The viral replication complex is associated with the virulence of Newcastle disease virus

Genomic Diversity and Evolutionary Insights of Avian Paramyxovirus-1 in Avian Populations in Pakistan

The virulent form of Avian paramyxovirus-1 (APMV-1), commonly known as Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), is a pathogen with global implications for avian health, affecting both wild and domestic bird populations. In Pakistan, recurrent Newcastle Disease (caused by NDV) outbreaks have posed significant challenges to the poultry industry. Extensive surveillance in Pakistan over 20 years has demonstrated a dynamic genetic diversity among circulating APMV-1 strains, emphasizing the potential necessity for customized vaccination strategies and continuous surveillance. In this study, 13 APMV-1-positive isolates harboring four different APMV-1 genotypes circulating throughout Pakistan were identified. These included the highly virulent genotypes VII and XIII, genotype XXI, commonly associated with Columbiformes, and genotype II, hypothesized to have been detected following vaccination. These findings underscore the intricate interplay of mutational events and host-immune interactions shaping the evolving NDV landscape. This study advances our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of APMV-1 in Pakistan, highlighting the need for tailored vaccination strategies and continuous surveillance to enable effective APMV-1 management in avian populations, further emphasizing the importance of globally coordinated strategies to tackle APMV-1, given its profound impact on wild and domestic birds.

Genetic characterization of pigeon- origin avian avulavirus-1 reveals unique substitutions in F and HN proteins

Since decades, Newcastle disease (ND) has become endemic in the poultry population of the Indian subcontinent. ND is a highly contagious disease of poultry and other avian species. However, the genetic nature of ND viruses circulating in the rock pigeons is unraveled. The present investigation is a part of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) surveillance in wild birds. Two velogenic NDV strains could be isolated from apparently healthy rock pigeons, thus establishing the status of carrier/reservoir host. The fusion protein cleavage site in the fusion protein has multiple basic amino acid (RRRKRF) motifs similar to velogenic isolates. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete fusion gene sequences confirmed that the isolates belong to NDV sub genotype XIII 2.2. Further analysis revealed several amino acid substitutions in the hypervariable region, heptad repeat regions and neutralizing epitopes of the fusion protein and heptad repeat regions and antigenic sites of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein that are critical for fusion. A unique D170A substitution in the neutralizing epitope is identified that is critical for structure and function of the fusion protein. Mutations within the virulence determinants including fusion (F) and HN, elucidate continuous evolution of the viruses among the rock pigeons. Accidental spillover of these mutated viruses into commercial poultry operations may result in disease outbreaks with economic breakdown.

The NP protein of Newcastle disease virus dictates its oncolytic activity by regulating viral mRNA translation efficiency

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been extensively studied as a promising oncolytic virus for killing tumor cells in vitro and in vivo in clinical trials. However, the viral components that regulate the oncolytic activity of NDV remain incompletely understood. In this study, we systematically compared the replication ability of different NDV genotypes in various tumor cells and identified NP protein determines the oncolytic activity of NDV. On the one hand, NDV strains with phenylalanine (F) at the 450th amino acid position of the NP protein (450th-F-NP) exhibit a loss of oncolytic activity. This phenotype is predominantly associated with genotype VII NDVs. In contrast, the NP protein with a leucine amino acid at this site in other genotypes (450th-L-NP) can facilitate the loading of viral mRNA onto ribosomes more effectively than 450th-F-NP. On the other hand, the NP protein from NDV strains that exhibit strong oncogenicity interacts with eIF4A1 within its 366-489 amino acid region, leading to the inhibition of cellular mRNA translation with a complex 5' UTR structure. Our study provide mechanistic insights into how highly oncolytic NDV strains selectively promote the translation of viral mRNA and will also facilitate the screening of oncolytic strains for oncolytic therapy.

Multifunctionality of matrix protein in the replication and pathogenesis of Newcastle disease virus: A review

As an important structural protein in virion morphogenesis, the matrix (M) protein of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is demonstrated to be a nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking protein and plays essential roles in viral assembly and budding. In recent years, increasing lines of evidence have indicated that the M protein has obvious influence on the pathotypes of NDV, and the interaction of M protein with cellular proteins is also closely associated with the replication and pathogenicity of NDV. Although substantial progress has been made in the past 40 years towards understanding the structure and function of NDV M protein, the available information is scattered. Therefore, this review article summarizes and updates the research progress on the structural feature, virulence and pathotype correlation, and nucleocytoplasmic transport mechanism of NDV M protein, as well as the functions of M protein and cellular protein interactions in M's intracellular localization, viral RNA synthesis and transcription, viral protein synthesis, viral immune evasion, and viral budding and release, which will provide an in-depth understanding of the biological functions of M protein in the replication and pathogenesis of NDV, and also contribute to the development of effective antiviral strategies aiming at blocking the early or late steps of NDV lifecycles.

Effect of Different Levels of Maternally Derived Genotype VII Newcastle Disease Virus-Specific Hemagglutination Inhibition Antibodies on Protection against Virulent Challenge in Chicks

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by the virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is an acute, highly contagious, and economically significant avian disease worldwide. Vaccination is the most effective measure for controlling ND. In recent years, vaccines matched with the prevalent strains of genotype VII have been developed and are now commercially available. These vaccines can provide full protection for chickens against clinical disease and mortality after challenges with genotype VII viruses and significantly decrease virus shedding compared to conventional vaccines belonging to genotypes I and II. Vaccinated hens can transfer antibodies to their offspring through the egg yolk. Maternally derived antibodies can provide passive protection against diseases but can also interfere with vaccination efficacy early in life. This study was conducted on chicks hatched from hens vaccinated with a commercial genotype VII NDV-matched vaccine to investigate the correlation between hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody levels in chicks and hens and the decaying pattern of maternally derived HI antibodies, and to evaluate the protective efficacy of different levels of maternally derived HI antibodies against challenge with a virulent NDV strain of genotype VII based on survivability and virus shedding. The HI antibody titers in chicks at hatching were about 1.3 log2 lower than those in hens, indicating an antibody transfer rate of approximately 41.52%. The estimated half-life of these antibodies was about 3.2 days. The protective efficacy of maternally derived HI antibodies was positively correlated with the titer. These antibodies could effectively protect chicks against mortality when the titer was 7 log2 or higher, but they were unable to prevent virus shedding or infection even at a high titer of 11 log2. The obtained results will greatly assist producers in determining the immune status of chicks and formulating appropriate vaccination schedules against ND.

Phylogeny and Pathogenicity of Subtype XIIb NDVs from Francolins in Southwestern China and Effective Protection by an Inactivated Vaccine

Most genotype XII newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) were isolated from poultry, chickens, or geese, with the exception of one subtype, XIIa NDV, which was isolated from a peacock. Here, two subtype XIIb NDVs, francolin/China/GX01/2017 and francolin/China/GX02/2017 (GX01 and GX02 hereafter), were isolated from francolins, which are resident birds in southern China. GX01 and GX02 were characterized as velogenic NDVs. Based on the weaker pathogenicity of these viruses in chickens, the amino acid sequences of seven proteins from genotype XII NDVs were compared, which revealed 17, 40, 15, 7, 32, 25, and 31 variations in the NP, P, M, F, HN, L, and V proteins, respectively, some of which could be responsible for this decreased pathogenicity. Epidemiological and phylogenetic analyses suggest that subtype XIIb NDVs have multiple transmission chains, and that resident birds may be involved in this process as intermediate hosts in which viruses keep evolving. Because of the increased pathogenicity of subtype XIIb NDVs, the protective efficacy of GX01 as an inactivated vaccine was evaluated and compared with that of two commercial inactivated vaccines in chickens. The results showed that the subtype XIIb NDVs could be candidate genotype-matched vaccine strains against genotype XII NDVs.

Efficacy of Newcastle disease LaSota vaccine-induced hemagglutination inhibition antibodies against challenges with heterologous virulent strains of genotypes VII and IX

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV), still remains one of the most important avian diseases affecting the poultry industry worldwide, despite intensive vaccination programs have been implemented in many countries. All NDV isolates characterized to date are of one serotype and classified into classes I and II, with class II being further divided into twenty-one genotypes. Antigenic and genetic diversity is observed among the different genotypes. Current commercially available vaccines belonging to genotypes I and II are genetically divergent from strains that caused ND outbreaks worldwide in the last two decades. Reports of vaccination failures on their insufficient ability to inhibit infection or virus shedding have created renewed interest in developing vaccines homologous to virulent NDV circulating in the field. In this study, after vaccination with the most widely used LaSota vaccine (genotype II), chickens with different hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody levels were challenged with heterologous virulent NDV strains of genotypes VII and IX to evaluate how antibody levels relate to clinical protection and infection or virus shedding. Under the experimental condition, LaSota vaccine could fully protect birds from morbidity and mortality, but higher antibody levels were required to inhibit virus shedding. The number of birds shedding virus generally tended to decrease as the HI antibody titers increase in vaccinated birds. When the HI antibody titers reached ≥ 13 log₂ and ≥ 10 log₂, the virus shedding from JSC0804 strain (genotype VII) and F48E8 strain (genotype IX) could be completely inhibited, respectively, but it may be difficult to ensure that all individuals reach and maintain those levels in chicken flocks vaccinated according to routine procedure. Furthermore, the virus shedding in vaccinated birds was correlated with the amino acid similarity between the vaccine and challenge strains; more similarity, less virus shedding. The results obtained highlight that stringent biosecurity measures combined with vaccination are crucial for chicken farms to maintain a virulent NDV-free status.

Pathologic Mechanisms of the Newcastle Disease Virus

Newcastle disease (ND) has been a consistent risk factor to the poultry industry worldwide. Its pathogen, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is also a promising antitumor treatment candidate. The pathogenic mechanism has intrigued the great curiosity of researchers, and advances in the last two decades have been summarized in this paper. The NDV’s pathogenic ability is highly related to the basic protein structure of the virus, which is described in the Introduction of this review. The overall clinical signs and recent findings pertaining to NDV-related lymph tissue damage are then described. Given the involvement of cytokines in the overall virulence of NDV, cytokines, particularly IL6 and IFN expressed during infection, are reviewed. On the other hand, the host also has its way of antagonizing the virus, which starts with the detection of the pathogen. Thus, advances in NDV’s physiological cell mechanism and the subsequent IFN response, autophagy, and apoptosis are summarized to provide a whole picture of the NDV infection process.

Molecular evolution, diversity, and adaptation of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O in Asia

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is highly contagious and affects the economy of many countries worldwide. Serotype O is the most prevalent and is present in many regions of Asia. Lineages O/SEA/Mya-98, O/Middle East-South Asia (ME-SA)/PanAsia, O/Cathay and O/ME-SA/Ind-2001 have been circulating in Asian countries. Low antigenic matching between O/Cathay strains and current vaccine strains makes the disease difficult to control, therefore, analyzing the molecular evolution, diversity, and host tropisms of FMDV Serotype O in Asia may be helpful. Our results indicate that Cathay, ME-SA, and SEA are the predominant topotypes of FMDV serotype O circulating in Asia in recent years. Cathay topotype FMDV evolves at a higher rate compared with ME-SA and SEA topotypes. From 2011 onwards, the genetic diversity of the Cathay topotype has increased substantially, while large reductions were found in the genetic diversity of both ME-SA and SEA topotypes, suggesting a trend that infections sustained by the Cathay topotype were becoming a more severe epidemic in recent years. Analyzing the distributions of host species through time in the dataset, we found that the O/Cathay topotype was characterized by a highly swine-adapted tropism in contrast with a distinct host preference for O/ME-SA. The O/SEA topotype strains identified in Asia were isolated mainly from cattle until 2010. It is worth noting that there may be a fine-tuned tropism of the SEA topotype viruses for host species. To further explore the potential molecular mechanism of host tropism divergence, we analyzed the distribution of structure variations on the whole genome. Our findings suggest that deletions in the PK region may reflect a common pattern of altering the host range of serotype O FMDVs. In addition, the divergence of host tropism may be due to accumulated structural variations across the viral genome, rather than a single indel mutation.

Common viral and bacterial avian respiratory infections: an updated review

Many pathogens that cause chronic diseases in birds use the respiratory tract as a primary route of infection, and respiratory disorders are the main leading source of financial losses in the poultry business. Respiratory infections are a serious problem facing the poultry sector, causing severe economic losses. Avian influenza virus, Newcastle disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, and avian pneumovirus are particularly serious viral respiratory pathogens. Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Staphylococcus, Bordetella avium, Pasteurella multocida, Riemerella anatipestifer, Chlamydophila psittaci, and Escherichia coli have been identified as the most serious bacterial respiratory pathogens in poultry. This review gives an updated summary, incorporating the latest data, about the evidence for the circulation of widespread, economically important poultry respiratory pathogens, with special reference to possible methods for the control and prevention of these pathogens.

Multiple potential recombination events among Newcastle disease virus genomes in China between 1946 and 2020

Introduction

Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is a highly adaptable virus with large genetic diversity that has been widely studied for its oncolytic activities and potential as a vector vaccine. This study investigated the molecular characteristics of 517 complete NDV strains collected from 26 provinces across China between 1946-2020.

Methods

Herein, phylogenetic, phylogeographic network, recombination, and amino acid variability analyses were performed to reveal the evolutionary characteristics of NDV in China.

Results and discussions

Phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of two major groups: GI, which comprises a single genotype Ib, and GII group encompassing eight genotypes (I, II, III, VI. VII. VIII, IX and XII). The Ib genotype is found to dominate China (34%), particularly South and East China, followed by VII (24%) and VI (22%). NDV strains from the two identified groups exhibited great dissimilarities at the nucleotide level of phosphoprotein (P), matrix protein (M), fusion protein (F), and haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) genes. Consistently, the phylogeographic network analysis revealed two main Network Clusters linked to a possible ancestral node from Hunan (strain MH289846.1). Importantly, we identified 34 potential recombination events that involved mostly strains from VII and Ib genotypes. A recombinant of genotype XII isolated in 2019 seems to emerge newly in Southern China. Further, the vaccine strains are found to be highly involved in potential recombination. Therefore, since the influence of recombination on NDV virulence cannot be predicted, this report's findings need to be considered for the security of NDV oncolytic application and the safety of NDV live attenuated vaccines.

Concurrent pigeon paramyxovirus-1 and Acinetobacter baumannii infection in a fatal case of pneumonia

Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1), an antigenic variant of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), mainly infects pigeons. PPMV-1 genotype VI is the dominant genotype infecting pigeons in China. Human infection of avian paramyxovirus was rarely reported, and usually developed mild symptoms, such as conjunctivitis. We detected PPMV-1 in the lower respiratory sample from a fatal case with severe pneumonia; this patient aged 64 years presented cough, fever, and haemoptysis for 8 days and was admitted to hospital on Dec 26, 2020. He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis in the following days and died of multiple organ failure on Jan 7, 2021. Sputum and blood culture reported multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (ABA) for samples collected on days 22 and 19 post-illness, respectively. However, clinical metagenomic sequencing further reported PPMV-1 besides ABA in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The PPMV-1 genome showed 99.21% identity with a Chinese strain and belonged to VI genotype by BLAST analysis. Multiple basic amino acids were observed at the cleavage site of F protein (113RKKRF117), which indicated high virulence of this PPMV-1 strain to poultry. The patient had close contact with pigeons before his illness, and PPMV-1 nucleic acid was detected from the pigeon feather. PPMV antibody was also detected in the patient serum 20 days after illness. In conclusion, concurrent PPMV-1 genotype VI.2.1.1.2.2 and ABA infection were identified in a fatal pneumonia case, and cross-species transmission of PPMV-1 may occur between infected pigeons and the human being.

Review detection of Newcastle disease virus

Newcastle disease (ND) is an acute and highly contagious disease caused by the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infecting poultry, which has caused great harm to the poultry industry around the world. Rapid diagnosis of NDV is important to early treatment and early institution of control measures. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the most recent research into NDV, including historical overview, molecular structure, and infection mechanism. We then focus on detection strategies for NDV, including virus isolation, serological assays (such as hemagglutination and hemagglutination-inhibition tests, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, reporter virus neutralization test, Immunofluorescence assay, and Immune colloidal gold technique), molecular assays (such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, real-time quantitative PCR, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification) and other assays. The performance of the different serological and molecular biology assays currently available was also analyzed. To conclude, we examine the limitations of currently available strategies for the detection of NDV to lay the groundwork for new detection assays.

Screening and identification of nucleocapsid protein-nanobodies that inhibited Newcastle disease virus replication in DF-1 cells

Newcastle disease (ND) is an acute and highly contagious infectious disease found in poultry. Although commercial ND virus (NDV) vaccines are universally used, some case reports persistently documented vaccination failure. Therefore, novel strategies are still required to control the occurrence of the disease in chickens. Recently, nanobodies (Nbs), which have the advantages of small molecular weight and low production costs, have been shown to be promising therapeutics against viral infection. In the present study, a total of 16 Nbs against NDV nucleocapsid protein (NP) were screened from two libraries against NDV using phage display technology. Of the 16 screened Nbs, eight were prevented from binding to NDV NP protein through administering positive chicken sera for anti-NDV antibodies, indicating that the epitopes recognized by these eight Nbs were able to induce the immune response after the chickens were infected with NDV stock. Subsequently, transfection assay, construction of recombinant DF-1 cells capable of expressing different nanobodies and viral inhibition assay were used to screen the nanobodies inhibiting NDV replication. The results demonstrated that Nb18, Nb30, and Nb88 significantly inhibited the replication of Class I and different genotypes of Class II NDV strains in DF-1 cells when they were expressed in the cytoplasm. Collectively, these nanobodies provided new tools for researching the functions of NDV NP protein and may be used as a novel strategy for designing drugs against NDV infection in chickens.

Surveillance of Class I Newcastle Disease Virus at Live Bird Markets in China and Identification of Variants with Increased Virulence and Replication Capacity

In this study, 232 class I Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) were identified from multiple bird species at nationwide live bird markets (LBMs) from 2017 to 2019 in China. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all 232 isolates were clustered into genotype 1.1.2 of class I on the basis of the fusion (F) gene sequences, which were distinct from the genotypes identified in other countries. Most of the isolates (212/232) were shown to have the typical F gene molecular characteristics of class I NDVs, while a few (20/232) contained mutations at the site of the conventional start codon of the F gene, which resulted in open reading frames (ORFs) altered in length. The isolates with ACG, CTA, and ATA mutations showed different levels of increased virulence and replication capacity, suggesting that these viruses may be transitional types during the evolution of class I NDVs from avirulent to virulent. Further evaluation of biological characteristics with recombinant viruses obtained by reverse genetics demonstrated that the ATG located at genomic positions 4523 to 4525 was the authentic start codon in the F gene of class I NDV, and the specific ATA mutations which contributed to the expression of F protein on the surface of infected cells were the key determinants of increased replication capacity and virulence. Interestingly, the mutation at the corresponding site of genotype II LaSota of class II had no effects on the virulence and replication capacity in chickens. Our results suggest that the alteration of virulence and replication capacity caused by specific mutations in the F gene could be a specific characteristic of class I NDVs and indicate the possibility of the emergence of virulent NDVs due to the persistent circulation of class I NDVs. IMPORTANCE The available information on the distribution, genetic diversity, evolution, and biological characteristics of class I Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) in domestic poultry is currently very limited. Here, identification of class I NDVs at nationwide live bird markets (LBMs) in China was performed and representative isolates were characterized. A widespread distribution of genotype 1.1.2 of class I NDVs was found in multiple bird species at LBMs in China. Though most isolates demonstrated typical molecular characteristics of class I NDVs, a few that contained specific mutations at the site of the conventional start codon of the fusion gene with increased virulence and replication capacity were identified for the first time. Our findings indicate that the virulence of class I NDVs could have evolved, and the widespread transmission and circulation of class I NDVs may represent a potential threat for disease outbreaks in poultry.

Newcastle disease virus genotype VII gene expression in experimentally infected birds

Newcastle disease virus genotype VII (NDV-GVII) is a highly contagious pathogen responsible for pandemics that have caused devastating economic losses in the poultry industry. Several features in the transcription of NDV mRNA, including differentially expressed genes across the viral genome, are shared with that for other single, non-segmented, negative-strand viruses. Previous studies measuring viral gene expression using northern blotting indicated that the NDV transcription produced non-equimolar levels of viral mRNAs. However, deep high-throughput sequencing of virus-infected tissues can provide a better insight into the patterns of viral transcription. In this report, the transcription pattern of virulent NDV-GVII was analysed using RNA-seq and qRT-PCR. This study revealed the transcriptional profiling of these highly pathogenic NDV-GVII genes: NP:P:M:F:HN:L, in which there was a slight attenuation at the NP:P and HN:L gene boundaries. Our result also provides a fully comprehensive qPCR protocol for measuring viral transcript abundance that may be more convenient for laboratories where accessing RNA-seq is not feasible.

Development of Plant-Based Vaccines for Prevention of Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease in Poultry

Viral diseases, including avian influenza (AI) and Newcastle disease (ND), are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in poultry, resulting in significant economic losses. Despite the availability of commercial vaccines for the major viral diseases of poultry, these diseases continue to pose a significant risk to global food security. There are multiple factors for this: vaccine costs may be prohibitive, cold chain storage for attenuated live-virus vaccines may not be achievable, and commercial vaccines may protect poorly against local emerging strains. The development of transient gene expression systems in plants provides a versatile and robust tool to generate a high yield of recombinant proteins with superior speed while managing to achieve cost-efficient production. Plant-derived vaccines offer good stability and safety these include both subunit and virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines. VLPs offer potential benefits compared to currently available traditional vaccines, including significant reductions in virus shedding and the ability to differentiate between infected and vaccinated birds (DIVA). This review discusses the current state of plant-based vaccines for prevention of the AI and ND in poultry, challenges in their development, and potential for expanding their use in low- and middle-income countries.

Single-Dose Vaccination of Recombinant Chimeric Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) LaSota Vaccine Strain Expressing Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) VP2 Gene Provides Full Protection against Genotype VII NDV and IBDV Challenge

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) are the two most important and widespread viruses causing huge economic losses in the global poultry industry. Outbreaks of genotype VII NDV and IBDV variants in vaccinated poultry flocks call for genetically matched vaccines. In the present study, a genetic matched chimeric NDV LaSota vaccine strain expressing VP2 gene of IBDV variant, rLaS-VIIF/HN-VP2 was generated for the first time, in which both the F and HN genes of LaSota were replaced with those of the genotype VII NDV strain FJSW. The cleavage site of the FJSW strain F protein in the rLaS-VIIF/HN-VP2 genome was mutated to the avirulent motif found in LaSota. Expression of IBDV VP2 protein was confirmed by western blot. The rLaS-VIIF/HN-VP2 maintained the efficient replication ability in embryonated eggs, low pathogenicity and genetic stability comparable to that of parental LaSota virus. One dose oculonasal vaccination of one-week-old SPF chickens with rLaS-VIIF/HN-VP2 induced full protection against genotype VII NDV and IBDV lethal challenge. These results indicate that the rLaS-VIIF/HN-VP2 is a promising bivalent vaccine to prevent infections of IBDV and genotype VII NDV.

Contribution of mutation I142M in fusion protein and Q44R in matrix protein of Newcastle disease virus to virulence in ducks

Although verogenic Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) generally cause subclinical infection in waterfowls such as ducks, NDVs with high virulence in waterfowl have been sporadically reported. We previously reported that the NDV d5a20b strain, which is obtained by serial passaging of the velogenic 9a5b strain in domestic ducks, showed increased virulence in ducks (Hidaka et al., 2021). The d5a20b strain had 11 amino acid substitutions in its P/V, M, F, HN, and L proteins as compared to 9a5b. In the present study, we generated a series of recombinant (r) NDVs with these amino acid substitutions to identify the molecular basis of virulence of NDV in ducks, and evaluated their influences on virulence and in vitro viral properties. Each of the single amino acid substitutions in either the F protein I142M or the M protein Q44R contributed to the enhancement of intracerebral and intranasal pathogenicity in domestic ducks. The cell-cell fusion activity of the virus with F I142M was five times higher than that of the parental r9a5b. The virus with M Q44R rapidly replicated in duck embryo fibroblasts. Additionally, the rM+F+HN strain, which has the same amino acid sequences as d5a20b in M, F, and HN proteins, showed the highest level of virulence and replication efficiency among the generated recombinant viruses, nearly comparable to rd5a20b. These results suggest that multiple factors are involved in the high growth ability of NDV in duck cells, leading to increased virulence in vivo.

In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of a Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type 1 Isolated from Domestic Pigeons in Victoria, Australia 2011

Significant mortalities of racing pigeons occurred in Australia in late 2011 associated with a pigeon paramyxovirus serotype 1 (PPMV-1) infection. The causative agent, designated APMV-1/pigeon/Australia/3/2011 (P/Aus/3/11), was isolated from diagnostic specimens in specific pathogen free (SPF) embryonated eggs and was identified by a Newcastle Disease virus (NDV)-specific RT-PCR and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test using reference polyclonal antiserum specific for NDV. The P/Aus/3/11 strain was further classified as PPMV-1 using the HI test and monoclonal antibody 617/161 by HI and phylogenetic analysis of the fusion gene sequence. The isolate P/Aus/3/11 had a slow haemagglutin-elution rate and was inactivated within 45 min at 56 °C. Cross HI tests generated an R value of 0.25, indicating a significant antigenic difference between P/Aus/3/11 and NDV V4 isolates. The mean death time (MDT) of SPF eggs infected with the P/Aus/3/11 isolate was 89.2 hr, characteristic of a mesogenic pathotype, consistent with other PPMV-1 strains. The plaque size of the P/Aus/3/11 isolate on chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells was smaller than those of mesogenic and velogenic NDV reference strains, indicating a lower virulence phenotype in vitro and challenge of six-week-old SPF chickens did not induce clinical signs. However, sequence analysis of the fusion protein cleavage site demonstrated an ¹¹²RRQKRF¹¹⁷ motif, which is typical of a velogenic NDV pathotype. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the P/Aus/3/11 isolate belongs to a distinct subgenotype within class II genotype VI of avian paramyxovirus type 1. This is the first time this genotype has been detected in Australia causing disease in domestic pigeons and is the first time since 2002 that an NDV with potential for virulence has been detected in Australia.

Protection against Different Genotypes of Newcastle Disease Viruses (NDV) Afforded by an Adenovirus-Vectored Fusion Protein and Live NDV Vaccines in Chickens

The efficacy of an adenovirus-vectored Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine expressing the fusion (F) NDV protein (adeno-F) was evaluated against challenges with virulent heterologous and homologous NDV strains to the F protein. In a preliminary study, two different doses (low and high) of adeno-F were tested against a virulent NDV strain containing the homologous NDV F protein, CA02. In a second study, at three weeks post-vaccination, the efficacy of the high dose of adeno-F was compared to a live attenuated NDV vaccine strain (LaSota) against three antigenically distinct virulent NDV challenge strains, one homologous (CA02) and two heterologous (TZ12, EG14) to F in the vectored vaccine. In both experiments, clinical signs, mortality, virus shedding, and humoral response were evaluated. In the first experiment, the survival rates from birds vaccinated with adeno-F at a high and low dose were 100% and 25%, respectively. In the second experiment, birds vaccinated with the high dose of adeno-F had a survival rate of 80%, 75%, and 65% after challenge with the CA02, TZ12, and EG14 viruses, respectively. All of the LaSota-vaccinated birds survived post-challenge no matter the NDV challenge strain. High antibody titers were detected after vaccination with LaSota by HI and ELISA tests. The majority of adeno-F-vaccinated birds had detectable antibodies using the ELISA test, but not using the HI test, before the challenge. The data show that both the similarity of the F protein of the adeno-F vaccine to the challenge virus and the adeno-F vaccination dose affect the efficacy of an adenovirus-vectored NDV vaccine against a virulent NDV challenge.

Isolation and Pathogenic Characterization of Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type 1 via Different Inoculation Routes in Pigeons

Pigeon paramyxovirus type I (PPMV-1) causes regular outbreaks in pigeons and even poses a pandemic threat among chickens and other birds. The birds infected with PPMV-1 mainly show a pathological damage in the respiratory system, digestive system, and nervous system. However, there were few reports on the efficiency of the virus entering the host via routes of different systems. In the present study, a PPMV-1 strain was obtained from a dead wild pigeon in 2016 in Beijing, China. The mean death time (MDT) and the intracerebral pathogenicity (ICPI) of our isolate showed medium virulence. Phylogenetic analysis based on F gene sequence showed that the isolate belonged to subgenotype VIb, class II, which dominated in China in recent years. Then, we evaluated the infection efficiency of different routes. Pigeons were randomly divided into five groups of six as follows: intracephalic (IC), intranasal (IN), and intraoral (IO) infection routes, cohabitation infection (CO), and negative control (N negative). All pigeons were inoculated with 100 μl·10⁶ EID₅₀ PPMV-1 virus. After infection, pathological lesions, virus shedding, body weight change, survival rate, and tissue tropism were tested to compare the efficiency of the different infected routes. The mortality of groups IC, IN, IO, and CO were 100, 66.7, 50, and 33.3%, respectively. Weight loss in group IC was higher than the other groups, followed by groups IN and IO. The lesions observed in PPMV-1-infected pigeons were severe, especially in the lung and intestine in group IC. Viral shedding was observed from 2 dpi in groups IC and IN, but the shedding rate was higher in group IN than group IC. The longest period was in group CO. Tissue tropism experiment showed that our isolate has a wide range of tissue distribution, and the virus titer in the heart and intestine of group IC and in the brain of group IN was higher. Our data may help us to evaluate the risk of transmission of PPMV-1.

Activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway is required for replication of Newcastle disease virus

Replication of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is regulated by various host mechanisms, but the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in regulating NDV replication is an open question. In this study, the relationship between the ERK pathway and NDV replication was investigated. NDV activated the ERK signaling in chicken embryo fibroblasts at the late stage of infection, correlating to expression of viral proteins. Specific blockage of the ERK pathway activation significantly decreased the transcription and translation levels of viral genes as well as virus replication and the cytopathogenic effect caused by NDV. Our results demonstrate that activation of the ERK pathway is required for NDV replication.

gga-miR-1603 and gga-miR-1794 directly target viral L gene and function as a broad-spectrum antiviral factor against NDV replication

As the causative agent of Newcastle disease (ND), Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has seriously restricted the development of the poultry industry. Previous research has shown that miRNAs, members of the small noncoding RNA family, are implicated in the regulation NDV replication through extensive interactions with host mRNAs, but whether miRNAs affect NDV replication by directly binding to the NDV antigenome remains unclear. In this study, potential Gallus gallus miRNAs targeting the antigenome of NDV were bioinformatically predicted using the online software RegRNA 2.0, and gga-miR-1603 and gga-miR-1794 were identified as targeting the viral L gene directly through dual-luciferase reporter assays. Sequence alignment analysis demonstrated that multiple genotypes of NDVs harbored highly conserved binding sites for gga-miR-1603 and gga-miR-1794 in the viral antigenome located at 8611–8634 nt and 14,490–14,514 nt, respectively. Meanwhile, we found that gga-miR-1603 and gga-miR-1794 negatively regulated the expression of viral L gene at both the RNA and protein levels, as well as viral replication in vitro. Furthermore, NDV infection had no effect on endogenous gga-miR-1603 and gga-miR-1794 expression in various avian cell lines. Overall, our present study demonstrated that gga-miR-1603 and gga-miR-1794 directly bind to the viral L gene to facilitate ts degradation and inhibit the replication of multiple genotypes of NDVs in vitro. These findings will provide us with important clues for antiviral therapy against NDV infection.

Comparative biology of two genetically closely related Newcastle disease virus strains with strongly contrasting pathogenicity

A lentogenic strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) with an intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) of 0.36 was derived by the passage of a mesogenic NDV isolate with an original ICPI of 1.04. Animal experiments showed that the original strain caused much severer clinical signs and mortality than the derived strain in chickens. To elucidate the molecular reason for this virulence change, the complete viral genomes of the original and derived strains were sequenced. Molecular analysis showed that both viruses contained the same fusion (F) protein with a cleavage site (Fcs) motif that is usually associated with velogenic viruses. Molecular comparison revealed five amino acid (aa) differences in nucleoprotein (NP) (aa 426), hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) (aas 215 and 430), and large protein (L) (aas 1694 and 1767), accompanied by the changes of relevant biological activities in membrane fusion and replication. Thus, we believe that the virulence changes may induced by these mutations. Our findings make a foundation for more in-depth investigations of the molecular mechanism underlying virulence.

Innate immune responses of domestic pigeons to the infection of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 virus

Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) is a globally distributed, virulent member of the avian paramyxovirus type-1. The PPMV-1-associated disease poses a great threat to the pigeon industry. The innate immune response is crucial for antiviral infections and revealing the pathogenic mechanisms of PPMV-1. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity of a PPMV-1 strain LHLJ/110822 in one-month-old domestic pigeons, as well as the host immune responses in PPMV-1-infected pigeons. We observed typically clinical sign in infected pigeons by 3 dpi. The morbidity rate and the mortality in pigeons inoculated with the PPMV-1 strain were up to 100% and 30%, respectively. The virus could replicate in all of the examined tissues, namely trachea, lung, liver, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius. In addition, the infected pigeons had developed anti-PPMV-1 antibodies as early as 8 dpi; and the antibody level increased over the time in this study. The expression level of toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR3 TLR15, IFN-γ, and IL-6 were significantly upregulated by the PPMV-1 infection in some tissues of pigeons. By contrast, PPMV-1 infection results in downregulation of IL-18 expression in most of investigated tissues except for bursa of Fabricius in this study. The current results confirmed that this virus could replicate in pigeons and induce host immune responses, then leading to produce serum antibody titers. Meanwhile, the PPMV-1 infection induces strong innate immune responses and intense inflammatory responses at early stage in pigeon which may associate with the viral pathogenesis.

Exploring the Prospects of Engineered Newcastle Disease Virus in Modern Vaccinology

Many traditional vaccines have proven to be incapable of controlling newly emerging infectious diseases. They have also achieved limited success in the fight against a variety of human cancers. Thus, innovative vaccine strategies are highly needed to overcome the global burden of these diseases. Advances in molecular biology and reverse genetics have completely restructured the concept of vaccinology, leading to the emergence of state-of-the-art technologies for vaccine design, development and delivery. Among these modern vaccine technologies are the recombinant viral vectored vaccines, which are known for their incredible specificity in antigen delivery as well as the induction of robust immune responses in the vaccinated hosts. Although a number of viruses have been used as vaccine vectors, genetically engineered Newcastle disease virus (NDV) possesses some useful attributes that make it a preferable candidate for vectoring vaccine antigens. Here, we review the molecular biology of NDV and discuss the reverse genetics approaches used to engineer the virus into an efficient vaccine vector. We then discuss the prospects of the engineered virus as an efficient vehicle of vaccines against cancer and several infectious diseases of man and animals.

Characterization of ten paramyxovirus type 1 viruses isolated from pigeons in China during 1996-2019

Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) is an antigenic variant of avian paramyxovirus type 1, which mainly infects pigeons. Here, we characterized ten PPMV-1 viruses isolated from pigeons in China during 1996-2019. Phylogenetic analysis of available complete genomes, F and HN genes of PPMV-1 from China showed that multiple PPMV-1 genotypes (I, II, VI, and VII) exist in pigeons in China. Ten PPMV-1 viruses isolated in this study belonged to genotypes VI.1.2.2.2, VI.2.1.1.2.1, VI.2.1.1.2.2 and VII respectively. Genotype VI is predominant in pigeons. VI.2.1.1.2.2 contains most recently isolated PPMV-1 viruses, suggesting that VI.2.1.1.2.2 is a prevalent genotype in pigeons in China. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that four representative viruses from genotypes VI.2.1.1.2.1 (TA14), VI.2.1.1.2.2 (SD19), VI.1.2.2.2 (SD16), and VII (JN08) could replicate efficiently in chicken embryo fibroblasts, while the replication titer of JN08 (VII) virus was significantly lower than that of VI gene viruses in pigeon embryo fibroblasts. The TA14 (VI.2.1.1.2.1) and SD19 (VI.2.1.1.2.2) viruses caused 20 % and 30 % mortality in pigeons, respectively. No birds infected with SD16 (VI.1.2.2.2) died during the study period. JN08 (VII) virus did not cause obvious clinical signs in infected pigeons. All data indicated that VI.2.1.1.2.2 is the prevalent genotype circulating in China and poses a major threat to pigeons, suggesting that a matched vaccine is necessary to control the disease.

Genetic Determinants of Altered Virulence of Type O Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus

FMD is probably the most important livestock disease in the world due to the severe economic consequences caused. The alteration of several viral genes may give the virus selective advantage to maintain its prevalence in nature. Here, we identified that a 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment combined with a single leucine insertion in the leader protein (L^pro) is a novel determinant of restricted growth on bovine cells, which significantly contributes to the altered virulence of serotype O FMDV in cattle. A synergistic and additive effect of the 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment and the single leucine insertion in L^pro on the virulence and host specificity of the virus was determined. These results will benefit efforts to understand the vial pathogenicity mechanism and molecular characteristics of FMDV.

Under different circumstances, the alteration of several viral genes may give an evolutionary advantage to the virus to maintain its prevalence in nature. In this study, a 70-nucleotide deletion in the small fragment (S fragment) of the viral 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) together with one amino acid insertion in the leader protein (L^pro) that naturally occurred in several serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strains in China was identified. The properties of two field serotype O FMDV strains, with or without the 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment and the amino acid insertion in L^pro, were compared in vitro and in vivo. Clinical manifestations of FMD were clearly observed in cattle and pigs infected by the virus without the mutations. However, the virus with the mentioned mutations caused FMD outcomes only in pigs, not in cattle. To determine the role of the 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment and the single amino acid insertion in L^pro in the pathogenicity and host range of FMDV, four recombinant viruses, with complete genomes and a 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment, a single amino acid insertion in L^pro, or both mutations, were constructed and rescued. It showed that deletion of 70 nucleotides in the S fragment or insertion of one amino acid (leucine) at position 10 of L^pro partly decreased the viral pathogenicity of Mya-98 lineage virus in cattle and pigs. However, the virus with dual mutations caused clinical disease only in pigs, not in cattle. This suggested that the S fragment and L^pro are significantly associated with the virulence and host specificity of FMDV. The naturally occurring dual mutation in the S fragment and L^pro is a novel determinant of viral pathogenicity and host range for serotype O FMDV.

IMPORTANCE FMD is probably the most important livestock disease in the world due to the severe economic consequences caused. The alteration of several viral genes may give the virus selective advantage to maintain its prevalence in nature. Here, we identified that a 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment combined with a single leucine insertion in the leader protein (L^pro) is a novel determinant of restricted growth on bovine cells, which significantly contributes to the altered virulence of serotype O FMDV in cattle. A synergistic and additive effect of the 70-nucleotide deletion in the S fragment and the single leucine insertion in L^pro on the virulence and host specificity of the virus was determined. These results will benefit efforts to understand the vial pathogenicity mechanism and molecular characteristics of FMDV.

Experimental pigeon paramyxovirus-1 infection in chicken: evaluation of infectivity, clinical and pathological manifestations and diagnostic methods

Several pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1) outbreaks in feral pigeons were described recently in Switzerland. The potential of PPMV-1 to induce the notifiable Newcastle disease in chickens is discussed controversially. Therefore, in order to study epidemiologically relevant parameters such as the kinetics of PPMV-1 replication and shedding as well as seroconversion after infection, chickens were infected experimentally with a Swiss PPMV-1 isolate. This generated also defined sample material for the comparison of diagnostic tests. The infectivity of the Swiss PPMV-1 isolate for chickens was demonstrated successfully by virus shedding after experimental inoculation. Our data suggest that long-lasting shedding for up to 60 days can occur in chickens infected with PPMV-1. The isolate used here was of low pathogenicity for chickens. Different quantitative reverse transcription PCR assays were evaluated with a set of Swiss PPMV-1 isolates, and various samples from experimentally infected chickens were analysed with respect to their suitability for viral RNA detection. At 14 days post-infection, virus genome was detected mainly in spleen, caecal tonsils, heart, cloacal swabs, liver, proventriculus, duodenum and kidney tissue samples. Overall, the level of virus replication was low. Not all assays used routinely in diagnostics were capable of detecting viral genome from the isolates tested. Possible explanations are the genetic divergence of PPMV-1 and the low level of viral RNA in the samples. In contrast, two methods that are not used routinely proved more suitable for virus-genome detection. Importantly, the collection of material from various different organs is recommended, in addition to the kidney and brain analysed routinely. In conclusion, this study shows that there is a need to reconsider the type of samples and the protocols used for the detection of PPMV-1 RNA in chickens.

Quantitative evaluation of viral interference among Egyptian isolates of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1 and H5N8) with the lentogenic and velogenic Newcastle disease virus genotype VII in specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs model

Background and Aim

Mixed infections of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are considered the most distressing problem of the poultry industry. The problem arises due to the influence of a hidden virus on the replication of another suspected virus. Consequently, misdiagnosis of the real cause of disease may become a source of infection for other healthy stock by transmission and dissemination of the hidden virus. This study aimed to determine the impact of HPAIV and NDV on each other in a specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken egg (SPF-ECE) model.

Materials and Methods

HPAIVs (H5N1 and H5N8) and NDVs [avirulent NDV [avNDV] and velogenic NDV [vNDV]) were inoculated into the allantois cavity of SPF-ECE with graded titers (2, 3, and 4 log₁₀ EID50) at 24 and 48 h of incubation, followed by the collection of allantoic fluid. A quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the viral RNA copies of both viruses.

Results

Obvious interference was reported on the growth of NDVs when co-inoculated with AIVs. NDV RNA titers reduction ranged from <3 to 5 log₁₀ to complete suppression, but slight interference with the growth of AIVs occurred. H5N1 RNA titers showed <1-2 log₁₀ reduction when co-inoculated with vNDV compared with the H5N1 control. The interference impact of H5N8 was more powerful than that of H5N1, while vNDV showed more resistance for interference than the avNDV strain. On the other hand, interference of AIVs was not observed except when vNDV was inoculated before H5N1. The interfering impact was increased after 48 h of inoculation, whereas no titer of avNDV was detectable.

Conclusion

AIV strains had a powerful effect on NDV growth, regardless of which infection occurred first.

Self-capping of nucleoprotein filaments protects the Newcastle disease virus genome

Non-segmented negative-strand RNA viruses, such as measles, ebola and Newcastle disease viruses (NDV), encapsidate viral genomic RNAs into helical nucleocapsids, which serve as the template for viral replication and transcription. Here, the clam-shaped nucleocapsid structure, where the NDV viral genome is sequestered, was determined at 4.8 Å resolution by cryo-electron microscopy. The clam-shaped structure is composed of two single-turn spirals packed in a back-to-back mode. This tightly packed structure functions as a seed for the assembly of a nucleocapsid from both directions, facilitating the growth of double-headed filaments with two separate RNA strings inside. Disruption of this structure by mutations in its loop interface yielded a single-headed unfunctional filament.

Genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Newcastle disease virus from China

The avian infectious disease, Newcastle disease (ND), caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can cause severe economic losses to poultry whether vaccinated or not in many countries. In this study, a strain of NDV isolated from an outbreak in China was subjected to biological, phylogenetic and genetic characterization. The results showed that the mean death time (MDT) was 52.4 h and the intracerebral pathogenicity indices (ICPI) value was 1.95. In addition, amino acid sequencing result showed that it had a sequence ¹¹²R-R-Q-R-R^↓F¹¹⁷ at fusion protein cleaving site (FPCS) indicating a velogenic strain. And its genome length is 15,192 nucleotide (nt) with the conserved complementary 3' leader and 5' trailer regions encoding six genes, 3'-NP-P-M-F-HN-L-5'. Based on phylogenetic analyses for hyper-variable region and complete genome of F gene, the strain studied here can be clustered into genotype IX, Class II, which has little evolution distance with strains of genotype III, being considered as a transitional strain in the evolution history of NDV. The rescue of infectious cDNA is proceeded in 9-day-old embryonated SPF chicken eggs. Despite the death of the first generation, the allantoic fluid harvested from the first generation lost its pathogenicity after passage. And we found the phenomenon happened due to the antibody appearing in the allantoic fluid. These findings offer our understanding of circulating strains of NDV in China and lay scientific foundations for making more efficient vaccines for Newcastle disease.

NP protein and F protein of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 are associated with its low pathogenicity in chickens

In this study, we investigated which structural proteins of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) are responsible for its low pathogenicity in chickens. The results revealed that the pathogenicity of the virus is determined by multiple genes. The NP protein and F protein were found to have the strongest individual effect on virulence, and this effect further enhanced when the two proteins were expressed in combination. Our study highlights the influence of the NP and F proteins on the pathogenicity of PPMV-1 in chickens.

Identification of Two Distinct Linear B Cell Epitopes of the Matrix Protein of the Newcastle Disease Virus Vaccine Strain LaSota

Matrix (M) protein of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an abundant protein that can induce a robust humoral immune response. However, its antigenic epitopes remain unknown. In this study, we used a pepscan approach to map linear B cell immunodominant epitopes (IDEs) of M protein with NDV-specific chicken antisera. The six epitopes with the highest reactivity by peptide scanning were obtained as IDE candidates. Among them, aa71-85 and aa349-363 were identified by immunological assays with NDV-specific or IDE-specific antisera. The minimal antigenic epitopes of the two IDEs were further characterized as ⁷⁷MIDDKP⁸² and ³⁵⁴HTLAKYNPFK³⁶³. Moreover, an amino acid sequence alignment and immunoblot analysis revealed the conservation of the two IDEs in the M protein of strains of different genotypes. These two IDEs of M protein could be genetically eliminated as negative markers in recombinant NDV for serologically differential diagnosis in the development of marker vaccines.

The Ntail region of nucleocapsid protein is associated with the pathogenicity of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 in chickens

The nucleoprotein (NP) of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) and other paramyxoviruses plays an important role in virus proliferation. A previous study found that NP is associated with the low pathogenicity of PPMV-1 strains in chickens. Here, we investigated which domain of NP is responsible for regulating the pathogenicity of PPMV-1. We found that the Ntail sequences were more diverse for different viral genotypes compared to Ncore sequences. The chimeric rBJ-SG10Ntail strain caused more severe clinical symptoms than the parental rBJ strain, increased the viral copy number in sampled tissues and induced higher IFN-γ gene expression. This demonstrated that the Ntail sequence plays a role in regulating viral virulence. These findings increase our understanding of the Ntail of NP protein and the virulence factors associated with PPMV-1.

Chicken viperin inhibits Newcastle disease virus infection in vitro: A possible interaction with the viral matrix protein

Viperin is an interferon-inducible protein that helps in protecting mammals against various virus infections. Viperin is a highly conserved member of the interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) family in many species. Viperin has been shown to play a pivotal role in the innate immunity of chicken; however, its role has not been explored in its antiviral potential. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is the causative agent of an infectious disease in poultry. In the present study, we have shown the anti-NDV effect of chicken viperin (cViperin). The impact of cViperin upon NDV infection was investigated in chicken embryo fibroblast. The modeling of the cViperin protein was done using I-TASSER and ZDOCK is used to predict the possible interaction with the matrix protein of NDV. The interaction was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay using recombinant matrix protein of NDV with the recombinant cViperin. The recombinant NDV expressing cViperin showed reduced replication of the virus upon its growth kinetics. Our results suggest downregulation of NDV replication in the presence of cViperin. The study will be critical to elaborate our understanding of the chicken innate immune system which could help develop antiviral strategies against NDV infection.

Presence of Newcastle disease viruses of sub-genotypes Vc and VIn in backyard chickens and in apparently healthy wild birds from Mexico in 2017

Virulent Newcastle disease viruses (NDV) have been present in Mexico since 1946, and recently, multiple outbreaks have been reported in the country. Here, we characterized eleven NDV isolated from apparently healthy wild birds and backyard chickens in three different locations of Jalisco, Mexico in 2017. Total RNA from NDV was reverse-transcribed, and 1285 nucleotides, which includes 3/4 of the fusion gene, was amplified and sequenced using a long-read MinION sequencing method. The sequences were 99.99-100% identical to the corresponding region obtained using the Illumina MiSeq. Phylogenetic analysis using MinION sequences demonstrated that nine virulent NDV from wild birds belonged to sub-genotypes Vc and VIn, and two backyard chicken isolates were of sub-genotype Vc. The sub-genotype Vc viruses had nucleotide sequence identity that ranged from 97.7 to 98% to a virus of the same sub-genotype isolated from a chicken in Mexico in 2010. Three viruses from pigeons had 96.3-98.7% nucleotide identity to sub-genotype VIn pigeon viruses, commonly referred to as pigeon paramyxovirus, isolated in the USA during 2000-2016. This study demonstrates that viruses of sub-genotype Vc are still present in Mexico, and the detection of this sub-genotype in both chickens and wild birds suggests that transmission among these species may represent a biosecurity risk. This is the first detection and complete genome sequencing of genotype VI NDV from Mexico. In addition, the utilization of an optimized long-read sequencing method for rapid virulence and genotype identification using the Oxford nanopore MinION system is demonstrated.

The Pseudoknot Region of the 5' Untranslated Region Is a Determinant of Viral Tropism and Virulence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus

This study demonstrates that the deletion in the PK region occurred naturally in the FMDV genome. The isolated O/ME-SA/PanAsia lineage FMDV with an 86-nt deletion in the PK region showed a pig-adapted characteristic that could cause clinical signs in swine but not bovines. Compared to the wild-type FMDV strain, which possesses full infection capacity in both swine and bovines, the recombinant virus with the 86-nt deletion in the PK region is deficient in causing disease in bovines. Deletion of the previously reported 43 nt in the PK region also led to significantly decreased pathogenicity of FMDV in bovines. This study indicates that the PK region is a novel determinant of the tropism and virulence of FMDV.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease. It is characterized by genetic instability and different antigenic properties. The nonstructural protein 3A is a primary determinant of the tropism and virulence of Cathay topotype FMDVs. However, several other determinants are also speculated to be involved in viral tropism and virulence. Deletion of 43 nucleotides (nt) in the pseudoknot (PK) region of the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) has been found to coexist with the identified 3A deletion in Cathay topotype FMDV genomes. In this study, we isolated an O/ME-SA/PanAsia lineage FMDV strain, O/GD/CHA/2015, that includes an 86-nt deletion in the PK region and shows a porcinophilic phenotype. To investigate the potential role of the PK region in viral pathogenicity, we generated a recombinant FMDV strain with an incomplete PK region and compared its virulence and pathogenesis to the intact FMDV strain in swine and bovines. Deletion of the 86 nt in the PKs had no major effects on the pathogenicity of the virus in swine but significantly attenuated its ability to infect bovine cells and cattle, indicating that the PK region is a newly discovered determinant of viral tropism and virulence. The role of the 43-nt deletion existing in the Cathay topotype FMDV was also investigated by evaluating the infection properties of genetically engineered viruses. Consistently, the 43-nt deletion in the PK region significantly decreased the pathogenicity of the virus in bovines. Overall, our findings suggest that the PK region deletion occurred naturally in the FMDV genome and that the PK region is highly associated with viral host range and functions as a novel determinant for FMDV pathogenesis.

IMPORTANCE This study demonstrates that the deletion in the PK region occurred naturally in the FMDV genome. The isolated O/ME-SA/PanAsia lineage FMDV with an 86-nt deletion in the PK region showed a pig-adapted characteristic that could cause clinical signs in swine but not bovines. Compared to the wild-type FMDV strain, which possesses full infection capacity in both swine and bovines, the recombinant virus with the 86-nt deletion in the PK region is deficient in causing disease in bovines. Deletion of the previously reported 43 nt in the PK region also led to significantly decreased pathogenicity of FMDV in bovines. This study indicates that the PK region is a novel determinant of the tropism and virulence of FMDV.

Genetic Changes in Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type-1 Induced by Serial Passages in Chickens and Microscopic Lesions Caused by the Virus in Various Avian Hosts

INTRODUCTION

Genotype VI of avian avulavirus 1 (AAvV-1) has pigeons and doves as its reservoir and is often termed pigeon paramyxovirus type-1 (PPMV-1). The pathogenesis of PPMV-1 infections in poultry is largely obscure. It is known that PPMV-1 requires a series of passages in chickens before it becomes adapted to gallinaceous poultry.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Changes in the genome of PPMV-1 were analysed after serial passages in specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens, using high-throughput sequencing. Additionally, histopathological lesions induced by PPMV-1 in experimentally inoculated pigeons, chickens, and turkeys were evaluated.

RESULTS

Following six passages of PPMV-1 in chickens, 10 nonsynonymous substitutions were found including one (in the NP protein) which dominated the genetic pool of viral quasispecies. Histopathological changes induced by the post-passage PPMV-1 strain were more prominent than changes wrought by the pre-passaged PPMV-1 strain and the lesions were most intense in pigeons followed by chickens and turkeys.

CONCLUSION

PPMV-1 is highly adapted to pigeons and passaging through chickens results in the acquisition of novel amino acids in the polymerase complex, which may alter the pathogenic potential of the virus.

Diagnostic and Vaccination Approaches for Newcastle Disease Virus in Poultry: The Current and Emerging Perspectives

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most devastating diseases that considerably cripple the global poultry industry. Because of its enormous socioeconomic importance and potential to rapidly spread to naïve birds in the vicinity, ND is included among the list of avian diseases that must be notified to the OIE immediately upon recognition. Currently, virus isolation followed by its serological or molecular identification is regarded as the gold standard method of ND diagnosis. However, this method is generally slow and requires specialised laboratory with biosafety containment facilities, making it of little relevance under epidemic situations where rapid diagnosis is seriously needed. Thus, molecular based diagnostics have evolved to overcome some of these difficulties, but the extensive genetic diversity of the virus ensures that isolates with mutations at the primer/probe binding sites escape detection using these assays. This diagnostic dilemma leads to the emergence of cutting-edge technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) which have so far proven to be promising in terms of rapid, sensitive, and accurate recognition of virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates even in mixed infections. As regards disease control strategies, conventional ND vaccines have stood the test of time by demonstrating track record of protective efficacy in the last 60 years. However, these vaccines are unable to block the replication and shedding of most of the currently circulating phylogenetically divergent virulent NDV isolates. Hence, rationally designed vaccines targeting the prevailing genotypes, the so-called genotype-matched vaccines, are highly needed to overcome these vaccination related challenges. Among the recently evolving technologies for the development of genotype-matched vaccines, reverse genetics-based live attenuated vaccines obviously appeared to be the most promising candidates. In this review, a comprehensive description of the current and emerging trends in the detection, identification, and control of ND in poultry are provided. The strengths and weaknesses of each of those techniques are also emphasised.

Can genotype mismatch really affect the level of protection conferred by Newcastle disease vaccines against heterologous virulent strains?

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent class II avian paramyxovirus 1 (Newcastle disease virus, NDV), occurs sporadically in poultry despite their having been immunized with commercial vaccines. These vaccines were all derived from NDV strains isolated around 70 years ago. Since then, class II NDV strains have evolved into 18 genotypes. Whether the vaccination failure results from genotype mismatches between the currently used vaccine strains and field-circulating velogenic strains or from an impaired immune response in the vaccination remains unclear. To test the first hypothesis, we performed a heterologous genotype II vaccine/genotype XI challenge in one-day old specific pathogen free (SPF) chicks and reproduced viral shedding. We then produced two attenuated strains of genotype II and XI by reverse genetics and used them to immunize two-week old SPF chickens that were subsequently challenged with velogenic strains of genotypes II, VII and XI. We found that both vaccines could induce antibodies with hemagglutination inhibition titers higher than 6.5 log₂. Vaccination also completely prevented disease, viral shedding in swabs, and blocked viral replication in tissues from different genotypes in contrast to unvaccinated chickens that died shortly after challenge. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that, in immunocompetent poultry, genotype mismatch is not the main reason for vaccination failure.

Genetic diversity of avian avulavirus 1 (Newcastle disease virus genotypes VIg and VIIb) circulating in wild birds in Kazakhstan

In order to improve current understanding of the molecular epidemiology of avian avulavirus 1 (AAvV-1, formerly avian paramyxovirus 1) in wild birds in Kazakhstan, 860 cloacal swab samples were evaluated. Samples were collected from 37 families of wild birds in nine different regions in the years 2011 and 2014. Overall, 54 positive samples (4.2%) were detected from 17 different families of wild birds, and 16 AAvV-1 isolates were characterized. Three of the isolates contained the fusion protein cleavage site motif RRQKR, and 13 contained KRQKR, which is typical for pathogenic strains of AAvV-1. The AAvV-1 isolates were found to belong to the genotypes VIg and VIIb.

The glutamic residue at position 402 in the C-terminus of Newcastle disease virus nucleoprotein is critical for the virus

The nucleocapsid proteins (NPs) of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and other paramyxoviruses play an important functional role during genomic RNA replication. Our previous study showed that the NP-encoding gene significantly influenced viral replication. Here, we investigated the roles of certain amino acid residues in the NP C-terminus in viral replication and virulence. Results showed that the glutamic acid residue at position 402 (E402) in the C-terminus of the NP is critical for RNA synthesis in the NDV mini-genome system. Mutation of E402 resulted in larger viral plaques that appeared more quickly, and increased the virulence of NDV. Further study indicated that the mutant virus had increased RNA levels during the early stages of virus infection, but that RNA replication was inhibited at later time points. These findings increase our knowledge of viral replication and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the virulence factors associated with NDV.

Different Origins of Newcastle Disease Virus Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Protein Modulate the Replication Efficiency and Pathogenicity of the Virus

To investigate the exact effects of different origins of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein to the biological characteristics of the virus, we systematically studied the correlation between the HN protein and NDV virulence by exchanging the HN of velogenic or lentogenic NDV strains with the HN from other strains of different virulence. The results revealed that the rSG10 or rLaSota derivatives bearing the HN gene of other viruses exhibited decreased or increased hemadsorption (HAd), neuraminidase and fusion promotion activities. In vitro and in vivo tests further showed that changes in replication level, tissue tropism and virulence of the chimeric viruses were also consistent with these biological activities. These findings demonstrated that the balance among three biological activities caused variation in replication and pathogenicity of the virus, which was closely related to the origin of the HN protein. Our study highlights the importance of the HN glycoprotein in modulating the virulence of NDV and contributes to a more complete understanding of the virulence of NDV.

Characterization and Epidemiology of Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type-1 Viruses (PPMV-1) Isolated in Macedonia

We have characterized in this study 10 PPMV-1 isolated from domestic pigeons and one PPMV-1 isolated from a feral pigeon in the period 2007-2012, using both classical methods (HI test and ICPI test) and molecular methods (RT-qPCR, RT-PCR, and nucleotide sequencing). Using phylogenetic analysis of partial fusion gene sequences, these viruses clustered with recent European PPMV-1 isolates (EU/re) within the genotype VIb/1. All isolates possessed virulent cleavage site motifs with variable morbidity and mortality in pigeons. The intracerebral pathogenecity indices of the five isolates ranged from 0.59 to 1.53. The repetitive isolation of PPMV-1 viruses for several consecutive years led toward establishing enzootic presence of the disease in pigeons. A high nucleotide sequence homology between the Macedonian isolates and EU/re isolates was shown. Co-circulation of different isolates in the same holdings was detected. This is the first study to extensively describe the molecular epidemiology of PPMV-1 isolated in Macedonia.

Pathotyping and Phylogenetic Characterization of Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated in Peru: Defining Two Novel Subgenotypes Within Genotype XII

Infections of poultry with virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus 1 (APMV-1), also known as Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs), cause Newcastle disease (ND). This highly contagious disease affects poultry and many other species of birds worldwide. In countries where the disease is prevalent, constant monitoring and characterization of isolates causing outbreaks are necessary. In this study, we report the results of pathogenicity testing and phylogenetic analyses of seven NDVs isolated from several regions of Peru between 2004 and 2015. Six viruses had intracerebral pathogenicity indices (ICPIs) of between 1.75 and 1.88, corresponding to a velogenic pathotype. The remaining virus had an ICPI of 0.00, corresponding to a lentogenic pathotype. These results were consistent with amino acid sequences at the fusion protein (F) cleavage site. All velogenic isolates had the polybasic amino acid sequence ¹¹²RRQKR↓F¹¹⁷ at the F cleavage site. Phylogenetic analyses of complete F gene sequences showed that all isolates are classified in class II of APMV-1. The velogenic viruses are classified in genotype XII, while the lentogenic virus is classified in genotype II, closely related to the LaSota vaccine strain. Moreover, tree topology, bootstrap values, and genetic distances observed within genotype XII resulted in the identification of novel subgenotypes XIIa (in South America) and XIIb (in China) and possibly two clades within genotype XIIa. All velogenic Peruvian viruses belonged to subgenotype XIIa. Overall, our results confirm the presence of genotype XII in Peru and suggest that it is the prevalent genotype currently circulating in our country. The phylogenetic characterization of these isolates helps to characterize the evolution of NDV and may help with the development of vaccines specific to our regional necessities.

Phylogenetic and pathogenic characterization of a pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 isolate reveals cross-species transmission and potential outbreak risks in the northwest region of China

Pigeon paramyxovirus type-1 (PPMV-1) is enzootic in pigeons, causing severe economic loss in the poultry industry in many countries. However, the exact epidemic process of PPMV-1 transmission is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the complete genome of the PPMV-1/SX-01/15 isolate. Sequence results show that the virus genome contains 15,192 nucleotides, with the gene order 3'-NP-P-M-F-HN-L-5'. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this genome belongs to subgenotype VIc in class II. The mean death time (MDT) and intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) were 62.4 h and 1.13, respectively, indicating that this isolate is a mesogenic PPMV-1 strain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a subgenotype VIc mesogenic PPMV-1 strain circulating in commercial pigeon flocks in the northwest region of China. In a comparative infection experiment, the morbidity and mortality rates were 100% and 80%, respectively, in 4-week-old pigeons, whereas they were 50% and 30%, respectively, in 5-week-old chickens. Furthermore, this virus caused severe neurological symptoms in a 4-week-old pigeon and mild neurological symptoms in a 5-week-old chicken. A histopathological examination of the brain showed a classical nonsuppurative encephalitis lesion. The pattern of viral shedding, and viral load, and virus distribution differed between infected chickens and pigeons. Genomic characteristics suggest that there was cross-species transmission of PPMV-1 subgenotype VIc in this region at least from the years 2006 to 2015.