Establishment and application of an indirect ELISA for porcine circovirus 3.

Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) was initially reported in 2016 in the United States of America. Since then, the virus has been detected on swine farms in Poland, South Korea, and China using PCR. However, a serological survey of PCV3 in pig populations has never been conducted. In this study, for the first time, we established an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay and performed a national retrospective serological survey for PCV3. Our results showed that the PCV3-postive rate increased from 22.35% to 51.88% between 2015 and 2017. The above results suggest PCV3 has spread widely in China with increased positive rates since 2015.

[Evaluation of genetic diversity and population structure of genus Tripterygium based on SSR markers].

The genus Tripterygium is an immune suppressor in the Chinese traditional medicines. Due to the habitat destruction and anthropogenic over-exploitation, the wild genus Tripterygium plants have decreased dramatically in recent years or even been endangered. It is critical to evaluate and protect genus Tripterygium wild resource. In this research, simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers were applied to the investigation of the genetic diversity and genetic structure of 28 populations for genus Tripterygium (396 samples from 9 provinces in China). We found a high level of genetic diversity (percentage of polymorphic loci PPL = 77.29%, Shannon's information index I = 0.639 4; Nei's expected heterozygosity H = 0.359 9) and high genetic differentiation among the populations (gene flow N_m = 0.228 7). Based on Nei's genetic distance, the phylogenic tree of populations was constructed and 28 populations were divided into 6 clusters according to STRUCTURE clustering analysis. T. hypoglaucumwas was mainly divided into 3 clusters, including Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou- Chongqing. T. regelii was separated to cluster 4, while T. wilfordii was divided into two clusters: the transition type LQ and NY were divided into cluster 5, and the others were in cluster 6. These results provide a theory basis for the conservation of wild resource, research of genetic polymorphism and molecular marker for assisted breeding of genus Tripterygium.

Establishment and application of a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay differentiating PCV2 antibodies from mixture of PCV1/PCV2 antibodies in pig sera.

BACKGROUND: Porcine cirovirus type 1 (PCV1) and type 2 (PCV2) are circulating in Chinese pig herds and the infected pigs develop antibodies to both viruses. Current commercial available ELISA kits cannot differentiate PCV2-specific antibodies from the mixtures of PCV1 and PCV2 antibodies in PCV1/2-infected or PCV2-vaccinated pigs. Therefore, the need for developing PCV2-specific ELISA methods is urgent to evaluate PCV2 antibody level in exclusion of PCV1 antibody interference after PCV2 vaccination. RESULTS: Virus-like particles (VLPs) of PCV2 based on the recombinant Cap protein were expressed in Escherichia coli. A competing ELISA was established by using the VLPs as coating antigen and a PCV2-specific monoclonal antibody as the competing antibody. The competing ELISA was compared with the results obtained by using an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay on 160 serum samples. The sensitivity and specificity of this competing ELISA were determined as 96.5 and 96.0 %, at 2 standard deviation from the mean or 91.8 and 100 % at 3 standard deviations from the mean. Next, a serological survey of 1297 vaccinated serum samples collected from commercial pig herds in Beijing, Hunan and Henan provinces in China was conducted. The results showed that 85.9 % of sera having positive PCV2 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: The competing ELISA we developed in this study was both sensitive and specific to PCV2 and was suitable for large-scale PCV2 antibody monitoring in exclusion of PCV1 antibody interference after PCV2 vaccination.

Production of a monoclonal antibody against Porcine circovirus type 3 cap protein.

Porcine cirvovirus type 3 (PCV3) is a newly emerging swine virus with worldwide distribution. The pathogenesis of PCV3 remains unknown due to failures in propagating and isolating the virus on successive cell lines. The virus cap protein is the only structural protein of PCV3 and no monoclonal antibodies against it are available. Although antisera are available from PCV3-infected pigs, they are not suitable for immunoassays such as immunohistochemical staining of infected tissues due to high non-specific background. Developing monoclonal antibodies against the cap protein is indispensable for elucidating PCV3 biological properties. In this study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb 1H1) with a titer of 1/25,600 that recognized the PCV3 cap protein was developed. Western-blot results showed that mAb 1H1 reacted strongly with the recombinant PCV3 cap protein preparation but not with the PCV2 cap protein. MAb 1H1 was also applied successfully for the detection of the cap protein in PCV3-infected pig tissues using immunochemistry staining. In conclusion, mAb 1H1 has significant potential uses in PCV3 diagnosis as well as the study of PCV3 biology.

Intranasal Pretreatment with Z-Ligustilide, the Main Volatile Component of Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Confers Prophylaxis against Cerebral Ischemia via Nrf2 and HSP70 Signaling Pathways.

Z-Ligustilide (Z-LIG) is a major component in Rhizoma Chuanxiong, which has been traditionally used as a health food supplement for the prevention of cerebrovascular disease in China. This study investigates the ability of intranasal Z-LIG pretreatment to enhance protection against neuronal damage in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and the role of cellular stress response mechanisms Nrf2 and HSP70. Z-LIG significantly mitigated infarct volume, neurological dysfunction, blood-brain barrier disruption, and brain edema (p < 0.01). Moreover, Z-LIG prevented the loss of collagen IV, occludin, and ZO-1 (p < 0.05) and decreased MMP-2 and -9 levels (p < 0.01). Meanwhile, Z-LIG up-regulated NQO1 and HSP70. Notably, blockage of Nrf2-driven transcription or down-regulation of HSP70 remarkably attenuated the preventive effect of Z-LIG (p < 0.05). Together, intranasal delivery of Z-LIG enhanced protection against ischemic injury via Nrf2 and HSP70 signaling pathways and has prophylactic potential in the population at high risk of stroke.

Development of a Monoclonal Antibody Against Porcine Circovirus2 Cap Protein.

Female BALB/c mice were immunized with a commercial PCV2 vaccine, and a monoclonal antibody (MAb) designated as 3H11 was achieved by hybridoma techniques. The MAb specifically reacted with Cap protein of PCV2, which has been identified by western blot. Immunoperoxidase monolayer assay results showed that 3H11 did not cross-react with PCV1-infected cells. Therefore, this work suggested that 3H11 could be a useful tool as a specific diagnostic reagent for PCV2 research.