Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Capsid Protein Research Articles

A novel subunit vaccine co-expressing GM-CSF and PCV2b Cap protein enhances protective immunity against porcine circovirus type 2 in piglets

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes porcine circovirus-associated disease. Capsid (Cap) protein of PCV2 is the principal immunogenic protein that induces neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity. GM-CSF is an immune adjuvant that enhances responses to vaccines. In this study, recombinant baculoviruses Ac-Cap and Ac-Cap-GM-CSF expressing the Cap protein alone and co-expressing the Cap protein and porcine GM-CSF, respectively, were constructed successfully. The target proteins were analyzed by western blotting and IFA. Further, these proteins were confirmed by electron microscopy, which showed that Cap proteins could self-assemble into virus-like particles having diameters of 17–25nm. Animal experiments showed that pigs immunized with Cap-GM-CSF subunit vaccine showed significantly higher levels of PCV2-specific antibodies and neutralizing antibodies than pigs immunized with the Cap subunit vaccine and a commercial vaccine (Ingelvac CircoFLEX; P<0.05). After PCV2 wild strain challenged, Pigs receiving the Cap-GM-CSF subunit vaccine showed significantly higher average daily weight gain after wild-type PCV2 challenge than pigs receiving the other three vaccines (P<0.05). None of PCV2 DNA was detected in all immunized animals, except control animals immunized with phosphate-buffered saline. These results indicated that GM-CSF was a powerful immunoadjuvant for PCV2 subunit vaccines because it enhanced humoral immune response and improved immune protection against PCV2 infection in pigs. Thus, the novel Cap-GM-CSF subunit vaccine has the potential to be used as an effective and safe vaccine candidate against PCV2 infection.

Enhancement of the immunogenicity of a porcine circovirus type 2 DNA vaccine by a recombinant plasmid coexpressing capsid protein and porcine interleukin-6 in mice.

The development of effective vaccines against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) has been accepted as an important strategy in the prophylaxis of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome; a DNA vaccine expressing the major immunogenic capsid (Cap) protein of PCV2 is considered to be a promising candidate. However, DNA vaccines usually induce weak immune responses. In this study, it was found that the efficacy of a DNA vaccine expressing Cap protein was improved by simultaneous expression of porcine IL-6. A plasmid (pIRES-ORF2/IL6) separately expressing both Cap protein and porcine IL-6 was constructed and compared with another plasmid (pIRES-ORF2) expressing Cap protein for its potential to induce PCV2-specific immune responses. Mice were vaccinated i.m. twice at 3 week intervals and the induced humoral and cellular responses evaluated. All animals vaccinated with pIRES-ORF2/IL6 and pIRES-ORF2 developed specific anti-PCV2 antibodies (according to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and a T lymphocyte proliferation response. The percentages of CD3(+), CD3(+)CD8(+), and CD3(+)CD4(+) subgroups of peripheral blood T-lymphocytes were significantly higher in mice immunized with pIRES-ORF2/IL6 than in those that had received pIRES-ORF2. After challenge with the virulent PCV2 Wuzhi isolate, mice vaccinated with pIRES-ORF2/IL6 had significantly less viral replication than those vaccinated with pIRES-ORF2, suggesting that the protective immunity induced by pIRES-ORF2/IL6 is superior to that induced by pIRES-ORF2.

Virus-like particles of chimeric recombinant porcine circovirus type 2 as antigen vehicle carrying foreign epitopes.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) of chimeric porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) were generated by replacing the nuclear localization signal (NLS; at 1–39 aa) of PCV2 capsid protein (Cap) with classical swine fever virus (CSFV) T-cell epitope (1446–1460 aa), CSFV B-cell epitope (693–716 aa) and CSFV T-cell epitope conjugated with B-cell epitope. The recombinant proteins were expressed using the baculovirus expression system and detected by immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay. The abilities to form PCV2 VLPs were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Immunogenicities of the three recombinant proteins were evaluated in mice. Our Results indicated that Cap protein NLS deletion or substitution with CSFV epitopes did not affect the VLPs assembly. Three chimeric Cap proteins could form VLPs and induce efficient humoral and cellular immunity against PCV2 and CSFV in mice. Results show that PCV2 VLPs can be used as an efficient antigen carrier for delivery of foreign epitopes, and a potential novel vaccine.

Generation in yeast of recombinant virus-like particles of porcine circovirus type 2 capsid protein and their use for a serologic assay and development of monoclonal antibodies.

BackgroundPorcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is considered to be an important emerging pathogen associated with a number of different syndromes and diseases in pigs known as PCV2-associated diseases. It has been responsible for significant mortality among pigs and remains a serious economic problem to the swine industry worldwide leading to significant negative impacts on profitability of pork production.ResultsIn this study we have demonstrated that PCV2 capsid (Cap) protein based virus-like particles (VLPs) were efficiently produced in yeast S. cerevisiae and induced production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with virus-infected cells. Moreover, PCV2 Cap VLPs served as a highly specific recombinant antigen for the development of an indirect IgG PCV2 Cap VLP-based ELISA for the detection of virus-specific IgG antibodies in swine sera. Four hundred-nine serum samples collected from pigs in Lithuania were tested for PCV2-specific IgG to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed ELISA in parallel using a commercial SERELISA test as a gold standard. From 409 tested serum samples, 297 samples were positive by both assays. Thirty-nine sera from 112 serum samples were determined as negative by SERELISA but were found to be positive both in the newly developed indirect IgG PCV2 Cap VLP-based ELISA and the PCR test.ConclusionsWe have demonstrated that S. cerevisiae expression system is an alternative to insect/baculovirus expression system for production of homogenous in size and shape PCV2 Cap protein-based VLPs similar to native virions. Yeast expression system tolerated native virus genes encoding PCV2 Cap protein variants as well as the codon-optimized gene. Moreover, yeast-derived PCV2 Cap VLPs were capable to induce the generation of PCV2-specific MAbs that did not show any cross-reactivity with PCV1-infected cells. The high sensitivity and specificity of the indirect IgG PCV2 Cap VLP-based ELISA clearly suggested that this assay is potentially useful diagnostic tool for screening PCV2–suspected samples.

Secretory expression of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 capsid protein in Pichia pastoris

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is associated with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). The PCV2 capsid (Cap) protein is a leading antigen candidate for vaccine and serological diagnostic testing, due to its immunogenic properties. In this study, the codon-optimized PCV2 Cap gene was cloned into a pPICZαA vector for secretory expression in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris after methanol induction. The screening of recombinant yeasts was followed by detection of the recombinant Cap (rCap) protein by Western blot, using sera from pigs naturally infected with PCV2. The rCap secreted protein was used without prior purification as a coating antigen in the ELISA test, with high discrimination between PCV2-positive and negative sera. These results reveal a high confidence in the specific immunoreactivity of the secreted antigen and show the antigenicity of the recombinant protein. The feasibility of the P. pastoris expression system for the production of PCV2 Cap as secreted protein and its apparent bioactivity, suggests there are good prospects for the use of this antigen in the investigation of PCV2 infections and testing for vaccine purposes.

A novel vaccine against Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) co-infection

To develop a vaccine against Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) co-infection, the genes of porcine IL-18, capsid protein (Cap) of PCV2 and M-like protein (SzP) of SEZ were inserted into the swinepox virus (SPV) genome by homologous recombination. The recombinant swinepox virus rSPV-ICS was verified by PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assays. To evaluate the immunogenicity of rSPV-ICS, 28 PCV2 and SEZ seronegative Bama minipigs were immunized with rSPV-ICS (n=8), commercial PCV2 vaccine and SEZ vaccine (n=8) or wild type SPV (n=8). The results showed that SzP-specific antibody and PCV2 neutralizing antibody of the rSPV-ICS immunized group increased significantly compared to the wild type SPV treated group after vaccination and increased continuously over time. The levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ in the rSPV-ICS immunized group were significantly higher than the other three groups, respectively. After been co-challenged with PCV2 and SEZ, 87.5% piglets in rSPV-ICS immunized group were survived. Significant reductions in gross lung lesion score, histopathological lung lesion score, and lymph node lesion score were noticed in the rSPV-ICS immunized group compared with the wtSPV treated group. The results suggested that the recombinant rSPV-ICS provided piglets with significant protection against PCV2-SEZ co-infection; thus, it offers proof-of-principle for the development of a vaccine for the prevention of these swine diseases.

Selection and identification of single-domain antibody fragment against capsid protein of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) from C. bactrianus

Single-domain variable heavy chain (VHH) antibody fragments are derived from heavy-chain antibodies of Camelids. Their comparatively small size, solubility, high affinity and specificity to the targets antigen make them suitable for many biotechnological applications. In this study, a VHH library was constructed from porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccine immunized C. bactrianus and three VHH fragments specific to the capsid protein of PCV2 (PCV2 Cap) were selected and characterized. The selected VHH clones (VHH-c1/c3/c4) were stably expressed as soluble protein in E. coli, and were specific to PCV2 Cap except VHH-c3 which shows binding activity with both PCV1 and PCV2 Cap by ELISA. All the VHH-cs show high association rate constant and dissociation rate constant, which was 1.84 ×105M−1s−1, 9.00×10−3s−1 for VHH-c1, 5.49×104M−1s−1, 9.91×10−3s−1 and 1.46×105M−1s−1, 1.18×10−3s−1 for VHH-c3 and VHH-c4 assessed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Additionally, the selected three VHH-cs can bind to different epitopes of PCV2 Cap that was determined by additive ELISA. Our study confirmed that VHHs with high affinity and specificity to PCV2 Cap can be selected from an immune VHH library, and have the potential application for effective and fast diagnostic development of PCV2.

Vero cells expressing porcine circovirus type 2-capsid protein and their diagnostic application

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in swine. Although the incidences of PCV2-related diseases are ubiquitous throughout the world, the serological tools are rather limited, mainly because the virus does not induce any cytopathic effects in cells.The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid, sensitive and easy quantitative immunofluorescence assay (QIFA) using the recombinant PCV2 nucleocapsid protein (NCP) for the detection of PCV2-specific antibodies in pig sera. The recombinant PCV2 NCP was expressed in Vero cells by a lentivirus system. The performance of QIFA using these Vero cells as a diagnostic antigen was compared with currently available C-ELISA and I-ELISA; the relative sensitivity turned out to range from 92.5% up to 99.3%. The relative specificity was 93.3% when compared to C-ELISA as the gold standard. The serological experiment also indicated the inverse relationship between QIFA and the viral load in serum, semen, feces samples from 7 PCV2-positive boars. In addition, the PCV2 sequence detected from bone marrow cells shows 99% of sequence identity with PCV2 genome, confirming the infectivity of PCV2.

Correlation of the cyclin A expression level with porcine circovirus type 2 propagation efficiency

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is an important pathogen in swine, and it is assumed that PCV2 replication is cell cycle dependent (especially during S phase). However, the cellular molecules that regulate PCV2 replication have not been fully identified. Here, we cloned the porcine cyclin A (CycA) and CDK2 genes, the major regulators of the S phase, and established CycA or CDK2 overexpression and lower-expression cell lines. The propagation efficiency of strains PCV2a/CL or PCV2b/YJ in these cell lines was investigated using a capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA), and the cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that CycA overexpression suppressed PCV2 replication. In contrast, CycA down-regulation by shRNA induced increases during the S and G2/M phases and resulted in increased PCV2 propagation. In contrast, overexpression or lower expression of CDK2 exhibited no significant influence on PCV2 replication. Furthermore, the subcellular localization of the PCV2 replicase protein (Rep) and capsid protein (Cap), CycA, and CDK2 in PK-15 cells was analyzed by confocal microscopy. The results showed that overexpression of CycA, rather than CDK2, altered normal nuclear localization of PCV2-Rep, which was transferred to the cytoplasm. In conclusion, PCV2 replication is both S- and G2/M-phase dependent and CycA, is an important regulator of the PCV2 life cycle.

Amino acid mutations in the capsid protein produce novel porcine circovirus type 2 neutralizing epitopes

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is associated with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in pigs. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) 8E4 against the PCV2 capsid protein has the capacity to neutralize the virus. However, this mAb can only react with some PCV2a strains (LG, CL, and JF2; mAb 8E4-positive strains), but does not cross-react with some PCV2b strains (YJ and JF; mAb 8E4-negative strains). In the present study, site-directed mutagenesis was performed targeting the external amino acids of the capsid proteins, which are different between mAb 8E4-positive and -negative strains. A mutation of arginine to alanine at position 59 in the capsid protein of strain JF allowed the mutant to be recognized and neutralized by mAb 8E4. Likewise, mutations of arginine to alanine at position 59 together with alanine to threonine at position 60 in the capsid protein of the YJ strain resulted in a gain of neutralization and recognition by mAb 8E4. Here, we demonstrated that the amino acids at positions 59 and 60 in the capsid protein of PCV2 participate in the formation of conformational neutralizing epitopes and mutations at positions 59 or 59/60 result in novel neutralizing epitopes of mAb 8E4-negative strains. This study provides valuable information for further in-depth mapping of the conformational neutralizing epitopes, clarification of antigenic differences among PCV2 strains, and development of a useful vaccine candidate for control of PCV2-associated diseases.

Attenuated Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus as a bacterial vector for expression of porcine circovirus type 2 capsid protein

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection and other concurrent factors is associated with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, which is becoming a major problem for the swine industry worldwide. Coinfection of Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) and PCV2 in swine has necessitated demand for a recombinant vaccine against these two pathogens. A recombinant SEZ-Cap strain expressing the major immunogenic capsid protein of PCV2 in place of the szp gene of acapsular SEZ C55138 ΔhasB was constructed. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses indicated that the capsid protein is expressed on the surface of the recombinant strain. Experiments in mice demonstrated that strain SEZ-Cap was less virulent than the parental strain and that it induced significant anti-PCV2 antibodies when administered intraperitoneally, which is worthy of further investigation in swine.

Antibody responses following vaccination versus infection in a porcine circovirus-type 2 (PCV2) disease model show distinct differences in virus neutralization and epitope recognition

Porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD) encompasses a group of syndromes linked to infection with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). Based on the hypothesis that the immune responses to vaccination versus infection are quantitatively and qualitatively different, the objective of this study was to evaluate immunity, virus replication and disease protection in pigs vaccinated with PCV2 capsid protein (CP) and during infection. The disease model included dual infection with PCV2 and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a virus known to enhance disease progression and severity. The principal effect of PRRSV infection was to increase peak PCV2 viremia by almost 40-fold; however, PCV2 failed to show a reciprocal effect on PRRSV. In vaccinated pigs, there was no evidence of disease or PCV2 replication following dual virus challenge. Immunity following vaccination favored PCV2 neutralizing activity; whereas, PCV2 infection and disease produced high levels of non-neutralizing antibody, primarily directed against a polypeptide in the C-terminal region of CP. These results support the notion that the magnitude of the total antibody response cannot be used as a measure of protective immunity. Furthermore, protection versus disease lies in the immunodominance of specific epitopes. Epitope specificity should be taken into consideration when designing PCV2 vaccines.

Characterization of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) capsid particle assembly and its application to virus-like particle vaccine development

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases in pigs. The sole structural capsid protein of PCV2, Cap, consists of major antigenic domains, but little is known about the assembly of capsid particles. The purpose of this study is to produce a large amount of Cap protein using Escherichia coli expression system for further studying the essential sequences contributing to formation of particles. By using codon optimization of rare arginine codons near the 5'-end of the cap gene for E. coli, a full-length Cap without any fusion tag recombinant protein (Cap1-233) was expressed and proceeded to form virus-like particles (VLPs) in normal Cap appearance that resembled the authentic PCV2 capsid. The N-terminal deletion mutant (Cap51-233) deleted the nuclear localization signal (NLS) domain, while the internal deletion mutant (CapΔ51-103) deleted a likely dimerization domain that failed to form VLPs. The unique Cys108 substitution mutant (CapC/S) exhibited most irregular aggregates, and only few VLPs were formed. These results suggest that the N-terminal region within the residues 1 to 103 possessing the NLS and dimerization domains are essential for self-assembly of stable Cap VLPs, and the unique Cys108 plays an important role in the integrity of VLPs. The immunogenicity of PCV2 VLPs was further evaluated by immunization of pigs followed by challenge infection. The Cap1-233-immunized pigs demonstrated specific antibody immune responses and are prevented from PCV2 challenge, thus implying its potential use for a VLP-based PCV2 vaccine.

Efficient Production of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Capsid Protein using Baculovirus

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a single-stranded circular DNA virus associated with Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), which is considered to be an important infectious swine viral disease. PCV2 capsid protein encoded by ORF2 is a structural protein and expected as the high immunogenicity protein. In this study, we generated recombinant baculovirus containing ORF2 of PCV2 and analyzed the optimal conditions for the production of capsid protein in insect cell. Production and status of recombinant capsid protein in insect cell were confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using His tag antibody and anti-PCV2 serum. The yield of recombinant capsid protein was high like as shown visible on SDS-PAGE. Optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) and infection time of recombinant virus were determined as 5 MOI and 4 days, respectively. ORF2 is known to have N-linked glycosylation site, but we couldn't detect the glycosylation of recombinant protein in insect cells.

Antigenic subtyping and epitopes’ competition analysis of porcine circovirus type 2 using monoclonal antibodies

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) strains have been classified into two major genotypes (PCV2a and PCV2b) and 8 genetic clusters: PCV2b-1A to PCV2b-1C and PCV2a-2A to PCV2a-2E. To date, no studies have been performed to antigenically subtype PCV2 strains enclosing eight PCV2 clusters. The present study aimed to antigenically subtype PCV2 and perform epitopes’ competition analysis using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Fourteen PCV2 strains representative for eight clusters were tested with 20 mAbs (fifteen of them were generated against PCV2a strain Stoon-1010 and 5 of them against PCV2b strain 1147) in immunoperoxidase monolayer assays. Four mAbs reacted to all 14 PCV2 strains and one mAb reacted with all strains except for a PCV2a-2C strain. One mAb reacted with all PCV2a strains, except for a PCV2a-2C strain and one mAb reacted with all PCV2b strains, except for a PCV2b-1C strain. Nine mAbs reacted with the strains of PCV2b-1A/1B, PCV2a-2A and PCV2a-2E. Three mAbs only reacted with the strains of PCV2a-2A and PCV2a-2E. One mAb reacted specifically with the strains of PCV2b-1A/1B. This suggests that discrete antigenic differences exist between different PCV2 genetic clusters and that these clusters can be discriminated by the use of a panel of universal and cluster-specific mAbs. Six mAbs were selected for cross-competition analysis by a competitive ELISA using PCV2 strain Stoon-1010. Six overlapping epitopes were identified on the PCV2 capsid protein. The universal mAbs recognized larger epitopes than the cluster-specific mAbs. These findings are helpful in the development of diagnostic tests and new generation vaccines against PCV2.

First construction of infectious clone for newly emerging mutation porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) followed by comparison with PCV2a and PCV2b genotypes in biological characteristics in vitro

BackgroundPorcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), the causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), is a serious economic problem in the swine industry. Different genotypes (PCV2a, PCV2b and PCV2d) of the virus are present in the clinical cases in China, and it is necessary to elucidate the pathogenic difference among different genotypes of PCV2. In this study, four strains of different genotypes were isolated, two were ordinary strains and another two were mutation strains, which there are one and two amino acids elongation in the capsid protein (Cap) of PCV2, respectively. Representative strains of different genotypes of the virus were constructed by infectious molecular clone and biological characterization of the rescued viruses were identified in vitro.ResultsFour PCV2 isolates (PCV2a/CL, PCV2b/YJ, PCV2b/JF and PCV2d/BDH) of different genotypes were isolated from the clinical cases of PMWS in China. Four infectious clones of PCV2 were constructed and the rescued viruses were harvested after transfection into PK15 cells. The rescued viruses were verified by nucleotide sequence analysis, morphology of the viruses and immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA). The rescued viruses propagated stably after consecutive incubation for more than ten passages, and virus propagation reached its peak 72h post infection (PI), and the virus titers were up to 105.7 TCID50/ml. By using neutralizing 1D2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) of PCV2, the antigen capture ELISA showed that only the PCV2a/rCL and PCV2b/rJF strains has immunoreactivity with the 1D2 mAb, however, another two rescued strains (PCV2b/rYJ and PCV2d/rBDH) do not, which indicated the antigenic difference among the rescued viruses of different genotypes. In addition, here is the first report of obtaining the newly emerging PCV2 with mutation in vitro by infectious molecular clone technology.ConclusionsConclusions drawn from this study show that PCV2 has prevailing differences in genomic and ORF2 gene length and antigen in swine herds in China. Four representative clones for different genotypes were constructed and rescued, which will facilitate further studies on the pathogenic differences resulting from different subtypes of PCV2.

Development of serodiagnostic surface plasmon resonance imaging assay for the detection of antibodies to porcine circovirus type 2

A surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) assay was developed for measuring porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) antibody using a recombinant capsid protein as an antigen. The diagnostic potential of SPRI for detecting antibodies to the PCV2 capsid protein was compared with that of a conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using 70 pig serum samples taken from 6 pig farms. There was a strong positive correlation between the SPRI and ELISA (n = 70, r = 0.911, P<0.01). Therefore, this recombinant capsid protein can be used as an antigen for serological studies, and the SPRI, a label-free and high-throughput method, is expected to be a valuable tool in the serodiagnosis of PCV2 infection.

Development of a blocking ELISA for detection of serum neutralizing antibodies against porcine circovirus type 2

A monoclonal antibody (Mab)-based blocking ELISA was developed for the detection of serum neutralizing antibodies to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). The Mab with neutralizing activity, which was produced by immunizing a recombinant capsid protein of PCV2 expressed in insect cells, was used as the detector antibody. The assay was evaluated in comparison with a serum neutralization assay, and its sensitivity and specificity were determined to be 98.8% and 88.5%, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between results of the blocking ELISA and the serum neutralization assay ( r = 0.9381). The assay was verified by testing experimental and commercial pig sera. A longitudinal antibody profile showed that serum neutralizing antibodies were detected 2 weeks after vaccination and that the detection rate reached 100% at 4 weeks. The serum neutralizing antibody profile showed a decrease from the age of 4 to 13 weeks, and seroconversion after 13 weeks in pigs from a commercial pig farm. Additionally, the positive detection rate in 703 sera collected from nine commercial pig farms was 73%. This report demonstrates that the assay is a simple, specific, sensitive and convenient method for epidemiological surveys and evaluations of serum neutralizing antibodies against PCV2.

Enhanced expression of PCV2 capsid protein in Escherichia coli and Lactococcus lactis by codon optimization

Capsid protein (Cap) of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) encoded by orf2 is a main structural protein with strong immunoreactivity. However, capsid protein is expressed poorly in prokaryotic organisms because of differences in codon usage. In this study, we introduce 24 synonymous mutations into orf2 by mutagenic primers and overlap extension polymerase chain reaction (OE-PCR) technique. Fourteen rare codons of orf2 were replaced with preferable codons used in Escherichia coli cells. Moreover, the nuclear localization signal (NLS) region rich in rare codon clusters at the 5′ end was deleted. The codon-optimized genes demonstrated higher levels of expression compared with wild-type genes. The influence of rare codons on the gene expression was eliminated by mutation. Western blot analysis confirmed the immunoreactivity of the proteins expressed by mutated genes. Further testing demonstrated that the mutated genes were also expressed successfully in Lactococcus lactis NZ9000. The immunologically active Cap proteins produced by recombinant strains have the potential applications for serological diagnostic assays and vaccine development against PCV2-associated diseases.

Neutralization of infectivity of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) by capsid-binding 2′F-RNA aptamers

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the main causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVD), which is responsible for economic losses in the swine industry. The capsid protein of PCV2 has important role for virus neutralization that blocks viral infection. To develop the therapeutic agents, two 2′F-RNA aptamers that bound to the PCV2 capsid protein with nanomole affinity were isolated from a 2′F-RNA library by the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX). The binding affinity of aptamers was analyzed by Electrophoretic Mobility shift assay (EMSA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis. The RNA aptamers have been shown to exhibit high affinity and specificity to PCV2 capsid protein and to neutralize PCV2 infectivity in PK-15 cells in dose dependent manner. Neutralizing aptamers such as this could be promising candidates in developing efficacious anti-PCV2 drugs as well as therapeutic delivery reagent.