Exogenous ALV-A induced liver lymphoma surface proteome as diagnostic biomarkers for AL/SV infections/group of diseases in poultry

Avian Leukosis/Sarcoma Virus (AL/SV), classified as genus Alpharetrovirus under subfamily Orthoretrovirinae and family Retroviridae with Avian Leukosis Virus (ALV) as type species, constitute Leukosis/Sarcoma (L/S) group of diseases/ infections in field flocks. One of the most harmful diseases, L/S group of diseases cause enormous and significant economic losses to global poultry industry due to various neoplastic/non-neoplastic conditions, morbidity and subclinical production losses, besides public health concerns through genome integration, infected chicken origin food products, live virus vaccines and newer virus emergence. AL/SV infection is diagnosed by detection of specific proteins/glycoproteins, which are encoded by gag, pol, env genes. Detection of major gsAg/p27 by sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) or antibodies to p27 by indirect ELISA is the most common biologic/serologic assay currently in-vogue worldwide for diagnosis of AL/SV infections/ group of diseases. As p27 is shared among all subgroups falling under exogenous (infectious) and endogenous (majorly noninfectious sequences) viruses, these assays fail to differentiate among different subgroups. Hence, alternate biomarkers need to be worked upon for convenient, precise and early diagnosis of AL/SV infections/group of diseases in poultry flocks. Surface proteomes were prepared from exogenous ALV-A induced liver lymphoma in three dead chickens, as compared Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) induced liver lymphoma in one dead chicken and apparently normal liver tissue from freshly slaughtered chicken