Production of immunogenic recombinant L1 protein of bovine papillomavirus type 9 causing teat papillomatosis

Design, preparation, and characterization of bovine papillomavirus chitosan-based nanoparticles as a prototype for a bovine papillomatosis vaccine

The bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is known to cause lesions in the epithelial tissue of cattle, which causes bovine papillomatoses. This disease is characterized by wart lesions in different body parts, causing losses in the animal value. Despite the economic impact, there are no effective vaccines available at this moment. The present study aims to develop a nanoformulated autogenous vaccine using the inactivated virus present in warts to control the diseases associated with BPV. To this end, papillomavirus was collected from infected bovines on a farm in Goiás, Brazil. The warts containing the viruses were macerated to obtain the inactivated viruses to be formulated within chitosan nanoparticles. The chitosan nanoparticles containing the inactivated viruses presented 330.7 nm in size, a polydispersity index of 0.41, and a positive Zeta potential of 38.2 mV. The association efficiency was 58.3%. The nanoparticles containing the inactivated virus were stable for up to 30 days and presented no hemolysis toxicity. This could be an interesting approach to develop a vaccine to protect bovines from BPV infection.

Ovine papillomavirus type 3 virus-like particle-based tools for diagnosis and detection of infection

The design of prophylactic and diagnostic tools specific to animal papillomaviruses is hampered by the difficulties of viral in vitro manipulation and by the scarce availability of dedicated biotechnological tools. This paper reports the production of Ovine Papillomavirus 3 (OaPV3)-based virus-like particles (OaPV3-VLPs) in the baculovirus system and their use to investigate host humoral immune response through the establishment of an indirect ELISA test., Polyclonal sera and monoclonal antibodies were generated against OaPV3-VLPs, and their isotype and reactivity were determined. Additionally, antibodies allowed OaPV3 detection in ovine squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) samples by immunohistochemistry. Results encourage the standardization of OaPV3-specific prophylactic and serological diagnostic tools, and open new perspectives for the study of host-viral interaction and SCC development.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of peptides derived from L1 protein against bovine papillomavirus-1/2 identified along Mexico’s cattle export route

Introduction

Bovine papillomatosis affects animal health and represents one of the greatest economic losses in the livestock sector. New control and prevention methods to protect the livestock industry from this disease are necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate a candidate peptide for antibody production against bovine papillomavirus (BPV).

Material and Methods

A total of 64 cattle underwent wart excision among 5,485 cattle distributed over 2 to 4 farms per state and 12 farms in total in the four Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Veracruz, and Nuevo León. The prevalence of bovine papillomatosis per farm was calculated by wart visualisation. The warts were genotyped by PCR and sequenced, then a phylogenetic tree was built using MEGA X software. A synthetic peptide was designed in the ABCpred, Bepipred 2.0, Bepipred IDBT, Bepitope, LBtope, and MHC II predictor online server software’s based on the C-terminal region of the L1 protein. Mice antibody production was induced by subcutaneous immunisation with 50 μg of synthetic peptide and evaluated by indirect ELISA.

Results

The prevalence of BPV was higher in Tabasco, Chiapas, and Veracruz. Bovine papillomaviruses 1 and 2 were found in all representative samples. A phylogenetic tree showed that Mexican sequences were located in exclusive clades yet were highly related to international ones. The peptide immunisation induced antibody titres of 1 : 10,000/1 : 1,000,000 against synthetic peptide and whole wart lysate (WWL), respectively.

Conclusion

Co-infections of BPV-1 and -2 were found in all four states. Immunisation of BALB/C mice with BPV-1/2–derived synthetic peptide based on the C-terminal region of the major viral capsid protein L1 induced the production of specific antibodies able to recognise BPV-1/2 viral particles from bovine WWL.

The Magic Staff: A Comprehensive Overview of Baculovirus-Based Technologies Applied to Human and Animal Health

Baculoviruses are enveloped, insect-specific viruses with large double-stranded DNA genomes. Among all the baculovirus species, Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the most studied. Due to its characteristics regarding biosafety, narrow host range and the availability of different platforms for modifying its genome, AcMNPV has become a powerful biotechnological tool. In this review, we will address the most widespread technological applications of baculoviruses. We will begin by summarizing their natural cycle both in larvae and in cell culture and how it can be exploited. Secondly, we will explore the different baculovirus-based protein expression systems (BEVS) and their multiple applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry. We will focus particularly on the production of vaccines, many of which are either currently commercialized or in advanced stages of development (e.g., Novavax, COVID-19 vaccine). In addition, recombinant baculoviruses can be used as efficient gene transduction and protein expression vectors in vertebrate cells (e.g., BacMam). Finally, we will extensively describe various gene therapy strategies based on baculoviruses applied to the treatment of different diseases. The main objective of this work is to provide an extensive up-to-date summary of the different biotechnological applications of baculoviruses, emphasizing the genetic modification strategies used in each field.

Molecular detection and genetic diversity of bovine papillomavirus in dairy cows in Xinjiang, China

Background

Bovine papillomatosis is a type of proliferative tumor disease of skin and mucosae caused by bovine papillomavirus (BPV). As a transboundary and emerging disease in cattle, it poses a potential threat to the dairy industry.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to detect and clarify the genetic diversity of BPV circulating in dairy cows in Xinjiang, China.

Methods

122 papilloma skin lesions from 8 intensive dairy farms located in different regions of Xinjiang, China were detected by polymerase chain reaction. The genetic evolution relationships of various types of BPVs were analyzed by examining this phylogenetic tree.

Results

Ten genotypes of BPV (BPV1, BPV2, BPV3, BPV6, BPV7, BPV8, BPV10, BPV11, BPV13, and BPV14) were detected and identified in dairy cows. These were the first reported detections of BPV13 and BPV14 in Xinjiang, Mixed infections were detected, and there were geographical differences in the distribution of the BPV genotypes. Notably, the BPV infection rate among young cattle (< 1-year-old) developed from the same supply of frozen sperm was higher than that of the other young cows naturally raised under the same environmental conditions.

Conclusions

Genotyping based on the L1 gene of BPV showed that BPVs circulating in Xinjiang China displayed substantial genetic diversity. This study provided valuable data at the molecular epidemiology level, which is conducive to developing deep insights into the genetic diversity and pathogenic characteristics of BPVs in dairy cows.