Taurine attenuates OTA-promoted PCV2 replication through blocking ROS-dependent autophagy via inhibiting AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Previous research found that ochratoxin A (OTA) could promote PCV2 replication by inducing autophagy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of dietary amino acid derivative taurine on OTA-promoted PCV2 replication and explore the underlying mechanism. The results showed that taurine could inhibit OTA-promoted PCV2 replication in PK-15 cells. The effect of taurine could be mediated by its ability to attenuate ROS level and block OTA-promoted autophagy. Indeed, induction of autophagy by rapamycin could suppress the inhibitory effect of taurine on OTA-promoted PCV2 replication. Furthermore, taurine supplementation inhibited 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and activated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Activation of AMPK by acadesine (AICAR) could suppress the effect of taurine. In conclusion, taurine treatment suppresses autophagy by regulating the ROS/AMPK/mTOR signaling axis, thereby inhibiting OTA-promoted PCV2 replication. These findings provide the rationale for the use of taurine as an intervention against PCV2 infection.