Molecular characterization of Italian bovine leukemia virus isolates reveals the presence of distinct phylogenetic clusters.

Disease caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV) results in significant economic losses to the livestock industry. To date, there is only one report describing the strains found in Italy. BLV strains (n = 24), collected between 2012 and 2016 from four different Italian regions, were genetically analyzed by direct sequencing of a portion of the BLV env gene, and the sequences were compared with those in the GenBank database. The Italian BLVs clustered into genotypes G2, G4, G6, G7, and G8, revealing a high level of BLV genetic heterogeneity in Italy. This study provides a basis for further investigations into the evolutionary relationship between BLV strains.

Characterization of a novel full-length bovine endogenous retrovirus, BERV-ß1.

Recent studies have suggested that certain classes of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) may be present in cattle. The aim of this study was increase the scope of knowledge regarding bovine ERVs. The ovine ERV ß1 pro/pol sequence was used to design a primer set for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a similar sequence in the bovine genome. Through phylogenetic and bioinformatic analysis of the PCR product sequence together with its flanking region, a sequence 8107 bp in length was characterized. This sequence had a typical 5'-LTR-gag-pro-pol-env-LTR-3' organization, and phylogenetic investigation defined it as a bovine ERV ß1. Thus, we were able to identify a novel bovine endogenous retrovirus element.

Increased genetic diversity of BVDV-1: recent findings and implications thereof.

Sequence-based genotyping was recently used to distinguish between the BVDV-1 and BVDV-2 species of the bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). Quite recently, a new putative species, BVDV-3, was also detected. The phylogenetic analysis of the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and Npro region has revealed at least 17 distinct subtypes for BVDV-1 to date. The aim of this study was to further investigate the genetic heterogeneity of BVDV-1 in Italy, by analysing 173 virus sequences from isolates collected over an 18-year period (1997-2014). Viral RNA was extracted from the original biological samples identified as BVDV-1-positive. Reverse transcription (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting a 288-base pair (bp) region of the 5'-UTR and a 428-bp region encoding the autoprotease Npro were performed, and the RT-PCR products were sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis of the 5'-UTR and Npro sequences re-confirmed the circulation of ten out of eleven subtypes previously discovered in Italy. Interestingly, four isolates differed significantly from all of the bovine pestiviruses identified so far, thereby providing evidence for the circulation of three novel subtypes that have not been documented so far. The growing number of reports on BVDV-1 heterogeneity, including the recent findings reported herein, raises concern related to the emergence and spread of new BVDV variants, with possible implications for animal health and disease control. This global issue needs to be addressed with the highest priority.

Genetic characterization of border disease virus (BDV) isolates from small ruminants in Italy.

Border disease virus (BDV) belongs to the Pestivirus genus in the family Flaviviridae. Genetic analyses of pestiviruses that have been isolated from sheep and goat have led to the proposal that BDV isolates can be phylogenetically segregated into at least seven clusters, subtypes BDV-1 to BDV-7. In order to investigate the genetic heterogeneity of small ruminant pestivirus isolates in Italy, a selection of 5'-UTR sequences from isolates that were collected from clinical specimens between 2002 and 2014 was analysed. Phylogenetic reconstructions indicated that the BDV-positive samples clustered within the BDV-1, BDV-3, BDV-5, and BDV-7 groups. These results suggested high genetic diversity within the Italian BDV field isolates. The phylogenetic analysis indicated the first evidence of BDV-1 and BDV-5 circulation in Italy. The marked diversity of the pestivirus isolates might reflect the sheep trade with foreign countries.

High-Pressure Processing of Different Tissue Homogenates from Pigs Challenged with the African Swine Fever Virus.

African swine fever (ASF) is a disease that is a growing threat to the global swine industry. Regulations and restrictions are placed on swine movement to limit the spread of the virus. However, these are costly and time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to determine if high-pressure processing (HPP) sanitization techniques would be effective against the ASF virus. Here, it was hypothesized that HPP could inactivate or reduce ASF virus infectivity in tissue homogenates. To test this hypothesis, 30 aliquots of each homogenate (spleen, kidney, loin) were challenge-infected with the Turin/83 strain of ASF, at a 10 7.20 median hemadsorption dose (HAD)50/mL. Subsequently, eight aliquots of each homogenate were treated with 600 millipascal (600 MPa) HPP for 3, 5, and 7 min. Six untreated aliquots were used as the controls. Virological results showed a reduction in the viral titer of more than 7-log. These results support the validity of the study hypothesis since HPP treatment was effective in inactivating ASFV in artificially prepared samples. Overall, this study suggests the need for further investigation of other ASFV-contaminated meat products.

Involvement of the MGF 110-11L Gene in the African Swine Fever Replication and Virulence.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal hemorrhagic viral disease that causes extensive economic and animal welfare losses in the Eurasian pig (Sus scrofa) population. To date, no effective and safe vaccines have been marketed against ASF. A starting point for vaccine development is using naturally occurring attenuated strains as a vaccine base. Here, we aimed to remove the multigene family (MGF) 110 gene of unknown function from the Lv17/WB/Rie1 genome to improve the usability of the virus as a live-attenuated vaccine, reducing unwanted side effects. The MGF 110-11L gene was deleted using the CRISPR/Cas9 method, and the safety and efficacy of the virus were tested in pigs after isolation. The vaccine candidates administered at high doses showed reduced pathogenicity compared to the parental strain and induced immunity in vaccinated animals, although several mild clinical signs were observed. Although Lv17/WB/Rie1/d110-11L cannot be used as a vaccine in its current form, it was encouraging that the undesirable side effects of Lv17/WB/Rie1 at high doses can be reduced by additional mutations without a significant reduction in its protective capacity.

Complete Genome of African Swine Fever Virus Genotype II in Central Italy.

We report here the whole-genome sequence of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) genotype II, strain 20355/RM/2022_Italy, identified in a wild boar in the city of Rome (Lazio region, Italy) in April 2022.

Molecular Characterization of the First African Swine Fever Virus Genotype II Strains Identified from Mainland Italy, 2022.

African swine fever (ASF) is responsible for important socio-economic effects in the global pig industry, especially for countries with large-scale piggery sectors. In January 2022, the African swine fever virus (ASFV) genotype II was identified in a wild boar population in mainland Italy (Piedmont region). This study describes the molecular characterization, by Sanger and next-generation sequencing (NGS), of the first index case 632/AL/2022 and of another isolate (2802/AL/2022) reported in the same month, in close proximity to the first, following multiple ASF outbreaks. Phylogenetic analysis based on the B646L gene and NGS clustered the isolates 632/AL/2022 and 2802/AL/2022 within the wide and most homogeneous p72 genotype II that includes viruses from European and Asian countries. The consensus sequence obtained from the ASFV 2802/AL/2022 isolate was 190,598 nucleotides in length and had a mean GC content of 38.38%. At the whole-genome level, ASF isolate 2802/AL/2022 showed a close genetic correlation with the other representative ASFV genotype II strains isolated between April 2007 and January 2022 from wild and domestic pigs in Eastern/Central European (EU) and Asian countries. CVR subtyping clustered the two Italian ASFV strains within the major CVR variant circulating since the first virus introduction in Georgia in 2007. Intergenic region I73R-I329L subtyping placed the Italian ASFV isolates within the variant identical to the strains frequently identified among wild boars and domestic pigs. Presently, given the high sequence similarity, it is impossible to trace the precise geographic origin of the virus at a country level. Moreover, the full-length sequences available in the NCBI are not completely representative of all affected territories.

Expression of a recombinant ASFV P30 protein and production of monoclonal antibodies.

Background: African Swine Fever (ASF) is an infectious disease that affects domestic pig and wild boar populations. The ASF Virus (ASFV) has a genome characterized by a very complex DNA (170-193 kb) that encodes for more than 200 different proteins. Among these, the highly immunogenic phosphoprotein p30 plays a fundamental role in the induction of specific antibodies. To date, the lack of a vaccine against the disease requires continuous studies to improve knowledge about the virus and the development of new tests in addition to virological ones. Aim: The aim of this work was to produce specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the p30 protein of ASFV, which could find useful applications in routine diagnostics and the implementation of new diagnostic tools. Methods: ASFV p30 encoding gene was amplified and used for the generation of the recombinant baculovirus by transfection of the Sf21 insect cells. The recombinant protein was analyzed by immunofluorescence assay, purified, and used for mice Balb-c immunization. The hybridomas obtained were cultured and screened, using an indirect Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (iELISA), in order to select clones that secrete the mAbs of interest. Results: The expression of recombinant p30 protein was assessed using direct immunofluorescence. The purified p30 protein fractions were analyzed by Coomassie gels staining confirming the presence of bands with a molecular weight of 30 kDa and used for the immunization of Balb-c mice. Six clones of pure hybridomas secreting the specific mAbs against recombinant p30 were obtained and tested in iELISA. The mAbs were also characterized by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay. The best results were obtained with the anti-p30 mAb 2B8E10 clone which showed high reactivity with both recombinant and viral p30 protein, respectively. Conclusion: In this work, a recombinant p30 protein produced in an insect cell system was purified and used to immunize Balb-c mice. Six anti-p30 mAbs-secreting hybridomas clone cells were obtained. These mAbs displayed high reactivity against the recombinant protein, but only 2B8E10 mAb showed excellent functionality against the p30 protein produced by ASFV. These results open the possibility to develop different diagnostic assays.

CA 15-3 cell lines and tissue expression in canine mammary cancer and the correlation between serum levels and tumour histological grade.

BACKGROUND: Mammary tumours are the most common malignancy diagnosed in female dogs and a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in this species. Carbohydrate antigen (CA) 15-3 is a mucinous glycoprotein aberrantly over-expressed in human mammary neoplasms and one of the most widely used serum tumour markers in women with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the antigenic analogies of human and canine CA 15-3 and to assess its expression in canine mammary cancer tissues and cell lines. Immunohistochemical expression of CA 15-3 was evaluated in 7 canine mammary cancer cell lines and 50 malignant mammary tumours. As a positive control, the human breast carcinoma cell line MCF7 and tissue were used. To assess CA 15-3 staining, a semi-quantitative method was applied. To confirm the specificity and cross-reactivity of an anti-human CA 15-3 antibody to canine tissues, an immunoblot analysis was performed. We also investigated serum CA 15-3 activity to establish whether its expression could be assigned to several tumour characteristics to evaluate its potential use as a serum tumour marker in the canine mammary oncology field. RESULTS: Immunocytochemical analysis revealed CA 15-3 expression in all examined canine mammary cancer cell lines, whereas its expression was confirmed by immunoblot only in the most invasive cells (CMT-W1, CMT-W1M, CMT-W2 and CMT-W2M). In the tissue, an immunohistochemical staining pattern was observed in 34 (68%) of the malignant tumours. A high statistical correlation (p = 0.0019) between serum CA 15-3 levels and the degree of tumour proliferation and differentiation was shown, which indicates that the values of this serum marker increase as the tumour stage progresses. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study reveal that CA 15-3 is expressed in both canine mammary tumour cell lines and tissues and that serum levels significantly correlate with the histological grade of the malignancy.

Assessment of Different Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Marker Vaccines in Calves.

Three commercially available infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) live marker vaccines were evaluated for their ability to provide clinical protection to vaccinated calves against wild-type (wt) Bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) challenge and their possible effect on wt BoHV-1 latency reactivation following the challenge. On 35 post-vaccination days (PVDs), all animals were challenged with wt BoHV-1. Only the calves in the control group developed severe forms of IBR. The reactivation of latent BoHV-1 was induced by dexamethasone (DMS) treatment on 28 post-challenge days (PCDs). All animals showed IBR clinical signs on three post-DMS treatment days (PDTDs). On PVD 14, all vaccinated animals developed neutralizing antibodies (NAs), whereas in control animals, the NAs appeared post-challenge. The positivity for glycoprotein-B (gB) was detected using real-time polymerase chain reactions in all animals from PCDs 1 to 7. In contrast, the gB-positivity was observed in the immunized calves from PDTDs 3 to 10. Positive expression of gD and gE was observed in nasal swabs of all calves on PDTD 7. These findings suggested that the IBR marker vaccines evaluated in this study protected against wt BoHV-1-induced disease but not against wt BoHV-1-induced latency reactivation, indicating the necessity of developing new products to protect animals from wt BoHV-1-induced latency.

Serological relationship between a novel ovine pestivirus and classical swine fever virus.

The genus Pestivirus comprises globally distributed members of the family Flaviviridae, which cause severe losses in livestock. The most common species of the genus are bovine viral diarrhoea virus type 1 (BVDV-1) and type 2 (BVDV-2), classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and border disease virus (BDV). Recently, a novel ovine pestivirus was repeatedly detected in aborted lamb foetuses on a farm located in the Brescia Province (Italy). Complete genome characterization of this isolate showed that it was highly divergent from known pestivirus species and that it was genetically closely related to CSFV. The aim of this study was to determine the serological relatedness between the identified novel pestivirus and BVDV, BDV and CSFV selected strains for which homologous serum was available, by antigenic characterization performed using cross-neutralization assays. The serological relatedness was expressed as the coefficient of antigenic similarity (R). Both field and specific antisera raised against the ovine pestivirus neutralized the CSFV reference strain Diepholz with titres significantly higher than those specific for the BDV and BVDV strains. Furthermore, the calculated R values clearly indicated that the novel ovine pestivirus is antigenically more related to CSFV than to ruminant pestiviruses, in agreement with the results of the genomic analysis. This would have severe consequences on CSFV serology in the event of a switch to porcine hosts with implications for CSFV surveillance and porcine health management.

Serological Cross-Reactivity Between Bovine alphaherpesvirus 2 and Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 in a gB-ELISA: A Case Report in Italy.

In this study, we demonstrated for the first time in Italy, the serological cross-reactivity between Bovine alphaherpesvirus 2 (BoHV-2) and Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). Five months after arriving at a performance test station in Central Italy, a 6-month-old calf, which was part of a group of 57 animals, tested positive for BoHV-1 in a commercial gB-ELISA test. It was immediately transferred to the quarantine unit and subjected to clinical observation and serological and virological investigations. During this period, the calf showed no clinical signs. The results from laboratory investigations demonstrated the presence of antibodies via competitive glycoprotein B (gB) ELISAs, indirect BoHV-1 ELISAs, and indirect BoHV-2 ELISAs. Furthermore, the plaque reduction assay provided evidence for the presence of antibodies only for BoHV-2, whereas the virus neutralization test showed negative results for both BoHV-1 and BoHV-5. These findings strongly suggest the occurrence of a serological cross-reactivity between BoHV-2 and BoHV-1. Interference of BoHV-2 antibodies in serological BoHV-1 diagnostics should be considered during routine IBR tests, especially when animals are kept in a performance test station.

Assessment of Multicolor Flow Cytometry Panels to Study Leukocyte Subset Alterations in Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) During BVDV Acute Infection.

The identification of cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that recognize orthologous leukocyte differentiation molecules (LDM) in buffaloes has overcome a major impediment limiting research on the immune response to pathogens and development of vaccines. As reported, two pilot trials were conducted to accomplish two objectives: (1) demonstrate that multiparameter flow cytometry can be conducted equally well in buffalo with mAbs directly and indirectly labeled with fluorochromes in research and (2) flow cytometry can be used to compare and extend studies on diseases of economic importance to buffalo using bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) as a model pathogen. Pregnant buffalo cows were infected with BVDV-1 at 81 (trial 1) and 203 (trial 2) days post artificial insemination and flow cytometric evaluations were performed at 0, 3, 4, and 14 days after infection (dpi). Fluorochrome conjugated mAbs were used in trial 1, and fluorochrome conjugated goat isotype specific anti-mouse antibodies were used to label mAbs in trial 2. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a transient lymphopenia occurs during the 1st days following infection similar to lymphopenia reported in cattle. In particular, significant differences were observed between pre- and post-infection absolute values of T lymphocytes (-56%, P < 0.01). CD21+ B lymphocytes (-65%, P = 0.04), and Natural Killer cells (-72%, P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in monocytes and neutrophil absolute values, or the CD4:CD8 ratio. Animal health status was followed until 15 days after calving. No clinical signs of infection were observed during the evaluation period, however, animals in trial 1 developed complications later the infection. One cow aborted at 57 days post-infection, the second cow developed a prolapse a day after calving and died. These two animals also showed a more pronounced lymphopenia in comparison with animals infected at 203 days of pregnancy (e.g., -77 vs. -22% T lymphocytes at 3 dpi, respectively). The pilot studies have demonstrated that it is possible to use multicolour multiparameter flow cytometry to study the immune response to pathogens affecting the health of buffalo.

Survival of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in various traditional Italian dry-cured meat products.

A number of animal diseases can be transmitted to pigs via pork meat and pork products imported from infected areas. Therefore, feeding of swill to pigs is regulated or prohibited in many swine-rearing countries. African swine fever is one of the major porcine diseases recognized as significant in this transmission pathway. Assessment of disease risks associated with pork products requires knowledge about the viral load in the original material and for how long infectious virus can be recovered from the resulting product. In this work, we present the effect of the dry curing process on the inactivation of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in three different Italian dry-cured meat products prepared from experimentally infected pigs slaughtered at the peak of viremia. The meat products were processed using commercial methods and industrial procedures currently being followed in Italy. Samples collected at predetermined intervals during processing were analyzed for virus survival by virus isolation and animal inoculation. ASFV was detected by in vivo experiments for up to 18, 60, and 83 days of curing in Italian salami, pork belly, and loin, respectively. These data provide valuable information for the pork processing industry when planning the export of these products.

Genetic diversity of bovine viral diarrhea virus 1: Italian isolates clustered in at least seven subgenotypes.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an economically important pathogen of cattle. Two approved species are recognized, namely BVDV-1 and BVDV-2. To date, only 4 subgenotypes of BVDV-2 are known, and at least 11 distinct subgenotypes have been detected for BVDV-1. In a previous study, the genetic characteristics of 38 field isolates of BVDV from northern Italy were investigated, and all 38 isolates were classified as BVDV-1 and could be assigned to 5 different subgenotypes, namely BVDV-1b, BVDV-1d, BVDV-1e, BVDV-1h, and BVDV-1f. However, the circulation of BVDV-2 has been reported in Italy as well. The aim of the current study was to type 88 BVD viruses found throughout Italy. Genetic study was based on the 5'-UTR, supported by select comparison within the N(pro) coding region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 5 isolates could be typed as BVDV-2a. The remaining 83 isolates were typed as BVDV-1 and were found to belong to 7 distinct subgenotypes, namely BVDV-1a (n = 8), BVDV-1b (n = 37), BVDV-1d (n = 3), BVDV-1e (n = 22), BVDV-1f (n = 4), BVDV-1g (n = 4), and BVDV-1h (n = 5). The majority of cattle farms in the current study were predominantly infected by BVDV-1b and BVDV-1e isolates, whereas the other BVDV subgenotypes occurred only sporadically. The results also provided evidence for circulation of additional subgenotypes BVDV-1a and BVDV-1g. The occurrence of BVDV-2 was also reconfirmed.

Development of a novel hot-start multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of classical swine fever virus, African swine fever virus, porcine circovirus type 2, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine parvovirus.

A novel hot-start multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay was developed and subsequently evaluated for its effectiveness in simultaneously detecting multiple viral infections of swine. Specific primers for each of five virus genomes, namely classical swine fever virus (CSFV), African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine parvovirus (PPV) were used. Combined nucleic acid purification was carried out using a commercial RNA/DNA extraction kit. The mPCR consisted of a two-step procedure which included reverse transcription and PCR amplification. This mPCR and the corresponding separate assays were evaluated comparatively on serial ten-fold dilutions of each virus. Analysis of the sensitivity in comparison to the corresponding single PCR (sPCR) for the detection of each of the five targets was identical for CSFV, PCV2 and PPV, 1 log lower for PRRSV and 2 logs lower for ASFV. No spurious PCR amplification reactions among all five pathogens were noticed with various amounts of DNA and RNA mixtures. All the uninfected controls were scored negative. The relative efficiency of the mPCR developed in this study compared to performing sPCR for each virus, suggests its potential application for routine molecular diagnostic purposes.

Acute myeloid leukemia fusion proteins deregulate genes involved in stem cell maintenance and DNA repair.

Acute myelogenous leukemias (AMLs) are genetically heterogeneous and characterized by chromosomal rearrangements that produce fusion proteins with aberrant transcriptional regulatory activities. Expression of AML fusion proteins in transgenic mice increases the risk of myeloid leukemias, suggesting that they induce a preleukemic state. The underlying molecular and biological mechanisms are, however, unknown. To address this issue, we performed a systematic analysis of fusion protein transcriptional targets. We expressed AML1/ETO, PML/RAR, and PLZF/RAR in U937 hemopoietic precursor cells and measured global gene expression using oligonucleotide chips. We identified 1,555 genes regulated concordantly by at least two fusion proteins that were further validated in patient samples and finally classified according to available functional information. Strikingly, we found that AML fusion proteins induce genes involved in the maintenance of the stem cell phenotype and repress DNA repair genes, mainly of the base excision repair pathway. Functional studies confirmed that ectopic expression of fusion proteins constitutively activates pathways leading to increased stem cell renewal (e.g., the Jagged1/Notch pathway) and provokes accumulation of DNA damage. We propose that expansion of the stem cell compartment and induction of a mutator phenotype are relevant features underlying the leukemic potential of AML-associated fusion proteins.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Subgenotype 1h Strain Isolated in Italy.

We sequenced the complete genome of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) strain UM/126/07. It belongs to subgenotype 1h. The complete genome is composed of 12,196 nucleotides organized as one open reading frame encoding 3,898 amino acids. This is the first report of a full-length sequence of BVDV-1h.