Abstract
Despite the role of pigs as a source of new Influenza A Virus viruses (IAV) potentially capable of initiating human pandemics, immune responses to swine influenza virus (SwIV) in pigs are not fully understood. Several SwIV epitopes presented by swine MHC (SLA) class I have been identified using different approaches either in outbred pigs or in Babraham large white inbred pigs, which are 85% identical by genome wide SNP analysis. On the other hand, some class II SLA epitopes were recently described in outbred pigs. In this work, Babraham large white inbred pigs were selected to identify SLA II epitopes from SwIV H1N1. PBMCs were screened for recognition of overlapping peptides covering the NP and M1 proteins from heterologous IAV H1N1 in IFNγ ELISPOT. A novel SLA class II restricted epitope was identified in NP from swine H1N1. This conserved novel epitope could be the base for further vaccine approaches against H1N1 in pigs.
Highlights
Swine Influenza is an important respiratory pig disease caused by Influenza A Virus (IAV) [1] which represents a significant problem to farming and carries very substantial risks to human health
The immunizations strategies primed an IFNγ secreting response against the live (S-Flu) or inactive (SpH1N1) whole virus when tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) (Figures 1A–D)
SFlu belonged to a completely different lineage of Influenza A Virus viruses (IAV) compared to SpH1N1 or Gripovac3 antigens; it was able to recall exvivo an IFNγ response on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) collected from pigs immunized with SpH1N1 (Cohort 2) (Figure 1B)
Summary
Swine Influenza is an important respiratory pig disease caused by Influenza A Virus (IAV) [1] which represents a significant problem to farming and carries very substantial risks to human health. Controlling the virus in pig populations is of great importance for implementing and/or improving control and surveillance programs on farms and for preventing zoonotic infections. Increasing basic knowledge of immune responses of pigs to IAV as a basis for developing novel and improved vaccines is of great importance. Selecting the optimal antigen is a cornerstone in rational vaccine design and depending on the desired response, proper B or T cell epitopes should be carefully selected. The T cell response against influenza is not fully understood in pigs [5] and even less is known about IAV T cells epitopes recognized by Swine Leucocytes Antigens (Mayor Histocompatibility Complex of pigs).
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