Rapid identification, pathotyping and quantification of infectious bursal disease virus by high-resolution melting curve quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis: An innovative technology well-suited for real-time large-scale epidemiological surveillance.

With the virus continuing to evolve, very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) and novel variant IBDV (nvIBDV) have become the predominant epidemic strains in China, exacerbated by the widespread use of attenuated vaccine strains (attIBDV), making a complex infection situation of IBDV in the field. Therefore, developing a rapid and accurate high-resolution melting curve quantitative reverse transcription PCR (HRM-qRT-PCR) for the identification and pathotyping of IBDV is crucial for clinical monitoring and disease control. Extensive data analysis and genome-screening of the three dominant IBDV pathotypes identified a specific region (nucleotides 2450-2603 in segment A) with distinct GC content as the detection target.

Increased viperin expression induced by avian infectious bronchitis virus inhibits viral replication by restricting cholesterol synthesis: an in vitro study.

With the emergence of new variant strains resulting from high mutation rates and genome recombination, avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of IBV-host interactions, particularly how IBV utilizes host metabolic pathways for efficient viral replication and transmission. In the present study, the effects of the cell membrane, viral envelope membrane, and viperin-mediated cholesterol synthesis on IBV replication were explored.

The complete protections induced by the oil emulsion vaccines of the novel variant infectious bursal disease viruses against the homologous challenges indicating the important roles of both VP2 and VP1 in the antigenicity and pathogenicity of the virus.

Novel variant infectious bursal disease virus (nvIBDV) is an emerging genotype (A2dB1b) that can cause severe and prolonged immunosuppression in young chickens. Despite current commercial vaccines being proven to lack complete protection against nvIBDV, it remains unclear whether the oil emulsion inactivated vaccines (OEVs) of the homologous and heterologous virus or booster immunization can provide effective protection. In this study, OEVs with two types of nvIBDV isolates QZ191002 (A-nv/B-nv) and YL160304 (A-nv/B-HLJ0504-like) were prepared and evaluated the protective effects of OEVs plus the booster immunizations with different current commercial vaccines against the challenge of nvIBDVs.

Establishment of a rapid real-time fluorescence-based recombinase-aided amplification method for detection of avian infectious bronchitis virus.

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is an acute, highly contagious contact respiratory disease of chickens caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). IBV is very prone to mutation, which brings great difficulties to the prevention and control of the disease. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a method that is fast, sensitive, specific, and convenient for detecting IBV.

Analysis of the global origin, evolution and transmission dynamics of the emerging novel variant IBDV (A2dB1b): The accumulation of critical aa-residue mutations and commercial trade contributes to the emergence and transmission of novel variants.

The Chinese IBDV novel variant (nvIBDV), belonging to the genotype A2dB1b, an emerging pathotype that can cause subclinical disease with severe, prolonged immunosuppression, poses a new threat to the poultry industry. The process of the global origin, evolution and transmission dynamics of nvIBDV, however, is poorly understood. In this study, phylogenetic trees, site substitutions of amino acid (aa) and highly accurate protein structure modelling, selection pressure, evolutionary and transmission dynamics of nvIBDV were analysed.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Ischemia/Reperfusion Induced Acute Kidney Injury in a Porcine Model.

Exosomes are membrane-enclosed vesicles secreted by cells, containing a variety of biologically active ingredients including proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of the exosomes and underlying mechanisms in a miniature pig model of ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury (I/R-AKI). The exosomes were extracted from cultured human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) and infused into a miniature pig model of I/R AKI.

Porcine models of acute kidney injury.

Pigs represent a potentially attractive model for medical research. Similar body size and physiological patterns of kidney injury that more closely mimic those described in humans make larger animals attractive for experimentation. Using larger animals, including pigs, to investigate the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) also serves as an experimental bridge, narrowing the gap between clinical disease and preclinical discoveries.

The Biological Characteristics of Novel H5N6 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus and Its Pathogenesis in Ducks.

Clade 2.3.4.

Pathogenicity of different H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus strains and host immune responses in chickens.

The H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has been circulating in China since 2013. In this report, we describe our recent chicken experimental studies investigating the pathogenicity and transmission of four H5N6 HPAIV field strains of different origins (GS39, CK44, DK47 and CK74) and the host immune responses. Four-week-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated intranasally with one of the four H5N6 HPAIV strains (one strain per group).

Duck PIAS2 Promotes H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus Replication Through Its SUMO E3 Ligase Activity.

The protein inhibitor of the activated STAT2 (PIAS2) has been implicated in many cellular processes and can also regulate viral replication in mammals. However, the role of PIAS2 in the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 replication in ducks is still unclear. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay, we identified that duck PIAS2 (duPIAS2) was one protein that interacted with the nucleoprotein (NP) from the H5N1 HPAIV strain of DK212.

Duck TRIM32 Functions in IFN-β Signaling Against the Infection of H5N6 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus.

In mammals, tripartite motif 32 (TRIM32) is essential for regulating host innate immune responses to viral infections. However, the antiviral effect of TRIM32 in birds has not been reported. Here, we cloned the full-length duck TRIM32 (duTRIM32) cDNA from total spleen RNA of Peking duck.

Duck PIAS2 negatively regulates RIG-I mediated IFN-β production by interacting with IRF7.

The protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS) proteins are important signal transduction modulator family and regulate the innate immune signaling pathway induced by certain transcription factors, including NF-κB, IRF3, and JAK/STAT. The PIAS protein mechanism that regulates innate immune response in mammals has been well described in the literature; however, whether the PIAS gene exists in ducks as well as the role of PIAS in duck IFN-β expression is still unclear. Here, we cloned duck PIAS (duPIAS), finding PIAS2 could repress IFN-β production.

Host Innate Immune Response of Geese Infected with Clade 2.3.4.4 H5N6 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses.

Since 2014, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N6 viruses have circulated in waterfowls and caused human infections in China, posing significant threats to the poultry industry and the public health. However, the genetics, pathogenicity and innate immune response of H5N6 HPAIVs in geese remain largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the genetic characteristic of the two H5N6 viruses (GS38 and DK09) isolated from apparently healthy domestic goose and duck in live poultry markets (LPMs) of Southern China in 2016.

Immune-Related Gene Expression in Ducks Infected With Waterfowl-Origin H5N6 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses.

Clade 2.3.4.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and proteasome pathway involvement in human podocyte injury with a truncated COL4A3 mutation.

Background: Collagen type IV (COL4)-related nephropathy includes a variety of kidney diseases that occur with or without extra-renal manifestations caused by COL4A3-5 mutations. Previous studies revealed several novel mutations, including three COL4A3 missense mutations (G619R, G801R, and C1616Y) and the COL4A3 chr:228172489delA c.4317delA p.

Different Pathogenicity and Transmissibility of Goose-Origin H5N6 Avian Influenza Viruses in Chickens.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6 viruses have been circulating in poultry in Asia since 2013 and producing serious diseases in chickens. Here, we analyzed the genetic properties of 10 H5N6 subtypes AIVs from geese in 2015-2016 in Guangdong province. Phylogenic analysis showed that all HA genes of the 10 viruses belonged to clade 2.

Glucocorticoids in the treatment of patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and moderate proteinuria.

Background: To compare the efficacy of glucocorticoids in primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (pFSGS) patients with moderate proteinuria. Registered at http://www.chictr.

H7N9 Avian Influenza Virus Is Efficiently Transmissible and Induces an Antibody Response in Chickens.

H7N9 viruses pose a threat to human health and they are no less harmful to the poultry industry than the H5N1 avian influenza viruses. However, the pathogenesis, transmissibility, and the host immune response of the H7N9 virus in chickens and mice remain unclear. In this study, we found that H7N9 viruses replicated in multiple organs of the chicken and viral shedding persisted up to 30 days postinoculation (DPI).

Avian Influenza (H7N9) Viruses Co-circulating among Chickens, Southern China.

In April 2017, three avian influenza (H7N9) viruses were isolated from chickens in southern China. Each virus had different insertion points in the cleavage site of the hemagglutinin protein compared to the first identified H7N9 virus. We determined that these viruses were double or triple reassortant viruses.

Coimmunization with recombinant epitope-expressing baculovirus enhances protective effects of inactivated H5N1 vaccine against heterologous virus.

H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), poses a significant threat to poultry and human health. However, currently available inactivated influenza vaccines are less efficacious against viruses that display antigenic drift. In this study, we constructed a recombinant baculovirus (BV-HMNN) expressing four conserved antigen epitopes: H5N1 hemagglutinin stem area amino acids 76-130 (HA2 76-130); three tandem repeats from the ectodomain of the conserved influenza matrix protein M2 (3M2e); nucleoprotein amino acids 55-69 (NP55-69); and nucleoprotein amino acids 380-393 (NP380-393).

Recombinant baculovirus vaccine containing multiple M2e and adjuvant LTB induces T cell dependent, cross-clade protection against H5N1 influenza virus in mice.

H5N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza poses, a threat to animal and human health. Rapid changes in H5N1 viruses require periodic reformulation of the conventional strain-matched vaccines, thus emphasizing the need for a broadly protective influenza vaccine. Here, we constructed BV-Dual-3M2e-LTB, a recombinant baculovirus based on baculovirus display and BacMam technology.