differences between CRND8 and control mice suggests that this paradigm might be particularly suitable in studies evaluating potential therapeutics related to memory improvement in mouse models of amyloidosis.

Sex difference in pathology and memory decline in rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy.

Abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein is a common event in many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. We investigated the relationship between hyperphosphorylated tau in brain extracts and mnemonic functions in rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. We report that rTg4510 mice showed rapid deterioration in spatial learning and memory, which paralleled a significant increase of hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain between 3 and 5.5 months of age. At 5.5 months, rTg4510 females showed significantly higher levels of hyperphosphorylated tau than males, with no evidence of differential tau transgene expression between the sexes. The increased levels of hyperphosphorylated tau in females were associated with more severe impairment in spatial learning and memory as compared to transgenic males. We also showed that within studied age range, the decrease in memory performance was accompanied by other behavioral disturbances in the water maze related to search strategy, like thigmotaxic swim and cue response. These findings suggest that the onset of abnormal tau biochemistry and coincident cognitive deficits in the rTg4510 mouse model is sex-dependent with females being affected earlier and more aggressively than males.

Increased aggression in males in transgenic Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Behavioural and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia encompass a wide range of neuropsychiatric disturbances which coincide with progressing cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Physical aggression and agitation, which occurs in 20-65% of AD patients, is physically and emotionally stressful, not only to patients but also to immediate family and caregivers. The exact mechanisms underlying the increased aggressive behaviour in AD has yet to be elucidated. We used a transgenic mouse model, denoted Tg2576, which over-expresses a mutated human amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene implicated in familial AD, to investigate aggressive behaviour of males at the stage of amyloid beta pathology preceding overt amyloid plaque deposition in the brain. The aggressive behaviour of transgenic and non-transgenic littermate males was evaluated in a standard resident-intruder test in which an isolated resident male responded aggressively toward an experimentally naïve intruder male of A/J strain. We showed that 7-month-old Tg2576 resident males demonstrated significantly higher and unchanged level of aggression towards intruder males during 3 consecutive encounters as compared to their non-transgenic littermate counterparts. These results validate further the Tg2576 mouse model of AD underscoring its usefulness in studying non-mnemonic changes in behaviour related to the disease.

Real time reverse transcription (RRT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for detection of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus and European swine influenza A virus infections in pigs.

BACKGROUND: There is a requirement to detect and differentiate pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (H1N1v) and established swine influenza A viruses (SIVs) by real time reverse transcription (RRT) PCR methods. OBJECTIVES: First, modify an existing matrix (M) gene RRT PCR for sensitive generic detection of H1N1v and other European SIVs. Second, design an H1 RRT PCR to specifically detect H1N1v infections. METHODS: RRT PCR assays were used to test laboratory isolates of SIV (n = 51; 37 European and 14 North American), H1N1v (n = 5) and avian influenza virus (AIV; n = 43). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were calculated for swabs (n = 133) and tissues (n = 116) collected from field cases and pigs infected experimentally with SIVs and H1N1v. RESULTS: The "perfect match" M gene RRT PCR was the most sensitive variant of this test for detection of established European SIVs and H1N1v. H1 RRT PCR specifically detected H1N1v but not European SIVs. Validation with clinical specimens included comparison with virus isolation (VI) as a "gold standard", while field infection with H1N1v in swine was independently confirmed by sequencing H1N1v amplified by conventional RT PCR. "Perfect match" M gene RRT PCR had 100% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity for swabs, 93.6% and 98.6% for tissues. H1 RRT PCR demonstrated sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99.1%, respectively, for the swabs, and 100% and 100% for the tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Two RRT PCRs for the purposes of (i) generic detection of SIV and H1N1v infection in European pigs, and for (ii) specific detection of H1N1v (pandemic influenza) infection were validated.

Replication, pathogenesis and transmission of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in non-immune pigs.

The declaration of the human influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (H1N1/09) raised important questions, including origin and host range [1], [2]. Two of the three pandemics in the last century resulted in the spread of virus to pigs (H1N1, 1918; H3N2, 1968) with subsequent independent establishment and evolution within swine worldwide [3]. A key public and veterinary health consideration in the context of the evolving pandemic is whether the H1N1/09 virus could become established in pig populations [4]. We performed an infection and transmission study in pigs with A/California/07/09. In combination, clinical, pathological, modified influenza A matrix gene real time RT-PCR and viral genomic analyses have shown that infection results in the induction of clinical signs, viral pathogenesis restricted to the respiratory tract, infection dynamics consistent with endemic strains of influenza A in pigs, virus transmissibility between pigs and virus-host adaptation events. Our results demonstrate that extant H1N1/09 is fully capable of becoming established in global pig populations. We also show the roles of viral receptor specificity in both transmission and tissue tropism. Remarkably, following direct inoculation of pigs with virus quasispecies differing by amino acid substitutions in the haemagglutinin receptor-binding site, only virus with aspartic acid at position 225 (225D) was detected in nasal secretions of contact infected pigs. In contrast, in lower respiratory tract samples from directly inoculated pigs, with clearly demonstrable pulmonary pathology, there was apparent selection of a virus variant with glycine (225G). These findings provide potential clues to the existence and biological significance of viral receptor-binding variants with 225D and 225G during the 1918 pandemic [5].

Validated RealTime reverse transcriptase PCR methods for the diagnosis and pathotyping of Eurasian H7 avian influenza viruses.

BACKGROUND: Avian influenza (AI) caused by H7 AI viruses (AIVs) of both low pathogenicity (LP) and high pathogenicity (HP) are notifiable poultry diseases. OBJECTIVES: Design and validate two RealTime reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (RRT PCRs) for Eurasian H7 AIV detection and pathotyping. METHODS: The H7 RRT PCRs amplified within the (i) HA2 and (ii) cleavage site CS regions of the haemagglutinin gene. Both were validated against 65 H7 AIVs, 57 non-H7 AIVs and 259 poultry swabs in comparison to M gene (AI generic) RRT PCR and virus isolation (VI). An additional 38 swabs and 20 tissue specimens extended validation against M gene RRT PCR. RESULTS: Both H7 RRT PCRs amplified all 61 Eurasian lineage H7 AIVs and none of 57 non-H7 AIVs. A total of 297 poultry swabs were used to determine diagnostic sensitivity and specificity relative to M gene RRT PCR, sensitivity was 95.4% and 64.6% for the HA2 and CS RRT PCRs respectively, and specificity 97.9% and 99.6% respectively. The H7 HA2 RRT PCR was more sensitive than VI. This was emphasized by analysis of 37 swabs from turkeys infected experimentally with HPAI H7N1 virus sampled at 24 hours post-inoculation and LPAI H7N1 chicken infections sampled at 40-64 hours. Although less sensitive, usefulness of the H7 CS RRT PCR was confirmed by the correct molecular pathotyping for all 61 Eurasian lineage H7 AIVs tested. CONCLUSIONS: The high sensitivity of H7 HA2 RRT PCR confirms its suitability for use in poultry surveillance and disease diagnosis. H7 CS RRT PCR provides an opportunity for rapid pathotyping of H7 AIVs.

Cortical neuronal and glial pathology in TgTauP301L transgenic mice: neuronal degeneration, memory disturbance, and phenotypic variation.

Recapitulation of tau pathologies in an animal model has been a long-standing goal in neurodegenerative disease research. We generated transgenic (TgTauP301L) mice expressing a frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTPD-17) mutation within the longest form of tau (2N, 4R). TgTauP301L mice developed florid pathology including neuronal pretangles, numerous Gallyas-Braak-positive neurofibrillary tangles, and glial fibrillary tangles in the frontotemporal areas of the cerebrum, in the brainstem, and to a lesser extent in the spinal cord. These features were accompanied by gliosis, neuronal loss, and cerebral atrophy. Accumulated tau was hyperphosphorylated, conformationally changed, ubiquitinated, and sarkosyl-insoluble, with electron microscopy demonstrating wavy filaments. Aged TgTauP301L mice exhibited impairment in hippocampally dependent and independent behavioral paradigms, with impairments closely related to the presence of tau pathologies and levels of insoluble tau protein. We conclude that TgTauP301L mice recreate the substantial phenotypic variation and spectrum of pathologies seen in FTDP-17 patients. Identification of genetic and/or environmental factors modifying the tau phenotype in these mice may shed light on factors modulating human tauopathies. These transgenic mice may aid therapeutic development for FTDP-17 and other diseases featuring accumulations of four-repeat tau, such as Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration, and progressive supranuclear palsy.