Exosomes derived from African swine fever virus-infected pigs mediate immune responses through NF-κB and JAK-STAT...

African swine fever (ASF) virus (ASFV) is an infectious disease that affects the pig industry, causing up to 85 % morbidity and 100 % mortality. To date, there are no available vaccines against ASFV. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that are released from most cell types. Exosomes carry components such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins that play a vital role in cell-to-cell communication. This study investigated the effect of exosomes derived from the serum of ASFV-infected pigs on a porcine macrophage cell line. Exosomes derived from the serum of pigs infected with ASFV contained ASFV structural proteins (p30 and p72). Expression levels of interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, and CXCL8 in porcine macrophage cells were affected by exposure to exosomes derived from the serum of ASFV-infected pigs. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway play an important role in the immune response to ASFV infection. Exosomes derived from ASFV-infected pigs affected mRNA and protein levels of NF-κB, tank binding kinase 1 (TBK1), JAK1, JAK2, and STAT1, suggesting that exosomes derived from ASFV-infected pigs mediate antiviral response by modulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines and activity of the NF-κB and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. The present study provides novel information about the immunomodulatory effects of exosome derived from pigs infected with ASFV, improving our understanding of ASFV pathogenesis and the host immune response to ASFV infection.