Isolation and partial characterization of a novel virus from different carp species suffering gill necrosis - ultrastructure and morphogenesis.

Two isolates of a novel enveloped RNA virus were obtained from carp and koi carp with gill necrosis. Both isolates behaved identically and could be propagated in different cyprinid cell lines forming large syncytia. The virus was sensitive to lipid solvents and neither exhibited haemadsorption/haemagglutination nor reverse transcriptase activity. Mature virus particles displayed a spherical shape with diameter of 100-350 nm after negative staining and 100-300 nm in ultrathin sections, covered by short projections of 8-10 nm in length. Maturation of virus progeny was shown to occur by budding and envelopment of the filamentous helical nucleocapsids at the cell surface. A detailed comparison of ultrastructure and morphogenesis of the novel virus isolates with selected arena-, ortho- and paramyxoviruses as possible candidates for evaluation of taxonomic classification yielded no consistency in all phenotypic features. Thus, on the basis of ultrastructure the novel virus isolates could not be assigned unequivocally to any established virus family.

A long-term serological survey on Aujeszky's disease virus infections in wild boar in East Germany.

Between 1985 and 2008, a total of 102,387 wild boar sera originating from Eastern Germany covering an area of 108 589 km2 were tested for the presence of Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV)-specific antibodies. From 1985 until 1991 and from 1992 until 2008, wild boar sera were exclusively investigated using either conventional seroneutralization assays (n=39 621) or commercial gB and full antigen ELISAs (n=62,766), respectively. Spatial-temporal analysis revealed an increasing ADV seroprevalence from 0·4% to 15·9%, on average, during the 24-year observation period that went along with a continuous spread of the infection in a western direction. During 2006 and 2008, 18% of the 66 affected districts had ADV seroprevalences >30%. There was a significant correlation between ADV seroprevalence and the hunting index of population density (HIPD) of wild boar in the entire study area, although this did not hold true for some regions. Seroprevalences did not differ between sexes but were age-dependent. East Germany has been officially free of Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) in domestic pigs since 1985. Although a risk for domestic pigs cannot be completely ruled out, experience has shown that ADV in domestic pigs could be eliminated although the virus was present in the wild boar population. Despite increasing ADV seroprevalence in the East German wild boar population no spillover infections from wild boar to domestic pigs have been reported. To further trace ADV infections in the wild boar population in Germany, a nationwide serological monitoring programme should be implemented.

Detection of a novel circovirus in mute swans (Cygnus olor) by using nested broad-spectrum PCR.

Circoviruses are the causative agents of acute and chronic diseases in several animal species. Clinical symptoms of circovirus infections range from depression and diarrhoea to immunosuppression and feather disorders in birds. Eleven different members of the genus Circovirus are known so far, which infect pigs and birds in a species-specific manner. Here, a nested PCR was developed for the detection of a broad range of different circoviruses in clinical samples. Using this assay, a novel circovirus was detected in mute swans (Cygnus olor) found dead in Germany in 2006. Sequence analysis of the swan circovirus (SwCV) genome, amplified by multiply primed rolling-circle amplification and PCR, indicates that SwCV is a distinct virus most closely related to the goose circovirus (73.2% genome sequence similarity). Sequence variations between SwCV genomes derived from two different individuals were high (15.5% divergence) and mainly confined to the capsid protein-encoding region. By PCR testing of 32 samples derived from swans found dead in two different regions of Germany, detection rates of 20.0 and 77.3% were determined, thus indicating a high incidence of SwCV infection. The clinical significance of SwCV infection, however, needs to be investigated further.

Functional and molecular biological evidence of SGLT-1 in the ruminal epithelium of sheep.

Because of the effective catabolism of D-glucose to short-chain fatty acids by intraruminal microorganisms, the absorption of D-glucose from the rumen was thought to be of minor importance. However, clinical studies suggested that significant quantities of D-glucose are transported from the ruminal contents to the blood. We therefore tested the ruminal epithelium of sheep for the presence of Na(+)-glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT-1) on both the functional and mRNA levels. In the absence of an electrochemical gradient, 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG) was net absorbed across isolated ruminal epithelia mounted in Ussing chambers. The net transport of 3-OMG followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and was sensitive to phlorizin or decreasing Na(+) concentrations. The mucosal addition of 10 mM D-glucose induced an immediate, phlorizin-sensitive increase in short-circuit current (I(sc)). I(sc) could also be increased by serosal addition of D-glucose or D-mannose, but electrogenic uptake of D-glucose or 3-OMG added on the mucosal side was still detectable after serosal stimulation of I(sc). RT-PCR using primers specific for the ovine intestinal SGLT-1 with subsequent TA cloning and sequencing revealed 100% identity between the cloned cDNA and mRNA fragment 187-621 of ovine intestinal SGLT-1. In conclusion, the ruminal epithelium has a high-affinity SGLT-1, which indicates that it maintains the capacity for D-glucose absorption.

The VP2 variable region of African and German isolates of infectious bursal disease virus: comparison with very virulent, "classical" virulent, and attenuated tissue culture-adapted strains.

11 African and two German IBDV strains isolated in the mid '80s from field outbreaks in vaccinated and unvaccinated chicken flocks displayed features of very virulent (vv) IBDV strains. The sequence data of the VP2 variable region and phylogenetic analysis confirm that these strains can be grouped within vv IBDV strains which appeared at the same time on the three continents Africa, Asia, and Europe. Strain Cu-1wt, responsible for severe IBD outbreaks in Germany 13 years earlier, showed some relatedness to these strains, but also significant differences at the genomic level, even though this strain has also features of the vv IBDV strains.

Infected and apoptotic cells in the IBDV-infected bursa of Fabricius, studied by double-labelling techniques.

Infections of young chickens with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) result in depletion of lymphoid cells of the bursa of Fabricius (BF) due to necrosis and apoptotic processes. Interactions between IBDV and lymphoid cells were investigated by labelling paraffin-embedded tissue sections of infected BF with combinations of either immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH) or in situ TUNEL reaction (IST). With regard to specificity and sensitivity, results of ISH were comparable to those of IHC. By double-labelling it was shown, for the first time, that viral antigen was present in most of the apoptotic cells. This suggests that IBDV may be directly involved in the induction of the apoptotic process. However, some cells also showed either viral antigen or DNA fragmentation, especially at the early stages of infection. It should be taken into account, therefore, that the apoptotic processes might also be induced by IBDV through indirect interaction between cells. Remarkably, in some of the infected lymphoid cells ISH signals were observed in the nucleolus.

Rapid preparation of plasma membranes from avian lymphoid cells and fibroblasts for virus binding studies.

A simple and rapid protocol for the preparation of plasma membranes from chicken embryo fibroblasts and chicken lymphoid cells was developed. Characterization of the preparations by morphological, biochemical and serological methods indicated the specific enrichment of the plasma membranes as well as cell surface proteins. Binding of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) particles was demonstrated after immobilization of the plasma membranes, and cell type-specific differences were observed. Although the results of these studies reflect the interaction between IBDV and isolated cells only partially, the advantages of these plasma membrane preparations, the specific enrichment of cell surface proteins, their constant quality and the possibility to store aliquots over several months, make them a useful tool for virus binding studies with avian cells.

Infectious bursal disease virus changes the potassium current properties of chicken embryo fibroblasts.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is the causative agent of an economically significant poultry disease. IBDV infection leads to apoptosis in chicken embryos and cell cultures. Since changes in cellular ion fluxes during apoptosis have been reported, we investigated the membrane ion currents of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) inoculated with the Cu-1 strain of IBDV using the patch-clamp recording technique. Incubation of CEFs with IBDV led to marked changes in their K+ outward current properties, with respect to both the kinetics of activation and inactivation and the Ca2+ dependence of the activation. The changes occurred in a time-dependent manner and were complete after 8 h. UV-treated noninfectious virions induced the same K+ current changes as live IBDV. When CEFs were inoculated with IBDV after pretreatment with a neutralizing antibody, about 30% of the cells showed a normal K+ current, whereas the rest exhibited K+ current properties identical to or closely resembling those of IBDV-infected cells. Incubation of CEFs with culture supernatant from IBDV-infected cells from which the virus particles were removed had no influence on the K+ current. Our data strongly suggest that the K+ current changes induced by IBDV are not due to virus replication, but are the result of attachment and/or membrane penetration. Possibly, the altered K+ current may delay the apoptotic process in CEFs after IBDV infection.

Susceptibility of chicken lymphoid cells to infectious bursal disease virus does not correlate with the presence of specific binding sites.

Pathogenic serotype 1 strains of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) replicate efficiently in lymphoid cells of the bursa of Fabricius of chicken. Lymphoid cells in other organs are not susceptible. Apathogenic serotype 2 strains do not replicate in lymphoid bursa cells or in other lymphoid cells. Chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF), however, efficiently replicate strains of either serotype. Binding studies showed that strains of both IBDV serotypes bind to lymphoid cells isolated from the bursa, thymus or spleen, indicating that restriction of IBDV replication to lymphoid B cells is not determined by the presence of specific receptor sites. The specificity of binding was demonstrated by saturation and competition experiments. These revealed the presence of different receptors: CEF had receptors common to both serotypes and specific ones for each serotype. Receptor sites common to both serotypes were also present on lymphoid cells; however, additional serotype-specific sites were only demonstrated for the apathogenic serotype 2 strain. Strains of both serotypes specifically bound to proteins with molecular masses of 40 kDa and 46 kDa, exposed on the surface of CEF and lymphoid cells. Competition experiments indicated that these proteins might represent the common receptor sites of IBDV.