Transcriptomic profiles of porcine PBMC from nonimmune and ASFV-immune pigs upon in vitro stimulation

We describe the transcriptomic recall response to African swine fever virus (ASFV) upon in vitro stimulation in porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained three weeks after receiving an intranasal dose of 106 pfu of the live attenuated BA71ΔCD2 vaccine prototype. PBMC from 4 unvaccinated and 4 vaccinated pigs were stimulated with BA71ΔCD2 or left untreated for 10 hours, RNA was extracted, and bulk RNA-sequencing was performed. Major transcriptional changes were found in BA71ΔCD2-stimulated samples from vaccinated pigs. Indeed, compared to unvaccinated control pigs, cells from vaccinated animals showed an upregulation of genes corresponding to a robust Th1 response. Together with this adaptive immune response, we also distinguished an innate immune response characterized by the expression of macrophage-related inflammatory genes. Altogether, our results demonstrate that intranasal vaccination of pigs with BA71ΔCD2 induce a systemic Th1 memory response that is concomitant with a rapid enhancement of innate immunity upon in vitro activation. Transcriptomic profiles of PBMC from 4 control unvaccinated pigs and 4 pigs vaccinated with the live attenuated BA71ΔCD2 prototype (three weeks after vaccination), in vitro stimulated with BA71ΔCD2 or left untreated for 10 hours.