Evaluation of different protocols for porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) isolation in cell cultures and molecular characterization of isolates

Abstract

Circovirosis has been reported in several countries and it has been considered an emerging wasting syndrome in swine, responsible for economic losses for pig farmers. Since 1991, Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) has been associated to Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS), clinically characterized by wasting and growth retardation in young animals, even though other signs such as fever, pallor of the skin, respiratory distress and diarrhea can be observed as well. Although PCV has been identified by PCR in some Brazilian States, in São Paulo State there is a lack of information about the virus isolation. The aims of this research are to compare, to standardize and to improve PCV-2 isolation in cell culture, calculating the virus titer by immunocytochesmistry (TCID50); to investigate the possibility of DNA mutation after isolation by nucleotide sequencing; and to analyze the molecular diversity of Brazilian PCV-2 strains comparing them to others previously described. Once PCV-2 strains are isolated and characterized, it will be possible initiate new studies, like antigenic and immunogenic analyzes between native and recombinant proteins. (AU)