Immunostimulatory effects of recombinant Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae expressing porcine interleukin-18 in mice and pigs.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), which was originally called gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-inducing factor, has been shown to play an important role in innate and acquired immune responses. In this study, attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains were engineered to produce porcine IL-18 (poIL-18) and evaluated for their potential immunostimulatory effect in animals. Recombinant poIL-18 was successfully expressed in the recombinant E.

Allele-specific primer polymerase chain reaction for a single nucleotide polymorphism (C1205T) of swine toll-like receptor 5 and comparison of the allelic frequency among several pig breeds in Japan and the Czech Republic.

In the present study, an allele-specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (ASP-PCR) for genotyping a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of swine Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) (C1205T; P402L) that is related to the impaired recognition of Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (SC) was developed. The allele frequencies in several pig breeds in Japan and the Czech Republic were also compared. The swine TLR5 C1205T mutation was successfully determined by ASP-PCR using genomic DNA samples in Japan that had previously been genotyped by a sequencing method.

Development of allele-specific primer PCR for a swine TLR2 SNP and comparison of the frequency among several pig breeds of Japan and the Czech Republic.

In the present study, we have developed an allele-specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (ASP-PCR) for genotyping a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of swine Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) (C406G), which is related to the prevalence of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. We also compared the allele frequency among several pig breeds of Japan and the Czech Republic. Allele-specific primers were constructed by introducing 1-base mismatch sequence before the SNP site.

Salivary IgA as a useful non-invasive marker for restraint stress in pigs.

In this study, we investigated the expression of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in porcine salivary gland and its relationship with restraint stress in pigs. IgA was expressed in plasma cells in pig salivary gland, as confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. IgA was also detected in pig saliva itself by ELISA, and salivary IgA levels were increased by a restraint stress.

Immune response of gnotobiotic piglets against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

In this study, several cytokine responses were investigated during Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) infection using a gnotobiotic infection model. We found that several inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-18, and TNF-alpha) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of germ-free (GF) piglets stimulated with heat killed Mhp whole antigens, but no IFN-gamma and IL-4 were induced by Mhp. After the intranasal infection of Mhp, IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-18, and IFN-gamma were also detected in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluids (BALF).

IL-18 expression in pigs following infection with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

Little is known about the detail of the immune response during infection of pigs with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp). To further understand this important porcine pathogen, we examined the interleukin-18 (IL- 18) response in experimentally infected piglets. We found that large amounts of IL-18 were produced in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) of pigs experimentally infected with Mhp.

Bovine IL-18 ELISA: detection of IL-18 in sera of pregnant cow and newborn calf, and in colostrum.

In this study, we examined the concentration of bovine IL-18 in the sera of pregnant cows, their fetuses and newborn calves, and in colostrum in order to examine the role of IL-18 in bovine pregnancy and the neonatal period. A sandwich-ELISA to quantify bovine IL-18 was established using anti-porcine IL-18 monoclonal antibodies, which cross-reacted with bovine IL-18, and used it to measure the concentration of bovine IL-18 in the sera of pregnant cows, their fetuses and newborn calves, and in colostrum. Significant levels of IL-18 were detected in the sera of pregnant cows, but not in the sera obtained from the corresponding fetuses, umbilical arteries and veins.

Expression and one-step purification of bovine interleukin-21 (IL-21) in silkworms using a hybrid baculovirus expression system.

A hybrid baculovirus, a hybrid of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus and the Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus, was used for the large-scale production of bovine interleukin-21 (IL-21) in silkworms. A recombinant hybrid baculovirus containing the full length of the cDNA of bovine interleukin-21 was constructed and used to infect silkworm larvae or silkmoth pupae. After the infection of the virus, bovine mature IL-21 was produced in the haemolymph or pupal cell lysates.