CPB 69700 RESEARCH SEMINAR

 

 

 

DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE PATHOBIOLOGY

 

 

 

Yung-Yi Chen, BVM, MS
Graduate Student in Microbiology

Department of Comparative Pathobiology

Purdue University

 

 

 

“Generation and characterization of a reverse-genetic

infectious bursal disease virus”

 

 

 

Thurs., April 2, 2009

VPTH 112

3:30 pm

 

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Abstract:  Reverse-genetic (RG) approach has been used to manipulate viral genome in the study of viral pathogenesis. The present study was undertaken to generate a RG infectious bursal disease virus (RG-IBDV) that was characterized both in vitro and in vivo. Two cDNA clones from the segment A and B of a cell line-adapted IBDV strain variant E (VE), LP1-IBDV, respectively containing human cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter/enhancer at 5’ end and cis-acting ribozyme of hepatitis delta virus at 3’ end were constructed. Vero cells were transfected with the cDNA clones. Specific fluorescence by immunofluorescent staining with antibodies to various IBDV proteins was seen. Reverse genetic IBDV was collected by freeze-thawed for three times. Cytopathic effect was observed after 40 hr infection of RG-IBDV in chicken embryo fibroblasts or Vero cells. IBDV-like particles purified by CsCl centrifugation after Vero cells propagation were observed by electron microscopy (EM). Transmission EM analysis of infected Vero cells showed typical crystalline array arrangement of IBDV viral particles. By plaque forming unit (PFU) assay, the titer of RG-IBDV generated after transfection and propagation in Vero cells was 105 and 107 pfu/ml, respectively. The plaque size and growth kinetics of RG-IBDV was similar to those of the parent virus LP1-IBDV but with the titer 6-7 fold lower at the peak of growth. Sequence of VP2 hypervariable region was 100% match between LP1-IBDV and RG-IBDV. Three-week-old specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens were orally inoculated with 4.1 x 103 EID50 RG-IBDV. Bursa and serum were collected at 3, 7 and 17 days after challenge. Chickens infected with RG-IBDV did not have bursal atrophy. No significant changes in bursa/body weight ratio and bursal histopathology were seen in the chickens infected with RG-IBDV as compared to the negative control chickens. The average virus neutralizing antibody titer reached 46.8 (12,417x) in the RG-IBDV-infected chickens. The results indicated that IBDV can be generated by reverse genetics and the RG-IBDV generated in the present study does not cause bursal lesions but triggers IBDV-specific virus-neutralizing humoral immunity.