Isolation and characterization of a novel feline panleukopenia virus strain from Amur tigers: Insights into pathogenesis and diagnostic development.

Abstract

Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), a member of the Parvoviridae family, poses a significant threat to endangered carnivores, including the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). This study isolated a novel FPV strain (FPV-HER-NEFU) from fecal samples of infected Amur tigers and established an indirect ELISA for serodiagnosis using the recombinant non-structural protein NS1. The NS1 gene (2007 bp) was cloned into the pGEX-6P-1 vector, expressed in E. coli Rosetta (DE3), and purified via GST affinity chromatography. Optimization of ELISA parameters yielded high specificity (no cross-reactivity with mink Aleutian disease virus, canine parvovirus, or Newcastle disease virus) and sensitivity (detection limit: 1:3200 serum dilution). Mechanistic studies on F81 cells revealed that FPV infection induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, characterized by upregulated Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and Bax expression, downregulated Bcl-2, and Cytc release. These findings advance our understanding of FPV pathogenesis and provide a scalable tool for monitoring FPV in wild felid populations.