A comparative molecular characterization of AMDV strains isolated from cases of clinical and subclinical infection

Abstract

The Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) is one of the most serious threats to modern mink breeding. The disease can have various courses, from progressive to subclinical infections. The objective of the study was to provide a comparative molecular characterization of isolates of AMDV from farms with a clinical and subclinical course of the disease. The qPCR analysis showed a difference of two orders of magnitude between the number of copies of the viral DNA on the farm with the clinical course of the disease (10) and the farm with the subclinical course (10). The sequencing results confirm a high level of homogeneity within each farm and variation between them. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that the variants belonging to different farms are closely related and occupy different branches of the same clade. The in silico analysis of the effect of differences in the sequence encoding the VP2 protein between the farms revealed no effect of the polymorphism on its functionality. The close phylogenetic relationship between the isolates from the two farms, the synonymous nature of most of the polymorphisms and the potentially minor effect on the functionality of the protein indicate that the differences in the clinical picture may be due not only to polymorphisms in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences, but also to the stage of infection on the farm and the degree of stabilization of the pathogen-host relationship.

Breeding parameters on a mink farm infected with Aleutian mink disease virus following the use of methisoprinol

“…Constant and long-term exposure to AMDV can lead to the development of mechanisms that reduce its harmful effects [11]. Attempts have been made at selection of mink for tolerance to the virus in order to obtain individuals with increased resistance to AMDV infection in subsequent generations [12].…”

AMDV Vaccine: Challenges and Perspectives

“…As for cell tropism, AMDV infects alveolar type II epithelial cells in mink kits and in macrophages for persisting infections, as well as B and T lymphocytes [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. To enter macrophages and alveolar type II epithelial cells, AMDV has been reported to utilise antiviral antibodies using an Fc-receptor-mediated mechanism, which is known as an antibody-dependent enhancement of infection (ADE) [ 17 , 18 ].…”

AMDV Vaccine: Challenges and Perspectives

“…As for the palindromic structures at both 3' and 5' termini, these can fold into hairpin telomeres essential in the replication process [11]. Structurally, AMDV virions contain a predominantly negative strand DNA genome, measure around As for cell tropism, AMDV infects alveolar type II epithelial cells in mink kits and in macrophages for persisting infections, as well as B and T lymphocytes [14][15][16]. To enter macrophages and alveolar type II epithelial cells, AMDV has been reported to utilise antiviral antibodies using an Fc-receptor mediated mechanism, which is known as antibody dependent enhancement of infection (ADE) [17,18].…”