Role of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus nucleocapsid protein in induction of interleukin-10 and regulatory T-lymphocytes (Treg) Wongyanin, Piya and Buranapraditkul, Supranee and Yoo, Dongwan and Thanawongnuwech, Roongroje and Roth, James A. and Suradhat, Sanipa,, 93, 1236-1246 (2012), doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.040287-0, publicationName = Microbiology Society, issn = 0022-1317, abstract= Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection induces interleukin (IL)-10 production and increased numbers of PRRSV-specific regulatory T-lymphocytes in infected pigs. In the present study, the roles of the nucleocapsid (N) protein in induction of IL-10 and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ lymphocytes (Treg) were investigated. Transfection of porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) with a plasmid encoding N protein resulted in significant upregulation of IL-10 gene expression in the gene-transfected cells. Structural conformation, but not nuclear localization, of the expressed N protein was indicated to be essential for the ability to induce IL-10. Furthermore, the presence of recombinant N proteins in cultured PBMCs increased the number of IL-10-producing lymphocytes. Strong induction of IL-10-producing cells and Treg was observed when using N protein-pulsed MoDCs, suggesting an important role of MoDCs in induction of IL-10 and Treg by the N protein. Neutralization of IL-10 by addition of an anti-IL-10 antibody in the culture system resulted in marked reduction of PRRSV-induced Treg in the cultured PBMCs. Together, the data demonstrate the immunomodulatory properties of the PRRSV N protein and the linkage between IL-10 production and development of PRRSV-induced Treg. Our results reveal an immunomodulatory function of the PRRSV N protein that may contribute to the unique immunological outcome observed following PRRSV infection., language=, type=