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Emad A, El-Kenawy AA, El-Tholoth M. Molecular characterization of Marek's Disease virus reveals reticuloendotheliosis virus-long terminal repeat integration in the genome of the field isolates in Egypt. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103722. [PMID: 38626691 PMCID: PMC11036097 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The highly contagious, immunosuppressive, and cancer-causing Marek's disease virus (MDV) infects chickens. The financial costs of Marek's disease (MD) are significant for the chicken industry. In this study, a total of 180 samples from chicken farms suspected to be MDV-infected were collected. The chickens were sampled during the period between the months of October 2016 and February 2018 at Dakahlia and Damietta Governorates, Egypt. A total of 36 pooled samples were created. The prepared samples were inoculated into embryonated chicken eggs (ECEs). Indirect fluorescent antibody technique (IFAT) and ICP4 gene-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for MDV identification. For the genetic characterization of the identified virus, The ICP4 gene sequence was identified and compared with the sequences available from various regions of the world. Furthermore, the genomes of all detected MDVs were screened for the long terminal repeat (LTR) region of reticuloendotheliosis (REV) in their genomes. The results showed that 31 out of 36 pooled samples (86.1%) inoculated into ECEs displayed the characteristic pock lesions. By using IFAT and PCR to identify MDV in ECEs, positive results were found in 27 samples (75%). The Egyptian virus is thought to be genetically closely related to MDVs circulating in Ethiopia, China, and India. REV-LTR was amplified from 6 out of 27 field isolates genomes (22.2 %) while MDV vaccine strains were free from REV-LTR insertion. The integrated REV-LTRs depicted a close genetic relationship with those integrated in fowl poxvirus (FWPV) circulating in Egypt as well as those integrated in FWPVs and MDVs from China, USA, South Africa, and Australia. To the best of our knowledge, this investigation represents the first identification and characterization of REV-LTR insertions in Egyptian MDV field isolates. Given the findings above, additional research in the future seems crucial to determine how the REV-LTR insertions affect MDV pathogenesis, virulence, and insufficient vaccination protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Emad
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Ali A. El-Kenawy
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Tholoth
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
- Veterinary Science Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Al Ain Men's Campus, Higher Colleges of Technology, 17155, UAE
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Teng M, Liu JL, Luo Q, Zheng LP, Yao Y, Nair V, Zhang GP, Luo J. Efficient Cross-Screening and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies against Marek's Disease Specific Meq Oncoprotein Using CRISPR/Cas9-Gene-Edited Viruses. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040817. [PMID: 37112797 PMCID: PMC10142107 DOI: 10.3390/v15040817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Marek's disease (MD) caused by pathogenic Marek's disease virus type 1 (MDV-1) is one of the most important neoplastic diseases of poultry. MDV-1-encoded unique Meq protein is the major oncoprotein and the availability of Meq-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is crucial for revealing MDV pathogenesis/oncogenesis. Using synthesized polypeptides from conserved hydrophilic regions of the Meq protein as immunogens, together with hybridoma technology and primary screening by cross immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on Meq-deleted MDV-1 viruses generated by CRISPR/Cas9-gene editing, a total of five positive hybridomas were generated. Four of these hybridomas, namely 2A9, 5A7, 7F9 and 8G11, were further confirmed to secrete specific antibodies against Meq as confirmed by the IFA staining of 293T cells overexpressing Meq. Confocal microscopic analysis of cells stained with these antibodies confirmed the nuclear localization of Meq in MDV-infected CEF cells and MDV-transformed MSB-1 cells. Furthermore, two mAb hybridoma clones, 2A9-B12 and 8G11-B2 derived from 2A9 and 8G11, respectively, displayed high specificity for Meq proteins of MDV-1 strains with diverse virulence. Our data presented here, using synthesized polypeptide immunization combined with cross IFA staining on CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited viruses, has provided a new efficient approach for future generation of specific mAbs against viral proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Teng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
| | - Jin-Ling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Qin Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Lu-Ping Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yongxiu Yao
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Venugopal Nair
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Gai-Ping Zhang
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
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Teng M, Zhou ZY, Yao Y, Nair V, Zhang GP, Luo J. A New Strategy for Efficient Screening and Identification of Monoclonal Antibodies against Oncogenic Avian Herpesvirus Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9-Based Gene-Editing Technology. Viruses 2022; 14:v14092045. [PMID: 36146851 PMCID: PMC9505574 DOI: 10.3390/v14092045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is an important oncogenic α-herpesvirus that induces Marek’s disease (MD), characterized by severe immunosuppression and rapid-onset T-cell lymphomas in its natural chicken hosts. Historically, MD is regarded as an ideal biomedical model for studying virally induced cancers. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against viral or host antigenic epitopes are crucial for virology research, especially in the exploration of gene functions, clinical therapy, and the development of diagnostic reagents. Utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing technology, we produced a pp38-deleted MDV-1 mutant—GX0101Δpp38—and used it for the rapid screening and identification of pp38-specific mAbs from a pool of MDV-specific antibodies from 34 hybridomas. The cross-staining of parental and mutated MDV plaques with hybridoma supernatants was first performed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Four monoclonal hybridomas—namely, 4F9, 31G7, 34F2, and 35G9—were demonstrated to secrete specific antibodies against MDV-1’s pp38 protein, which was further confirmed by IFA staining and confocal analysis. Further experiments using Western blotting, immunoprecipitation (IP), liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis demonstrated that the pp38-specific mAb 31G7 has high specificity and wide application potential for further research in MD biology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the use of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing technology for efficient screening and identification of mAbs against a specific viral protein, and provides a meaningful reference for the future production of antibodies against other viruses—especially for large DNA viruses such as herpesviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Teng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China & Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Zi-Yu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China & Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
| | - Yongxiu Yao
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Venugopal Nair
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Gai-Ping Zhang
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology & College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China & Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-(0)-371–65756056
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