Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae possesses an antiviral activity against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

PLoS One. 2014 May 30;9(5):e98434. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098434. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Pigs are often colonized by more than one bacterial and/or viral species during respiratory tract infections. This phenomenon is known as the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are pathogens that are frequently involved in PRDC. The main objective of this project was to study the in vitro interactions between these two pathogens and the host cells in the context of mixed infections. To fulfill this objective, PRRSV permissive cell lines such as MARC-145, SJPL, and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) were used. A pre-infection with PRRSV was performed at 0.5 multiplicity of infection (MOI) followed by an infection with App at 10 MOI. Bacterial adherence and cell death were compared. Results showed that PRRSV pre-infection did not affect bacterial adherence to the cells. PRRSV and App co-infection produced an additive cytotoxicity effect. Interestingly, a pre-infection of SJPL and PAM cells with App blocked completely PRRSV infection. Incubation of SJPL and PAM cells with an App cell-free culture supernatant is also sufficient to significantly block PRRSV infection. This antiviral activity is not due to LPS but rather by small molecular weight, heat-resistant App metabolites (<1 kDa). The antiviral activity was also observed in SJPL cells infected with swine influenza virus but to a much lower extent compared to PRRSV. More importantly, the PRRSV antiviral activity of App was also seen with PAM, the cells targeted by the virus in vivo during infection in pigs. The antiviral activity might be due, at least in part, to the production of interferon γ. The use of in vitro experimental models to study viral and bacterial co-infections will lead to a better understanding of the interactions between pathogens and their host cells, and could allow the development of novel prophylactic and therapeutic tools.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Coinfection / microbiology
  • Coinfection / virology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Macrophages, Alveolar / microbiology
  • Macrophages, Alveolar / virology
  • Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / metabolism
  • Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / microbiology*
  • Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / virology
  • Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / metabolism
  • Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / physiology*
  • Swine
  • Virus Replication / genetics

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Interferon-gamma

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) discovery grants (to CAG and MJ) and Fonds de recherche du Québec nature et technologies (FRQNT) team research project program (to CAG and MJ). C. Provost was a recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship grant from the Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB). Y. Hernandez Reyes was a recipient of a NSERC–Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.