title: Serological cross-reactions between four polyomaviruses of birds using virus-like particles expressed in yeast.
abstract: Polyomaviruses are aetiological agents of fatal acute diseases in various bird species. Genomic analysis revealed that avian polyomavirus (APyV), crow polyomavirus (CPyV), finch polyomavirus (FPyV) and goose hemorrhagic polyomavirus (GHPyV) are closely related to each other, but nevertheless form separate viral species; however, their serological relationship was previously unknown. As only APyV can be grown efficiently in tissue culture, virus-like particles (VLPs) were generated by expression of the genomic regions encoding the major structural protein VP1 of these viruses in yeast; these were used to elicit type-specific antibodies in rabbits and as antigens in serological reactions. For increased VLP assembly, a nuclear-localization signal was introduced into APyV-VP1. VLPs derived from the VP1 of the monkey polyomavirus simian virus 40 served as control. APyV-, GHPyV- and CPyV-VLPs showed haemagglutinating activity with chicken and human erythrocytes. CPyV- and GHPyV-specific sera showed slight cross-reactions in immunoblotting, haemagglutination-inhibition assay and indirect ELISA. The FPyV-specific serum inhibited the haemagglutination activity of APyV-VLPs slightly and showed a weak cross-neutralizing activity against APyV in cell-culture tests. Generally, these data indicate that the four polyomaviruses of birds are serologically distinct. However, in accordance with genetic data, a relationship between CPyV and GHPyV as well as between APyV and FPyV is evident, and grouping into two different serogroups may be suggested. The haemagglutinating activity of APyV, CPyV and GHPyV may indicate similar receptor-binding mechanisms for these viruses. Our data could be useful for the development of vaccines against the polyomavirus-induced diseases in birds and for interpretation of diagnostic test results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.|Institute for Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zielonka
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University, Institute of Biotechnology, Graiciuno 8, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gedvilaite
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reetz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal and Environmental Hygiene, Free University Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany.|Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rösler
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Reimar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins