Rapid detection and characterization from field cases of infectious laryngotracheitis virus by real-time polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed to specifically amplify infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA from field samples. The 222-base-pair PCR fragment was amplified using primers located in a conserved region of the infected cell protein 4 gene that was demonstrated in this work to encompass a single nucleotide polymorphism. Subsequent restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of real-time PCR amplified fragments from a range of ILTV isolates using the restriction endonuclease MspI enabled differentiation between older ILTV isolates that were prevalent in the 1960s prior to the availability of vaccine strains and more recent isolates that predominantly are identical to vaccine strains. The assay, using real-time PCR, RFLP and sequence analysis, was used to characterize two recent field cases of infectious laryngotracheitis from Northern Ireland. One of the field cases was demonstrated to be similar to older "wild-type" isolates, while the other field case was identified to have a concurrent ILTV infection of both "wild-type" and vaccinal type origin. The assay described here using real-time PCR and RFLP provides a rapid, specific method that enables detection and characterization of ILTV directly from field cases.     

Reverse restriction fragment length polymorphism (RRFLP): A novel technique for genotyping infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) live attenuated vaccines

A novel technique, the reverse restriction fragment length polymorphism (RRFLP) assay, was developed as a means of detecting specific informative polymorphic sites in the infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) genome. During the RRFLP procedure, DNA is digested with restriction enzymes targeting an informative polymorphic site and then used as template in a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers flanking the informative region. The analysis of the ΔC_t values obtained from digested and undigested template DNA provides the genotype of the DNA. In this study, the RRFLP assay was applied as a method to differentiate between the two types of infectious laryngotracheitis virus attenuated live vaccines. Sequence analysis of ILTV vaccines revealed an informative polymorphic site in the 5′-non-coding region of the infected cell protein (ICP4) gene. Unique AvaI and AlwI restriction enzyme sites were identified in the tissue culture origin and chicken embryo origin attenuated vaccines, respectively. These two informative polymorphic sites were used in a RRFLP assay to genotype rapidly and reproducibly ILTV attenuated live vaccines.     

Development and validation of a real-time Taqman PCR assay for the detection and quantitation of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in poultry

In this study, the development and validation of a real-time (ReTi) PCR assay is described using a Taqman labeled probe for the detection and quantitation of infectious larygotracheitis virus (ILTV) in chickens. The ReTi ILTV assay was highly specific with a quantitation limit of 100 viral template copies per amplification reaction. In experimentally infected, birds during early acute stages of infection, an average of 6.67 log(10) viral template copies/amplification reaction were detected, while at chronic late stages of infection an average of 2.86-3.27 log(10) viral template copies/amplification reaction were detected. A total of 246 tracheal swab samples collected from natural outbreaks of the disease were tested by virus isolation and the ReTi ILTV assay. Both assays agreed in 37% of the samples tested and the ReTi ILTV assay detected approximately 3.7 times more positives samples than virus isolation. A minimum of 5 log(10) viral template copies/amplification reaction were required from a tracheal swab to render a virus isolation positive result. In conclusion, the ReTi ILTV assay was highly specific, sensitive, reproducible, and capable of reliably quantifying viral nucleic acid directly from clinical samples.     

Development and validation of nested-PCR for the diagnosis of clinical and subclinical infectious laryngotracheitis

A standardised nested-PCR method that amplifies a region of the glycoprotein E gene of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) has been developed for the diagnosis of infection by Gallid herpesvirus 1. The two sets of primers employed produced the expected amplification products of 524 bp (external primers) and 219 bp (internal primers) in the presence of ILTV DNA, whereas no such amplicons were obtained with other avian respiratory pathogens or with DNA extracted from the cells of uninfected chickens. The identity of the 219 bp amplified product was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The standardised nested-PCR method detected ILTV DNA from trachea, lung, conjunctiva and trigeminal ganglia samples from flocks of birds with and without clinical signs, and showed high sensitivity (95.4%) and specificity (93.1%) when compared with the reference test involving virus isolation in specific-pathogen-free chicken embryos. The standardised nested-PCR method described may be used to detect clinical and latent ILTV infections, and will be of significant value for both diagnostic and epidemiological studies.     

The nonessential UL49.5 gene of infectious laryngotracheitis virus encodes an O-glycosylated protein which forms a complex with the non-glycosylated UL10 gene product

The UL10 and UL49.5 genes of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) encode putative envelope proteins which are conserved in Alpha, Beta, and Gammaherpesvirinae. Many of the corresponding gene products have been shown to be glycosylated and to form heterodimeric protein complexes with each other. Unlike the homologous gM proteins of other herpesviruses, the UL10 protein of ILTV is not detectably glycosylated [Fuchs, W., Mettenleiter, T.C., 1999. DNA sequence of the UL6 to UL20 genes of infectious laryngotracheitis virus and characterization of the UL10 gene product as a nonglycosylated and nonessential virion protein. J. Gen. Virol. 80, 2173-2182]. Using a monospecific antiserum, we now identified the UL49.5 gene product of ILTV as an O-glycosylated membrane protein (gN). Correct processing of gN was shown to depend on the presence of the UL10 protein. Both gN and UL10 could be co-immunoprecipitated from ILTV-infected cell lysates with antisera against either of the proteins, indicating stable protein-protein interactions. For functional analysis parts of the UL10 and UL49.5 open reading frames were deleted from the ILTV genome, and replaced by a beta-galactosidase expression cassette. The resulting virus mutants were isolated and propagated in non-complementing chicken cells, which demonstrated that the UL10 and UL49.5 genes are not essential for in vitro replication of ILTV.     

Detection of human cytomegalovirus in plasma of AIDS patients during acute visceral disease by DNA amplification.

By using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification procedure, 19 (83%) of 23 plasma specimens obtained from individuals with AIDS and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) visceral disease were found to be positive for plasma viremia as detected by PCR (PV-PCR), whereas 78% of cultures of peripheral blood leukocytes from the same samples were found to be positive. All 11 specimens prospectively obtained from individuals with acute HCMV disease were positive by PV-PCR. Plasma specimens from patients who received ganciclovir therapy rapidly became both culture and PV-PCR negative, and there was an excellent correlation between the two procedures. DNA detected by PV-PCR was unaffected by filtering plasma through a 0.2-microns-pore-size filter, although a conserved cellular gene, HLA-DQ alpha, was undetectable by PCR following filtration. HCMV DNA in plasma could be quantitated by PV-PCR by using endpoint serial dilutions, with detectable virus being present in 10(1) to 10(-2) microliters of plasma. A low titer of infectious virus could be detected in 2 of 11 plasma samples. The detection of HCMV DNA in plasma by PV-PCR promises to be a useful procedure for monitoring patients with AIDS suspected of having impending, acute, or recurrent HCMV visceral disease and suggests an additional route by which virus may disseminate in the immunocompromised host.     

Development of a SYBR Green quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for rapid detection and quantification of infectious laryngotracheitis virus

Infectious laryngotracheitis is an acute viral respiratory disease of chickens with a worldwide distribution. Sensitive detection of the causative herpesvirus is particularly important because it can persist in the host at a very low copy number and be transmitted to other birds. Quantification of viral genome copy number is also useful for clinical investigations and experimental studies. In the study presented here, a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed using SYBR Green chemistry and the viral gene UL15a to detect and quantify infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in ILTV-inoculated chicken embryos or naturally infected birds. The specificity of the assay was confirmed using a panel of viral and bacterial pathogens of poultry. The sensitivity of the assay was compared with two conventional PCR assays, virus titration and an antigen-detecting enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The qPCR developed in this study was highly sensitive and specific, and has potential for quantification of ILTV in tissues from naturally and experimentally infected birds and embryos.     

Performance of an RT-nested PCR ELISA for detection of Newcastle disease virus

A sensitive and specific RT-nested PCR coupled with an ELISA detection system for detecting Newcastle disease virus is described. Two nested pairs of primer which were highly specific to all the three different pathotypes of NDV were designed from the consensus fusion gene sequence. No cross-reactions with other avian infectious agents such as infectious bronchitis virus, infectious bursal disease virus, influenza virus, and fowl pox virus were observed. Based on agarose electrophoresis detection, the RT-nested PCR was about 100 times more sensitive compared to that of a non-nested RT-PCR. To facilitate the detection of the PCR product, an ELISA detection method was then developed to detect the amplified PCR products and it was shown to be ten times more sensitive than gel electrophoresis. The efficacy of the nested PCR-ELISA was also compared with the conventional NDV detection method (HA test) and non-nested RT-PCR by testing against a total of 35 tissue specimens collected from ND-symptomatic chickens. The RT-nested PCR ELISA found NDV positive in 21 (60%) tissue specimens, while only eight (22.9%) and two (5.7%) out of 35 tissue specimens were tested NDV positive by both the non-nested RT-PCR and conventional HA test, respectively. Due to its high sensitivity for the detection of NDV from tissue specimens, this PCR-ELISA based diagnostic test may be useful for screening large number of samples.     

Identification and functional analysis of the small membrane-associated protein pUL11 of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus

pUL11 is a highly conserved, small, acylated, membrane-associated tegument protein of herpesviruses. It is involved in final envelopment of nascent virions in the cytoplasm, although the precise mechanism is still unknown. By screening of mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb) raised against purified particles of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) of chickens (Veits et al., 2003a), we identified two mAb recognizing the 15 kDa UL11 protein (pUL11) of this avian alphaherpesvirus. These mAb permitted detection and precise localization of pUL11 in mature ILT virions, as well as in the cytoplasm of infected chicken cells by Western blot analyses, indirect immunofluorescence tests, and immunoelectron microscopy. For investigation of gene function UL11-deleted ILTV recombinants were generated. Like its homologues in several other alphaherpesviruses, ILTV-pUL11 was shown to be nonessential for productive virus replication. However, compared to wild-type and UL11 rescued ILTV the deletion mutants exhibited significantly reduced virus yields and moderately impaired spread in cell culture. In the absence of pUL11, electron microscopy of infected cells revealed accumulations of tegument proteins with nucleocapsids, and marked distortions of Golgi membranes in the cytoplasm, which obviously inhibited the formation of mature, enveloped virus particles. Taken together, our results demonstrate that pUL11 is relevant for secondary envelopment of ILTV, and confirm functional conservation of this protein in herpesviruses. The now available unique pUL11-specific mAb will help to further analyze this function, which is presumably mediated by physical interactions with other viral gene products, in cultured cells and in the natural animal host of ILTV.     

Glycoprotein D peptide-based diagnostic approach for the detection of avian infectious laryngotracheitis antibodies

ABSTRACT

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a highly contagious respiratory disease of chickens, pheasants, and peafowl. It is caused by the alpha herpesvirus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV). Glycoprotein D (gD) of ILTV is immunogenic and helps in its binding to the susceptible host cell receptor. In the present study, a recombinant gD protein was expressed in a prokaryotic system to develop a single serum dilution ELISA. In addition, two immunogenic peptides, corresponding to regions 77–89 and 317–328, were identified in gD protein. The peptides were synthesized using solid-phase peptide synthesis, purified using reversed-phase HPLC, and characterized using mass spectrometry. The peptides displayed a good titre and were found to be promising antigens to coat the ELISA plate to detect the ILTV antibodies in the serum sample. The developed ELISA showed 96.9% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, and 95.3% accuracy as compared to OIE referenced standard indirect ILTV ELISA (whole viral coated). The assay may not differentiate vaccinated from infected birds when the flocks are administered with live attenuated vaccines. However, the assay could be useful to detect the disease condition in birds vaccinated with recombinant vaccine expressing glycoproteins other than gD. The developed ILTV single serum dilution ELISA could be an alternative to the existing diagnostics for the detection of ILTV antibodies.     

Detection of reticuloendotheliosis virus infection using the polymerase chain reaction

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was shown to be a sensitive and useful method for detection of infection by members of the group of avian reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). Genomic DNA extracted from chick embryo fibroblasts (CEFs), blood and tumours of chickens experimentally infected with the spleen necrosis virus (SNV) strain of REV was used as the target for chain elongation. Deoxyoligonucle-otide primers that encompass a portion of the unique 3', repeat and unique 5' region of the long terminal repeat (LTR) served to prime chain elongation. Products characteristic of the SNV LTR were also produced from DNA extracted from CEF infected with other strains of REV, namely chick syncytial virus, duck infectious anaemia virus, and the T-strain of REV. SNV-LTR sequences were amplified from DNA of SNV-experimentally infected chicks between 5 days and 19 weeks after infection. SNV-LTR sequences were also amplified from DNA from tumours and brains of SNV infected chickens, but not from DNA from avian leukosis virus- or Marek's disease virus-induced tumours. Results indicate that PCR is a sensitive and specific method for detection of REV infection and tumours.     

Protection of chickens from infectious laryngotracheitis with a recombinant fowlpox virus expressing glycoprotein B of infectious laryngotracheitis virus

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an economically important disease of chickens caused by a type I gallid herpesvirus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV). The vaccines currently available are modified live viruses, which are effective in preventing disease outbreaks. However, they have often been associated with a variety of adverse effects including spread of vaccine virus to non-vaccinates, inadequate attenuation, production of latently infected carriers, and increased virulence as a result of in vivo passage. In this study, a recombinant fowlpox virus expressing glycoprotein B (gB) of ILTV (rFPV-ILTVgB) was constructed. Protection of specific pathogen free (SPF) and commercial chickens from ILT with the rFPV-ILTVgB and commercial ILTV vaccine (Nobilis ILT) were compared after challenge with a lethal dose of virulent ILTV.Both the rFPV-ILTVgB- and the Nobilis ILT-vaccinated SPF chickens were completely protected from death, while 90% of the unvaccinated chickens died after challenge. The immunized commercial chickens were also 100% protected with rFPV-ILTVgB, compared with 85% protected with Nobilis ILT. The protective efficacy was also measured by the antibody response to ILTV gB, isolation of challenge virus and polymerase chain reaction amplification of the ILTV thymidine kinase gene after challenge. The results showed that rFPV-ILTVgB could be a potential safe vaccine to replace current modified live vaccines for preventing ILT.     

Presence of avipoxvirus DNA in avian dermal squamous cell carcinoma

Dermal squamous cell carcinoma (DSCC; avian keratoacanthoma) is a neoplastic skin lesion of broiler chickens of unknown aetiology. In previous studies, the possibility of the involvement of pox viruses in the cause of DSCC was considered. In this work, a sensitive and specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed that could amplify a 419 base pair DNA fragment of fowlpox virus with a detection limit of less than one infectious unit. Fowlpox virus DNA was always detected in skin samples with fowlpox lesions while it was not detected in samples of unrelated diseases such as cowpox, Marek's disease or infectious laryngotracheitis. Some macroscopically normal skin samples from vaccinated and non-vaccinated birds also produced PCR-positive results, corroborating previous studies on the possibility that a latent or chronic form of fowlpox occurs. Fowlpox virus DNA was consistently detected from DSCC skin lesions, and this finding is discussed.     

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus in chickens

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an important respiratory disease of chickens and annually causes significant economic losses in the poultry industry world-wide. ILT virus (ILTV) belongs to alphaherpesvirinae and the Gallid herpesvirus 1 species. The transmission of ILTV is via respiratory and ocular routes. Clinical and post-mortem signs of ILT can be separated into two forms according to its virulence. The characteristic of the severe form is bloody mucus in the trachea with high mortality. The mild form causes nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, and reduced weight gain and egg production. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nested PCR, real-time PCR, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification were developed to detect ILTV samples from natural or experimentally infected birds. The PCR combined with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) can separate ILTVs into several genetic groups. These groups can separate vaccine from wild type field viruses. Vaccination is a common method to prevent ILT. However, field isolates and vaccine viruses can establish latent infected carriers. According to PCR-RFLP results, virulent field ILTVs can be derived from modified-live vaccines. Therefore, modified-live vaccine reversion provides a source for ILT outbreaks on chicken farms. Two recently licensed commercial recombinant ILT vaccines are also in use. Other recombinant and gene-deficient vaccine candidates are in the developmental stages. They offer additional hope for the control of this disease. However, in ILT endemic regions, improved biosecurity and management practices are critical for improved ILT control.     

Dynamic distribution and tissue tropism of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in experimentally infected chickens

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT), caused by infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), is an Office International des Epizooties (OIE) notifiable disease. However, we have not clearly understood the dynamic distribution, tissue tropism, pathogenesis, and replication of ILTV in chickens. In this report, we investigated the dynamic distribution and tissue tropism of the virus in internal organs of experimentally infected chickens using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and a histopathological test. The study showed that ILTV could be clearly detected in eight internal organs (throat, trachea, lung, cecum, kidney, pancreas, thymus and esophagus) of infected chickens, whereas the virus was difficult to detect in heart, spleen, proventriculus, liver, brain and bursa. Meanwhile, the thymidine kinase (TK) gene levels in eight internal organs increased from 3 days to 5 days postinfection, and then decreased from 6 days to 8 days postinfection. The log copy number of ILTV progressively increased over 3 days, which corresponds to the clinical score and the result of the histopathological test. The results provide a foundation for further clarification of the pathogenic mechanism of ILTV in internal organs and indicate that throat, lung, trachea, cecum, kidney, pancreas and esophagus may be preferred sites of acute infection, suggesting that the tissue tropism and distribution of ILTV is very broad.     

A glycoprotein I- and glycoprotein E-deficient mutant of infectious laryngotracheitis virus exhibits impaired cell-to-cell spread in cultured cells

Summary. In alphaherpesviruses, glycoprotein I (gI) and glycoprotein E (gE) form a heterodimer that functions in cell-to-cell spread of the virus. Generally, alphaherpesvirus mutants that lack these glycoproteins are replication competent in cell culture but show a reduced capacity for cell-to-cell spread and hence smaller plaque sizes. Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), or Gallid herpesvirus 1, is an alphaherpesvirus that causes respiratory disease in chickens. The roles of gI and gE in ILTV have not been investigated previously. In this study, a glycoprotein I and glycoprotein E deletion mutant of ILTV (gI/gE-ve ILTV) was generated by replacing the region of the ILTV genome coding for the adjacent gI and gE genes with the gene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). This gI/E-ve ILTV was readily propagated in cell culture in the presence of wildtype ILTV (wt ILTV). However, in the absence of wt ILTV the propagation of gI/gE-ve ILTV was severely impaired. Infection of permissive cell cultures with gI/gE-ve ILTV failed to produce plaques but single infected cells could be identified by fluorescence microscopy. This suggests that gI/gE has a more significant role in the cell-to-cell spread of ILTV in vitro than in many other alphaherpesviruses.     

Identification of an infectious laryngotracheitis virus equivalent to the herpes simplex virus type 2 major DNA binding protein (ICP8)

A region of homology between the genomic DNA of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), an avian herpesvirus, and the region encoding the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) major DNA binding protein (ICP8) has been detected by the use of nick translation and Southern blot analysis. Further, a monoclonal antibody directed against the HSV-2 ICP8 protein detected has antigenic cross-reaction with ILTV as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence.