Thesis (D.V.M.)-- university of Zurich, 1933 / Bibliography: p. 114-115 :includes Bibliographical References.

Thesis (M.Sc.(Zoology and Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal and economically significant disease of domestic pigs in the southern African sub-region, where outbreaks regularly occur. Thereis anecdotal evidence suggesting that trans-boundary movement of infected animals may have played a role in precipitating widespread outbreaks in the past, however, since the1970s outbreaks have generally been more localised, particularly in those countries where control of animal movement is strictly regulated. The origin and relatedness of regional ASF outbreaks was investigated here by means of a two-step genetic characterisation approach whereby p72 gene sequencing was used to delineate genotypes, prior to intragenotypic resolution of viral relationships by central variable region (CVR) characterisation of the 9RL ORF. In this manner, regional virus heterogeneity and epidemiological links between outbreaks could be assessed for the first time through phylogenetic analysis of the C-terminal end of the p72 gene of viruses recovered from domestic pig outbreaks in southern Africa between 1973 and 1999. The phylogeny revealed the presence of 14 distinct p72 genotypes of which 6 (genotypes XVII–XXII) were considered novel. Eight of these were country-specific with the remaining six having a trans-boundary distribution. CVR products were heterogeneous in size ranging from 377 bp to 533 bp across the 14 southern African genotypes. Within-genotype CVR comparisons revealed the presence of a genotype XIX virus with an extended field presence in South Africa (1985–1996) and permitted discrimination between three genotype VII viruses that were identical across the p72 gene.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Chemistry)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004. / Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 73 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-73). Abstract available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2006 Mar. 24.

Between 1973 and 1975, 21 outbreaks of ASF were confirmed in the endemic area of the northern Transvaal after an interval of 10 years in which the disease was silent. The new series of outbreaks coincided with the isolation, for the first time in South-Africa, of two HAd- strains of ASF virus. The first of these virus isolates, Lillie-148, was obtained from swine which, judging from circumstantial evidence, had been infected by a warthog carrier of virus. The pigs on the farm were affected by a form of disease with a lower pathogenicity than that observed in previous epidemics. The second HAd- strain 24823 was obtained from a case from which neither clinical nor pathological observations were available. From the results of the biological tests carried out at the laboratory, however, it was deduced that the disease in the field may have had a chronic course. When the carrier status of populations of the argasid tick Ornithodoros moubata collected from warthog burrows was investigated, it was found that the situation in South Africa is analogous to that in East Africa. Twenty five per cent of burrows were found to be infected; the mean infective titres of the tick suspensions varied between 104,5 and 105,2 BCHAd50 and the mean percentage of infected argasids varied between 1,62 and 3,45. Infected ticks were also found in the Marico district, which is adjacent to the endemic area, but ASF has never been recorded there. From tick suspension TS237, showing both delayed and reduced haemadsorbing effect in huffy coat cell cultures, a HAd population of ASF virus was segregated. From these observations it was inferred that ASF virus may mutate from the HAd+ to the HAd- form in the primary virus reservoir. Furthermore, the virus appears to be evolving towards less pathogenic forms irrespective of prior adaptation of the infectious agent to domestic stock under the epidemiological conditions prevailing in South Africa. During this investigation it was found that LLC-MK2 cell cultures were susceptible to ASF virus. Cytopathic effects were observed in primary isolation and peak infectivity coincided with complete destruction of the cell monolayers, attained after three to four serial passages. The sensitivity of LLC-MK2 cells for estimating the virus content of porcine tissues was in two instances comparable to that of huffy coat cells, but in another three cases it was 100 to 1000 times lower. It was concluded that LLC-MK2 cells were a suitable complement to huffy coat cultures for the cultivation of ASF virus, particularly for HAd- isolates. After 35 to 45 serial passages in LLC-MK2 cells the HAd+ strains of ASF virus lost their haemadsorbing characteristics. A similar mutation, but more gradual, was also observed in huffy coat cell cultures. The feasibility of plaque production was studied in LLC-MK2 cell monolayers. Plaques were obtained with all the strains studied, irrespective of their adaptation to LLC-MK2 or buffy coat cells when 0,4% Agarose was used as a solidifying agent. The diameter of plaques ranged from 0,3 to 3,0 mm and this characteristic was unrelated to the haemadsorbing properties of the strains used. Plaque technique was successfully used to detect the presence of HAd- virus particles in HAd+ populations by subculturing selected virus-plaques into buffy coat cultures. The results of biological tests suggested that HAd strains have a reduced virulence which can vary within broad limits. The experience with strain Lillie-148 and 24823 showed that either acute or chronic or subclinical disease can follow infection of pigs with these isolates of virus. The results obtained with the two virus populations of strain TS237 emphasized the different degree of patho-genicity between HAd+ and HAd- virus. While the former was responsible for a peracute or acute form of disease, the latter produced chronic or subclinical infections. In pigs mild forms of ASF also developed following the inoculation of HAd+ strains obtained after serial passages in cell cultures. It was concluded that haemadsorption and pathogenicity are two characteristics that are not linked and can be modified independantly. AFRIKAANS : Gedurende die tydperk 1973-1975 het Afrikaansevarkpes (AVP), na 'n afwesigheid van 10 jaar, weer sy verskyning gemaak in die endemiese gebied van Noord Transvaal en altesaam 21 bevestigde geval1e is aangemeld. Die nuwe reeks uitbrake het sa.amgeval met die eerste isolasie in Suid-Afrika van twee HAd- stamme van AVP. Die eerste virusstam wat geisoleer is, was Lillie-148. Hierdie virusstam is geisoleer van 'n vark wat volgens omstandigheidsgetuienis deur 'n v1akvark besmet is. Die virus waarmee die varke op die plaas besmet is, het 'n laer patogenisiteit gehad as virusse van vorige uitbrake. Die tweede HAd- stam nl. 24823 is verkry van 'n geval waar geen kliniese of patologiese waarnemings beskikbaar was nieo Uit die resultate van laboratoriurntoetse is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die siekte wel moont1ik 'n kroniese verloop kon gehad het. Uit ondersoeke na die vektorstatus van populasies van die sagte bosluis Ornithodoros moubata, wat verkry is uit vlakvarkgate, is gevind dat die situasie in Suid-Afrika soortgelyk is aan die in Oos-Afrika. Daar is bevind dat 25 persent vlakvarkgate besmet is; dat die gemiddelde virus konsentrasies van bosluissuspensies varieer tussen 104,5 en 105,2 BCHAd50 en dat die gemiddelde persentasie van besmette bos1uise wissel tussen 1,62 en 3,45. Besmette bosluise is ook aangetref in die Marico-distrik wat aangrensend is aan die ensoötiese gebied en waar AVP nog nooit voorgekom het nie. 'n HAd- populasie van AVP virus is geisoleer van 'n bosluissuspensie, TS237, wat in wit selkulture 'n vertraagde en verminderde heem-adsorberende effek getoon het. Uit hierdie waarnemings is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat AVP virus in die aanvanklike virus reservoir instaat is om van HAd+ na HAd- te muteer. Hieruit blyk dit dat onder die huidige epidemiese toestande, wat tans in Suid-Afrika heers, die virus skynbaar verander na 'n vorm van laer patogenisiteit. Dit geskied ongeag vroeëre aanpassing van die infektiewe agens by die plaaslike varkpopulasie onder heersende epidemiologiese toestande in Suid-Afrika. Gedurende hierdie ondersoek is dit aangetoon dat LLC-MK2 selkulture vatbaar is vir AVP virus. Primere virus isolasies toon sitopatogeniese effekte. Infektiwiteit bereik 'n piek na drie tot vier agtereenvolgende oorspuitings met algehele vernietiging van sellae. Die gevoelligheid van LLC-MK2 selle vir die bepaling van die virus inhoud van varkweefsel was in twee gevalle vergelykbaar met die van wit selle. In drie ander gevalle was dit 100 tot 1000 keer laer. Die gevolgtrekking is gemaak dat LLC-MK2 selle 'n geskikte aanvulling is vir wit selkulture vir die kweek van AVP virus, veral vir HAd- isolate. Die heem-adsorberende eienskappe van die HAd+ stam van AVP virus het verlore gegaan na 35 - 45 agtereenvolgende oorspuitings in LLC-MK2 selle. In wit selkulture is 'n soortgelyke mutasie waargeneem, hoewel dit meer geleidelik plaasgevind het. Die moontlikheid van plaket vorming in LLC-MK2 sellae is ondersoek. Wanneer 0,4% agarose as stollingsagens gebruik is, het alle stamme wat ondersoek is plakette opgelewer ongeag of hulle aangepas was vir LLC-MK2 selle of wit selle. Plakette se deursnee het gewissel tussen 0,3 en 3,0 mm. Hierdie eienskap is egter nie gekorreleerd met die betrokke stamme se heem-adsorberende eienskappe nie. Die teenwoordigheid van HAd- virus partikels in HAd+ populasies is aangetoon deur subkulture van geselekteerde plakette in wit selkulture te maak. Uit die resultate van biologiese toetse is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die HAd- stamme 'n verlaagde virulensie het wat kan wissel tussen wye grense. Die ondervinding met stam Lillie-148 en stam 24823 het aangetoon dat varke wat met hierdie virus stamme besmet raak akute, kroniese of subkliniese siekte toestande ontwikkel. Die graad van verskil tussen die patogenisiteit tussen HAd+ en HAd- virus is beklemtoon deur die resultate wat verkry is met die twee virus populasies van starn TS237. Die HAd+ stam veroorsaak perakute of akute vorms van die siekte terwyl HAd- starn kroniese of subkliniese infeksie tot gevolg het. Matige vorme van AVP is ook verkry nadat varke geinokuleer is met 'n HAd<sup+ starn wat 'n aantal oorspuitings in selkulture ondergaan het. Die afleiding is gemaak dat heem- adsorpsie en patogenisiteit twee eienskappe is wat nie verbonde is nie en dus onafhanklik van mekaar gemodifiseer kan word. Copyright / Gedurende die tydperk 1973-1975 het Afrikaansevarkpes (AVP), na 'n afwesigheid van 10 jaar, weer sy verskyning gemaak in die endemiese gebied van Noord Transvaal en altesaam 21 bevestigde geval1e is aangemeld. Die nuwe reeks uitbrake het sa.amgeval met die eerste isolasie in Suid-Afrika van twee HAd- stamme van AVP. Die eerste virusstam wat geisoleer is, was Lillie-148. Hierdie virusstam is geisoleer van 'n vark wat volgens omstandigheidsgetuienis deur 'n v1akvark besmet is. Die virus waarmee die varke op die plaas besmet is, het 'n laer patogenisiteit gehad as virusse van vorige uitbrake. Die tweede HAd- stam nl. 24823 is verkry van 'n geval waar geen kliniese of patologiese waarnemings beskikbaar was nieo Uit die resultate van laboratoriurntoetse is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die siekte wel moont1ik 'n kroniese verloop kon gehad het. Uit ondersoeke na die vektorstatus van populasies van die sagte bosluis Ornithodoros moubata, wat verkry is uit vlakvarkgate, is gevind dat die situasie in Suid-Afrika soortgelyk is aan die in Oos-Afrika. Daar is bevind dat 25 persent vlakvarkgate besmet is; dat die gemiddelde virus konsentrasies van bosluissuspensies varieer tussen 104,5 en 105,2 BCHAd50 en dat die gemiddelde persentasie van besmette bos1uise wissel tussen 1,62 en 3,45. Besmette bosluise is ook aangetref in die Marico-distrik wat aangrensend is aan die ensoötiese gebied en waar AVP nog nooit voorgekom het nie. 'n HAd- populasie van AVP virus is geisoleer van 'n bosluissuspensie, TS237, wat in wit selkulture 'n vertraagde en verminderde heem-adsorberende effek getoon het. Uit hierdie waarnemings is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat AVP virus in die aanvanklike virus reservoir instaat is om van HAd+ na HAd- te muteer. Hieruit blyk dit dat onder die huidige epidemiese toestande, wat tans in Suid-Afrika heers, die virus skynbaar verander na 'n vorm van laer patogenisiteit. Dit geskied ongeag vroeëre aanpassing van die infektiewe agens by die plaaslike varkpopulasie onder heersende epidemiologiese toestande in Suid-Afrika. Gedurende hierdie ondersoek is dit aangetoon dat LLC-MK2 selkulture vatbaar is vir AVP virus. Primere virus isolasies toon sitopatogeniese effekte. Infektiwiteit bereik 'n piek na drie tot vier agtereenvolgende oorspuitings met algehele vernietiging van sellae. Die gevoelligheid van LLC-MK2 selle vir die bepaling van die virus inhoud van varkweefsel was in twee gevalle vergelykbaar met die van wit selle. In drie ander gevalle was dit 100 tot 1000 keer laer. Die gevolgtrekking is gemaak dat LLC-MK2 selle 'n geskikte aanvulling is vir wit selkulture vir die kweek van AVP virus, veral vir HAd- isolate. Die heem-adsorberende eienskappe van die HAd+ stam van AVP virus het verlore gegaan na 35 - 45 agtereenvolgende oorspuitings in LLC-MK2 selle. In wit selkulture is 'n soortgelyke mutasie waargeneem, hoewel dit meer geleidelik plaasgevind het. Die moontlikheid van plaket vorming in LLC-MK2 sellae is ondersoek. Wanneer 0,4% agarose as stollingsagens gebruik is, het alle stamme wat ondersoek is plakette opgelewer ongeag of hulle aangepas was vir LLC-MK2 selle of wit selle. Plakette se deursnee het gewissel tussen 0,3 en 3,0 mm. Hierdie eienskap is egter nie gekorreleerd met die betrokke stamme se heem-adsorberende eienskappe nie. Die teenwoordigheid van HAd- virus partikels in HAd+ populasies is aangetoon deur subkulture van geselekteerde plakette in wit selkulture te maak. Uit die resultate van biologiese toetse is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die HAd- stamme 'n verlaagde virulensie het wat kan wissel tussen wye grense. Die ondervinding met stam Lillie-148 en stam 24823 het aangetoon dat varke wat met hierdie virus stamme besmet raak akute, kroniese of subkliniese siekte toestande ontwikkel. Die graad van verskil tussen die patogenisiteit tussen HAd+ en HAd- virus is beklemtoon deur die resultate wat verkry is met die twee virus populasies van starn TS237. Die HAd+ stam veroorsaak perakute of akute vorms van die siekte terwyl HAd- starn kroniese of subkliniese infeksie tot gevolg het. Matige vorme van AVP is ook verkry nadat varke geinokuleer is met 'n HAd<sup+ starn wat 'n aantal oorspuitings in selkulture ondergaan het. Die afleiding is gemaak dat heem- adsorpsie en patogenisiteit twee eienskappe is wat nie verbonde is nie en dus onafhanklik van mekaar gemodifiseer kan word. Copyright / Thesis (DVSc)--University of Pretoria, 1977. / Companion Animal Clinical Studies / unrestricted

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus which causes a lethal haemorrhagic fever in domestic pigs. This virus primarily infects cells from the monocyte/macrophage lineage and its ability to manipulate the function of these cells is key to the pathogenesis of this disease. ASFV encodes several proteins involved in immune evasion. One of these proteins, A238L, has been shown to inhibit host macrophage gene transcription. This protein has been shown to interact with several cellular proteins involved in signal transduction: a serine/threonine protein phosphatase, calcinerurin (CaN), the transcription factor NF-кB, and most recently the transcriptional co-activator CREB binding protein (CBP/P300). However its exact mechanism of action is not fully understood. Previous work has been limited to the investigation of individual signaling pathways and/or the expression of individual host genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the global effect of A238L on host macrophage gene transcription and also to carry out further investigation into the mechanism by which this protein functions. To determine the global effect of A238L on host macrophage gene transcription differential gene expression between porcine cells expressing A238L and control cells was examined using a porcine oligonucleotide microarray. These results demonstrated that A238L was a potent inhibitor of host macrophage gene expression. Functional characterisation of the annotated genes showed that a large proportion of A238L down-regulated genes are typically induced in response to cell stress. Significantly, genes regulated by the I kappa B kinase (IKK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways were all shown to be down regulated by A238L. Genes associated with the MAPK pathways were particularly enriched. The transcription of A238L-regulated genes is controlled by numerous different transcription factors, including NF-кB. All of the transcription factors identified interact with the transcription co-activator CBP/P300. This provides a common link between these factors, and indicates that A238L may target CBP/P300 to inhibit gene transcription. This observation supports recent work demonstrating that A238L interacts with and inhibits CBP/P300 function. To explore the potential mechanisms involved in the nuclear localisation of A238L, ASFV-infected Vero cells, expressing A238L under the control of its own promoter, were examined under a range of conditions using confocal microscopy. The results demonstrated that A238L was actively imported into the nucleus and exported by a CRM 1 mediated pathway, although a pool of A238L protein remained in the cytoplasm. Sequence analysis of A238L identified the presence of two putative nuclear localisation signals (NLS-1 and NLS-2). NLS-2 was located within A238L’s CaN docking motif. Mutation of these motifs indicated that both NLS-1 and NLS-2 are active and exhibit functional redundancy. Mutation of the CaN docking motif alone, in the presence of intact NLS-2, resulted in a dramatic increase in the nuclear localisation of A238L. These results are consistent with a model in which A238L functions within both the nucleus and the cytoplasm and suggest that binding of CaN to A238L masks NLS-2, contributing to the cytoplasmic retention of A238L.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2006 Jun 1.