Genotyping of turkey coronavirus field isolates from various geographic locations in the Unites States based on the spike gene.

Turkey flocks have experienced turkey coronaviral enteritis sporadically in the United States since the 1990s. Twenty-four field isolates of turkey coronavirus (TCoV) from multiple states in the United States were recovered from 1994 to 2010 to determine the genetic relationships among them. The entire spike (S) gene of each TCoV isolate was amplified and sequenced.

Recombinant nucleocapsid protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibody to turkey coronavirus.

Nucleocapsid (N) protein gene of turkey coronavirus (TCoV) was expressed in a prokaryotic system and used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibody to TCoV. Anti-TCoV hyperimmune turkey serum and normal turkey serum were used as positive or negative controls for optimization of the ELISA. Goat anti-turkey IgG (H+L) conjugated with horseradish peroxidase was used as detector antibody.

Comparison of 3'-end encoding regions of turkey coronavirus isolates from Indiana, North Carolina, and Minnesota with chicken infectious bronchitis coronavirus strains.

Objective: To analyze the 3'-end structural protein-encoding region of turkey coronavirus (TCoV) isolates associated with outbreaks of acute enteritis in Indiana, North Carolina, or Minnesota.

Methods: Four isolates of TCoV were sequenced over the entire 3'-end structural protein-encoding region and compared phylogenetically along with the corresponding sequences of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains.

Results: The sequence similarity between TCoV and IBV was lower than that among TCoV isolates or that among IBV strains.

Production of recombinant Bartonella henselae 17-kDa protein for antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The Bartonella henselae 17-kDa protein was expressed in a prokaryotic expression system as a histidine-tagged fusion protein and was purified. The target gene was cloned into a recombinant expression construct, pTri-17kd. The expressed protein was purified to near homogeneity by a nickel-agarose column chromatography.

Serological diagnosis of human babesiosis by IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgG antibodies to Babesia microti antigen was developed. B. microti antigens were harvested from experimentally infected hamster blood and used as a coating antigen.

Complete sequences of 3' end coding region for structural protein genes of turkey coronavirus.

Overlapping fragments of genomic RNA spanning 6963 nucleotides from 5' end of spike (S) protein gene to 3' end of nucleocapsid (N) protein gene of turkey coronavirus (TCoV) were amplified by reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The primers were derived from the corresponding sequences of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). The PCR products were cloned and sequenced and their nucleic acid structure and similarity to published sequences of other coronaviruses were analyzed.

Comparison of Western immunoblotting and the C6 Lyme antibody test for laboratory detection of Lyme disease.

Three commercial Lyme disease Western immunoblotting (WB) kits and the C6 Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit were compared using two commercially available performance panels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Boston Biomedica (BBI). Combined, the panels consisted of 52 characterized specimens. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) sensitivity was similar for the three WB products.

The effect of immunosuppression on protective immunity of turkey poults against infection with turkey coronavirus.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of humoral and cellular immunities on turkeys infected with turkey coronavirus (TCV). Two trials were conducted with two separate hatches of turkey poults. Turkey's were experimentally immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A (CsA) or cyclophosphamide (CY) and infected with TCV.