Viral vector vaccines expressing nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein genes of avian bornaviruses ameliorate homologous challenge infections in cockatiels and common canaries.
Avian bornaviruses are causative agents of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), an often fatal disease of parrots and related species (order Psittaciformes) which is widely distributed in captive psittacine populations and may affect endangered species. Here, we established a vaccination strategy employing two different well described viral vectors, namely recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) that were engineered to express the phosphoprotein and nucleoprotein genes of two avian bornaviruses, parrot bornavirus 4 (PaBV-4) and canary bornavirus 2 (CnBV-2). When combined in a heterologous prime/boost vaccination regime, NDV and MVA vaccine viruses established self-limiting infections and induced a bornavirus-specific humoral immune response in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) and common canaries (Serinus canaria forma domestica). After challenge infection with a homologous bornavirus, shedding of bornavirus RNA and viral loads in tissue samples were significantly reduced in immunized birds, indicating that vaccination markedly delayed the course of infection. However, cockatiels still developed signs of PDD if the vaccine failed to prevent viral persistence. Our work demonstrates that avian bornavirus infections can be repressed by vaccine-induced immunity. It represents a first crucial step towards a protective vaccination strategy to combat PDD in psittacine birds.
Institute for Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Marita
M
Olbert
Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
Angela
A
Römer-Oberdörfer
Institute for Veterinary Pathology, University Justus Liebig Gießen, Frankfurter Str. 96, D-35392 Gießen, Germany.
Christiane
C
Herden
Institute for Veterinary Pathology, University Justus Liebig Gießen, Frankfurter Str. 96, D-35392 Gießen, Germany.
Sara
S
Malberg
Institute for Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Solveig
S
Runge
Institute for Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Peter
P
Staeheli
Institute for Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Dennis
D
Rubbenstroth
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D028981:Bornaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D002171:Canaries / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D046410:Cockatoos / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D018701:Mononegavirales Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000235:genetics; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010311:Parrots; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D017201:Virus Shedding
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines