Protection of cats against feline leukemia virus by vaccination with a canarypox virus recombinant, ALVAC-FL.
Two ALVAC (canarypox virus)-based recombinant viruses expressing the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) subgroup A env and gag genes were assessed for their protective efficacy in cats. Both recombinant viruses contained the entire gag gene. ALVAC-FL also expressed the entire envelope glycoprotein, while ALVAC-FL(dl IS) expressed an env-specific gene product deleted of the putative immunosuppressive region. Although only 50% of the cats vaccinated with ALVAC-FL(dl IS) were protected against persistent viremia after oronasal exposure to a homologous FeLV isolate, all cats administered ALVAC-FL resisted the challenge exposure. Significantly, protection was afforded in the absence of detectable FeLV-neutralizing antibodies. These results represent the first effective vaccination of cats against FeLV with a poxvirus-based recombinant vector and have implications that are relevant not only to FeLV vaccine development but also to developing vaccines against other retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus.
Tartaglia
J
J
Virogenetics Corporation, Troy, New York 12180.
Jarrett
O
O
Neil
J C
JC
Desmettre
P
P
Paoletti
E
E
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002171:Canaries / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology; D015752:Genes, env; D015750:Genes, gag; D015751:Genes, pol; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D016582:Leukemia, Feline / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011212:Poxviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*; D014709:Vero Cells
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic