Abstract:
The present invention provides recombinant raccoon poxviruses (RRPVs) useful in vaccines for the prophylaxis of disease caused by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). RRPVs according to the invention have at least one internal gene comprising a DNA sequence that encodes FIV gag protein (gag), FIV envelope protein (env), a polypeptide consisting of amino acids 1-735 of FIV env, or immunogenic fragments of any of the foregoing. The vaccines that comprise one or more of the FIV-expressing recombinant raccoon poxviruses described above may also comprise a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent and a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant. The invention also provides methods for preventing or lessening disease caused by FIV, which is carried out by administering to a feline in need of such treatment the vaccines described above.

Description:
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/482,090, filed Jun. 7, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,369, issued Oct. 13, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to the prophylaxis of disease caused by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), using as vaccines recombinant raccoon poxviruses (RRPVs) expressing the gag and envelope proteins of FIV. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection is a significant health problem for domestic cats around the world. As in its human counterpart, infection with FIV causes a progressive disruption in immune function. In the acute phase of infection, the virus causes transient illness associated with symptoms such as lymphadenopathy, pyrexia, and neutropenia. Subsequently, an infected animal enters an asymptomatic phase of 1-2 years before clinical manifestations of immune deficiency become apparent, after which the mean survival time is usually less than one year. 
     FIV is a typical retrovirus that contains a single-stranded polyadenylated RNA genome, internal structural proteins derived from the gag gene product, and a lipid envelope containing membrane proteins derived from the env gene product (Bendinelli et al., Clin.Microbiol.Rev. 8:87, 1995). The gag gene is translated into a primary product of about 50 kDa that is subsequently cleaved by a viral protease into the matrix, capsid, and nucleocapsid proteins. The env gene yields a primary translation product of 75-80 kDa (unglycosylated molecular weight); in infected cells, the precursor has an apparent molecular weight of 145-150 kDa due to N-linked glycosylation. The env precursor is cleaved in the Golgi apparatus into the SU and TM proteins (also designated gp95 and gp40, respectively). 
     Most vaccines against FIV have failed to induce protective immunity. Ineffective vaccines have involved inactivated whole virus, fixed infected cells, recombinant CA and SU proteins, and a synthetic peptide corresponding to the V3 region of SU. In some cases, the vaccine actually enhanced infection after challenge. In one system, vaccination with paraformaldehyde-fixed virus or infected cells resulted in protective immunity (Yamamoto et al., J. Virol. 67:601, 1993), but application of this approach by others was unsuccessful (Hosie et al., in Abstracts of the International Symposium on Feline Retrovirus Research, 1993, page 50). 
     Thus, there is a need in the art for an effective vaccine against FIV that utilizes the gag or env proteins, or fragments therefrom, as immunogens. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to the prevention or lessening of disease in cats caused by Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Prevention or lessening of disease is understood to mean the amelioration of any symptoms, including immune system disruptions, that result from FIV infection. 
     The invention provides recombinant raccoon poxviruses having at least one internal gene comprising a DNA sequence that encodes FIV gag protein (gag), FIV envelope protein (env), a polypeptide consisting of amino acids 1-735 of FIV env, or immunogenic fragments of any of the foregoing. By immunogenic fragment is meant any portion of the coding sequence of FIV gag or env polypeptides that induces a beneficial immune response in cats. 
     In another aspect, the invention encompasses vaccines that comprise one or more of the FIV-expressing recombinant raccoon poxviruses described above, with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent and a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant. 
     In yet another aspect, the invention provides methods for preventing or lessening disease caused by FIV, which is carried out by administering to a feline in need of such treatment the vaccines described above. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B is a graphic illustration of the cloning strategy for the envelope gene of FIV. 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the structure of the recombinant FIV env gene in pSL-EnvABC. 
     FIGS. 3A-3M show the DNA [SEQ. I.D. NO. 16] and protein [SEQ. I.D. NO. 14] sequence of the env gene of FIV. 
     FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration of the pSLWGag plasmid. 
     FIGS. 5A-5G show the DNA [SEQ. I.D. NO. 15] and protein [SEQ. I.D. NO. 13] sequence of the gag gene of FIV. 
     FIG. 6 is a graphic illustration of the cloning strategy for construction of the raccoon poxvirus transfer plasmid pSC11-FIV gag. 
     FIG. 7 is a graphic illustration of the cloning strategy for construction of the raccoon poxvirus transfer plasmid pSC11-FIV Env. 
     FIG. 8 is a graphic illustration of the cloning strategy for construction of the raccoon poxvirus transfer plasmid pSC11-FIV EnvAB. 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B are a table illustrating the detection of viremia and CD4:CD8 ratios in vaccinated and unvaccinated cats after FIV challenge. 
     FIG. 10 is a table illustrating the preventable fraction for viremia and CD4:CD8 ratio changes in vaccinated and unvaccinated cats following FIV challenge. 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B are a table illustrating the clinical scores of vaccinated and unvaccinated cats after challenge with Toxoplasma gondii. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     All patents, patent applications, and references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the case of inconsistencies, the present disclosure, including definitions, will control. 
     The vaccine of the present invention may be prepared by creating recombinant raccoon poxviruses (RRPVs) containing a gene encoding the gag or env proteins of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) or immunogenic fragments thereof. Gag and env genes useful in practicing the present invention may be obtained by methods well-known in the art. In one embodiment, viral RNA is reverse-transcribed using endogenous or exogenous reverse transcriptase and the DNA is rendered double-stranded using DNA polymerase. The gag and env-encoding DNA segments are then recovered by restriction enzyme digestion and are amplified by cloning in E. coli. In another embodiment, FIV-infected cat cells serve as a source of FIV proviral DNA. In this embodiment, chromosomal DNA is isolated from the cells, and oligonucleotide primers are used to specifically amplify the gag and env genes or fragments therefrom using polymerase chain reaction techniques. This approach is broadly applicable to purifying gag and env genes from different FIV strains or isolates, since primers can be designed from non-polymorphic regions of the FIV genome. 
     FIV gag and env genes isolated by the above methods are first inserted into a transfer plasmid, and the recombinant plasmid is introduced into appropriate host cells that have been previously infected with a raccoon poxvirus. As a result, the DNA from the transfer plasmid is incorporated into the poxvirus DNA by homologous recombination, producing the RRPVs that are released from the cells. 
     DNA encoding the FIV gag or env proteins or fragments therefrom are inserted into a transfer plasmid downstream of a poxvirus promoter. In a preferred embodiment, the early/late 7.5 kD protein promoter of vaccinia virus is used. However, alternate promoter elements could be used. 
     The preferred transfer plasmid also contains a beta-galactosidase marker gene, which allows for selection and detection of the plasmid DNA sequences in recombinant viruses. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that alternate selectable marker genes, such as the neomycin resistance gene or the E. coli gpt gene or others, could be used to practice the invention. Flanking the inserted FIV gene and the selectable marker gene are thymidine kinase DNA sequences, which facilitate integration of the plasmid DNA sequences into the raccoon poxvirus DNA by homologous recombination. 
     Recombinant viruses expressing the FIV gag or env genes are prepared by first infecting a susceptible cell line (such as Vero [ATCC CCL 81], BSC-1 [ATCC CCL 26], RAT-2 [ATCC CRL 1764], or CRFK [ATCC CCL 94]) with wild type raccoon poxvirus (ATCC VR-838 or similar isolates). Transfer plasmid DNA containing the FIV gag or env gene is then transfected into the infected cells using cationic liposome-mediated transfection, or other suitable techniques such as electroporation or calcium-phosphate precipitation. Raccoon poxviruses incorporate DNA from the transfer plasmid through homologous recombination with the thymidine kinase gene sequences present on the plasmid. Virus infection is allowed to proceed until cytopathic effects are noted in all cells. 
     Incorporation of the FIV gag or env gene into poxvirus DNA is accompanied by disruption of the viral thymidine kinase gene. Thus, recombinant virus may be selected for by the absence of a thymidine kinase gene; this is achieved by selective expansion on RAT-2 cells (tk-, ATCC CRL 1764) in the presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine. Viruses containing a gene insert from the transfer plasmid are identified by blue plaque color when grown in the presence of a chromogenic substrate for beta-galactosidase such as X-gal. 
     Viral plaques that survive these selection and screening procedures are then subjected to several cycles of plaque purification. Subsequently, the presence of the gag or env genes is confirmed by polymerase chain reaction technology, and the presence of gag or env antigenic determinant is confirmed by immunoblot analysis using specific antibodies. These viruses are designated by RRPV-FIV gag and RRPV-FIV env, respectively. 
     In a further embodiment of the present invention, RRPVs can be produced that express less-than-full-length segments of the FIV gag and env proteins. The techniques used to engineer transfer plasmids encoding partial sequences of env and gag are well-known and widely used in the art, as are the methods for production and screening of RRPVs as detailed in this specification. For example, convenient restriction enzyme recognition sites can be used to obtain fragments of either gene, as described, e.g., Example 1 below. Alternatively, introduction of oligonucleotides containing a stop codon at various points along gag or env DNA will produce a nested set of carboxyterminal-truncated versions of that gene, which can then be incorporated into RRPVs. Furthermore, sequences that encode different domains on each protein may be recombined, using domains derived from different FIV strains or isolates. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that systematic screening of such recombinant RRPVs can establish whether the intact protein, subfragments thereof or multi-strain recombinants thereof, are most preferred in practicing the present invention. Furthermore, as stated above, DNA encoding different fragments of gag and env can be used in a combination vaccine after incorporation into the same, or different, RRPVs. 
     For vaccine preparation, susceptible cells are grown in minimum essential media containing fetal bovine serum or a suitable media substitute. Cells are infected with recombinant raccoon poxvirus at a multiplicity of infection of 0.1 infectious units/cell or less. In this specification an infectious unit is defined as a Tissue Culture Infectious Dose (TCID 50 ), an amount of virus yielding 50% infection under defined conditions. When cytopathology is noted in &gt;90% of the cells, the infected cells and extracellular fluids are harvested. The virus may be stored frozen (-50° C. or colder) or lyophilized until the time of use. Compounds such as NZ-amine, dextrose, gelatin or others designed to stabilize the virus during freezing and lyophilization may be added. The virus may be concentrated using commercially available equipment. 
     Typically, the concentration of virus in the vaccine formulation will be a minimum of 10 6 .5 TCID 50  per dose, but will typically be in the range of 10 7 .0 to 10 9 .0 TCID 50  per dose. At the time of vaccination, the virus is thawed (if frozen) or reconstituted (if lyophilized) with a physiologically-acceptable carrier such as deionized water, saline, phosphate buffered saline, or the like. 
     In one embodiment, a physiologically acceptable adjuvant such as, for example, EMA31, Adjuvant A, or combinations thereof, is added to the vaccine formulation. Non-limiting examples of suitable adjuvants include squalane and squalene (or other oils of animal origin); block copolymers such as Pluronic® (L121) Saponin; detergents such as Tween®-80; Quil® A, mineral oils such as Drakeol® or Marcol®, vegetable oils such as peanut oil; Corynebacterium-derived adjuvants such as corynebacterium parvum;Propionibacterium-derived adjuvants such as Propionibacterium acne; Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette and Guerinn, or BCG); interleukins such as interleukin 2 and interleukin-12; monokines such as interleukin 1; tumor necrosis factor; interferons such as gamma interferon; combinations such as saponin-aluminum hydroxide or Quil®-A aluminum hydroxide; liposomes; iscom adjuvant; mycobacterial cell wall extract; synthetic glycopeptides such as muramyl dipeptides or other derivatives; Avridine; Lipid A; dextran sulfate; DEAE-Dextran or DEAE-Dextran with aluminum phosphate; carboxypolymethylene, such as Carbopol®; EMA; acrylic copolymer emulsions such as Neocryl® A640 (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,238); vaccinia or animal poxvirus proteins; subviral particle adjuvants such as orbivirus; cholera toxin; dimethyldiocledecylammonium bromide; or mixtures thereof. 
     EMA 31 (Monsanto, St. Louis, Mo.) is a linear ethylene/maleic copolymer with approximately equal amounts of ethylene and maleic anhydride, having an estimated average molecular weight of about 75,000 to 100,000. Adjuvant A is an adjuvant comprising a block copolymer, such as a polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene (POP-POE) block copolymer, preferably Pluronic® L121 (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,466), and an organic component, such as a metabolizable oil, e.g. an unsaturated turpin hydrocarbon, preferably squalane (2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosane) or squalene. The vaccine may also include a non-ionic detergent or surfactant, preferably a polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate such as a Tween® detergent, most preferably Tween®-80, i.e. polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate. 
     In this adjuvant mixture, the block copolymer, organic oil, and surfactant may be present in amounts ranging from about 10 to about 40 ml/L, about 20 to about 80 ml/L, and about 1.5 to about 6.5 ml/L, respectively. In a preferred embodiment of the stock adjuvant, the organic component is squalane present in an amount of about 40 mL/L, the surfactant is polyoxyethylenesorbitan monooleate (Tween®-80) present in an amount of about 3.2 ml/L, and the POP-POE block copolymer is Pluronic® L121 present in an amount of about 20 ml/L. Pluronic® L121 is a liquid copolymer at 1540° C., where the polyoxypropylene (POP) component has a molecular weight of 3250 to 4000 and the polyoxyethylene (POE) component comprises about 10-20%, preferably 10%, of the total molecule. 
     Individual raccoon poxviruses expressing the gag or env genes may be mixed together for vaccination. Furthermore, the virus may be mixed with additional inactivated or attenuated viruses, bacteria, or fungi, or with immunogens derived from viruses, bacteria, or fungi such as feline leukemia virus, feline panleukopenia virus, feline rhinotracheitis virus, feline calicivirus, feline infectious peritonitis virus, feline Chlamydia psittaci, Microsporum canis, or others. In addition, antigens from the above-cited organisms may be incorporated into combination vaccines. These antigens may be purified from natural sources or from recombinant expression systems, or may comprise individual subunits of the antigen or synthetic peptides derived therefrom. 
     In a further embodiment of the present invention, live or inactivated RRPV virus-cell lysates can be incorporated into liposomes, or encapsulated in peptide-, protein-, or polysaccharide-based microcapsules prior to administration, using means that are known in the art. The vaccine of the present invention is administered to cats in volumes ranging from 0.5 to 5 milliliters. The vaccine can be administered to cats by subcutaneous, intramuscular, oral, intradermal, or intranasal routes. The number of injections and their temporal spacing may be varied. One to three vaccinations administered at intervals of one to three weeks are usually effective. 
     The efficacy of the vaccines of the present invention is assessed by the following methods. At about one month after the final vaccination, vaccinates and controls are each challenged with 3-20 cat ID 50  units, preferably 5 cat ID 50  units of FIV, preferably the NCSU1 isolate (ATCC VR-2333). Whole blood is obtained from the animals immediately before challenge, and at intervals after challenge, for measurement of a) viremia and b) relative amounts of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes. 
     Viremia is measured by isolating mononuclear cells from the blood, and co-culturing the cells with mononuclear cells from uninfected animals. After 7 days of culture, the culture supernatants are tested for FIV by enzyme-linked immunoassay (See Example 5 below). 
     The ratio of CD4 to CD8 lymphocytes in the circulation of vaccinates and controls is taken as a measure of immune function. Typically, FIV infection causes an inversion of the normal CD4:CD8 ratio of about 1.5-4.0 to a pathological ratio of about 0.5-1.0. The numbers of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes are measured by flow cytometry using specific antibodies (see Example 5 below). 
     Another measure of immune function is to challenge vaccinates and controls with Toxoplasma gondii at 6-12 months after the final RRPV-FIV vaccination. Normally, the severity of T. gondii--induced disease symptoms is considerably exacerbated in FIV-infected cats relative to uninfected cats. The severity of the T. gondii effect is determined by scoring ocular discharge, nasal discharge, dyspnea, and fever. 
     It will be understood that amelioration of any of the symptoms of FIV infection is a desirable clinical goal. This includes a lessening of the dosage of medication used to treat FIV-induced symptoms. 
     The following examples are intended to illustrate the present invention without limitation thereof. 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     Cloning of FIV gag and env Genes 
     A. Isolation of Viral DNA 
     FIV strain NCSU-1 (designated &#34;FIV-NCSU-1&#34;) was isolated from a naturally infected, feline leukemia virus-negative cat and has been described previously (Tompkins et al., J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 199: 1311, 1991. The virus was passed in a normal specific pathogen-free (SPF) cat (obtained from Liberty Laboratories, Waverly,. N.Y.). FIV-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from whole blood by separation on discontinuous percoll gradients. Briefly, anti-coagulated whole blood was layered over a two step gradient containing 43% Percoll™ (Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.) over 62.5% Percoll™ in 0.15 M NaCl. Gradients were centrifuged at 400×g for 5 minutes, followed by 800×g for 20 minutes at 22° C. PBMC were harvested from the gradient interface and washed in phosphate buffered saline containing 5% fetal bovine serum. In parallel, PBMCs were isolated from normal cats. 
     FIV was propagated by co-culture of PBMCs from an FIV-infected cat with PBMCs from normal cats. The cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 media containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 2.5×10 -5  beta-mercaptoethanol, 2 mM L-glutamine, 5 μg/mL concanavalin A, and 20% conditioned media from MLA cells (ATCC TIB 201) as a source of interleukin-2 (IL2). 
     Cat genomic DNA containing FIV-NCSU-1 proviral sequences was isolated from the cultured PBMCs by lysis of the cells with 0.6% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 10 mM EDTA, followed by precipitation of chromosomal DNA by incubation overnight with 1 mM NaCl. The DNA was recovered by centrifugation at 10,000 r.p.m. (Beckman J2, JA-20 rotor) for 40 minutes. The DNA pellet was resuspended in a solution containing 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 10 mM EDTA, 0.1% SDS buffer and digested with ribonuclease A (20 μg/ml) and proteinase K (0.2 mg/ml) at 50° C. for 4 hours. DNA was then purified by sequential extraction with phenol, phenol:chloroform (1:1) and chloroform, and was recovered in pure form followed by ethanol precipitation. 
     B. Cloning of FIV Envelope Gene 
     FIV-NCSU-1 envelope DNA sequences were cloned using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods as follows: 
     Envelope Fragment A 
     The following oligonucleotides were used to amplify the 5&#39; proximal segment of the env gene. 
     5&#39;-TCGGATCCAACAATAATTATGGCAGAAGG-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 1] (Coding strand, 6252-V) 
     5&#39;-AATCAGGTACAAAGTCACCGTTC-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 2] (Complementary strand, 6745-C) 
     Primer 6252-V corresponds to nucleotides 6252-6273 of FIV strain PPR (GenBank No. M36968) and primer 6745-C (underlined region) corresponds to nucleotides 6723-6745 of FIV strain 14 (GenBank No. 25381). The start codon for envelope protein translation is included in primer 6252-V. Primer 6252-V also has a synthetic BamHI restriction enzyme site near the 5&#39; end to facilitate cloning. An AvrII site located at position 6719 also facilitates cloning. Envelope fragment A is 494 bp in length. 
     Envelope Fragment B 
     The following oligonucleotides were used to amplify the middle segment of the env gene. 
     5&#39;-TATAGAAGCACCCCAAGAAGAG-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 3] (Coding strand, 6637-V) 
     5&#39;-CATTCCCCCAAAGTTATATTTC-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 4] (Complementary strand, 8469-C) 
     Primers 6637-V and 8469-C correspond to nucleotides 6637-6659 and 8448-8469 of FIV 14 strain, respectively. An AvrII site at position 6719 and a SpeI site at position 8288 facilitated cloning. Envelope fragment B is 1833 bp in length. 
     Envelope Fragment C 
     The following oligonucleotides were used to amplify the 3&#39; distal fragment of the env gene. 
     5&#39;-TTAGTTACATTAGAGCATCAAG-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 5] (Coding strand, 8264-V) 
     5&#39;-TTCTAGATCTTCAGGGTCCCAATACTC-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 6] (Complementary strand, 9145-C) 
     Primer 8264-V corresponds to nucleotides 8264-8285 of FIV strain 14, and primer 9145-C (underlined region) corresponds to nucleotides 9126-9145 of FIV strain PPR. Primer 9145-C has a synthetic BglII site near the 5&#39; end to facilitate cloning. An SpeI site located at position 8288 also facilitated cloning. Envelope fragment C is 880 bp in length. 
     In each case, PCR was performed for 35 cycles of 1 min 30 sec at 94° C., 2 min at 56° C., and 2 min at 72° C., followed by one cycle of 8 min at 72° C. Each envelope fragment was isolated by gel electrophoresis and cloned into plasmid pSL1190 using standard methods (Maniatis et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 1982, Cold Spring Harbor Press). 
     Initially, each fragment was cloned into pSL1190, after which the three fragments were spliced together to re-create a full length envelope gene. For this purpose, the Envelope A plasmid was digested with BamHI and AvrII, the envelope B plasmid was digested was with AvrII and SpeI, and the envelope C plasmid was digested with SpeI and BglII. Subsequently, the 1.5 kbp AvrII/SpeI envelope B fragment was ligated into pSL-EnvA that had been digested with AvrII and SpeI to create pSL-EnvAB (FIG. 1). The envAB fragment codes for the entire surface membrane protein (SU) and the first 63 amino acids from the amino-terminus of the transmembrane protein (TM) of FIV-NCSU-1, i.e., amino acids 1-735 of env. However, envAB does not contain the transmembrane domain (TM). 
     Next, the 0.9 kbp SpeI/SmaI envelope C fragment from pSL-EnvC was ligated into pSL-EnvAB that had been digested with SpeI and BbrPI, to create pSL-EnvABC or pSL-WEnv (FIG. 1). The WEnv fragment codes for the entire env open reading frame (SU and TM proteins) of FIV NCSU-1 (FIG. 2). 
     The subcloned genetic elements of FIV-NCSU-1 were sequenced using Sequenase Version 2.0 (United States Biochemical, Cleveland, Ohio)) as described for double-stranded DNA, and the reactions were analyzed using the ABI automated sequencer (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, Calif.). Both DNA strands were sequenced to confirm the results. The DNA sequences were analyzed using the MacVector DNA Analysis software (International Biotechnologies, Inc., New Haven, Conn.). The env DNA sequences were analyzed for open reading frames and compared to the previously published DNA sequences of other FIV isolates. The DNA and predicted amino acid sequences of env and envAB open reading frames of FIV-NCSU-1 are shown in FIG. 3. 
     C. Cloning of The FIV GAG Gene 
     The gag gene of FIV-NCSU 1  was amplified using PCR and the following oligonucleotide primers: 
     5&#39;-CAATTCTAGAGAGACTCTACAGCAACATG-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 7] (Coding strand, 610-V) 
     5&#39;-TAATAGATCTGGCCTCTTTTCTAATGATG-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 8] (Complementary strand, 2026-C) 
     Primers 610-V and 2026-C correspond to nucleotides 610-630 and 2005-2026 of FIV 14 strain, respectively. Primers 610-V and 2026-C have XbaI and BglII restriction enzyme sites, respectively, near their 5&#39; ends to facilitate cloning. The last three nucleotides of primer 610-V correspond to the start codon for gag protein translation. PCR was performed for 35 cycles of 1 min 30 sec at 94° C., 2 min at 56° C., and 2 min at 72° C., followed by one cycle of 4 min at 72° C. The 1.4 kbp DNA fragment containing the gag gene was purfied by gel electrophoresis and cloned into the XbaI/BglII site of pSL1190 to form pSL-WGag (FIG. 4). The DNA sequence of FIV-NCSU-1 gag is shown in FIG. 5. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     Preparation of Recombinant Raccoon Poxviruses 
     A. Construction of Raccoon Poxvirus Transfer Plasmids 
     The DNA sequences encoding the gag, env, and envAB isolated as described in Example 1 were individually subcloned into the poxvirus transfer vector pSC11. The sequence of pSC11 is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/125,516, which is incorporated by reference. For this purpose, the 1.4 kb XbaI/BglII fragment of pSL-WGag (FIG. 6), the 2.9 kb BamHl/SpiI fragment of pSL-WEnv (FIG. 7) and the 2.1 kb BamHI/SpeI fragment of pSLEnvAB (FIG. 8) were individually isolated and rendered blunt-ended with the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase, after which each was individually cloned into the SmaI site of pSC11. 
     B. Preparation of Recombinant Raccoon Poxviruses 
     Recombinant raccoon pox viruses (RRPV) bearing the FIV gag and env genes were prepared as generally described for recombinant vaccinia viruses (Mackett and Smith, J Gen Virol 67:2067-2082, 1986) with some modifications. Monolayers of Vero cells (ATCC CCL 81) that were 80% confluent (approximately 5×10 6  cells in 100 mm tissue culture dishes) were infected with wild-type raccoon pox virus (ATCC VR-838) at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 TCID 50  /cell in 2 ml of MEM (Eagle&#39;s Mininum Essential Medium (Gibco BRL #410-1500) containing 0.05% lactalbumin hydrolysate and 15 μg/ml gentamicin sulfate, adjusted to pH 7.2 with sodium bicarbonate) for 30-60 minutes at 37° C. The cells were then transfected with either pSC11-FIV gag, pSC11-FIV env, or pSC11-FIV env AB transfer plasmids by cationic liposome-mediated transfection using Transfectam® (Promega Corporation, Madison, Wis.) according to manufacturer&#39;s instructions. The cells/DNA-liposomes mixture was incubated in 3 ml of MEM containing 0.5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) overnight at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ), after which the medium was replaced with 8 ml fresh MEM/5% FBS. The transfected cells were incubated at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) until greater than 80% of the cells showed cytopathic effects (approximately 34 days). The cells and culture media (viral-cell lysates) were then removed from the plates and subject to two cycles of freeze-thawing before storage at -70° C. 
     C. Isolation of Recombinant Raccoon Pox Virus Carrying the FIV gag Gene 
     RRPV carrying the FIV-NCSU 1  gag gene (RRPV-FIV gag) are isolated and purified from the pSC11-FIV gag/Vero cell transfection by standard viral plaque assay methods. Monolayers of Vero cells (50-80% confluent) in 100 mm tissue culture dishes were infected with 2 ml of 10-fold serial dilutions (10 -1  to 10 -3  in MEM) of the viral-cell lysates. After incubation, for 1 hour at 37° C., the media are removed and the infected cells were overlaid with 8-10 ml of 1.25% Noble agar containing MEM/5% FBS. The infected cells were then incubated for 34 days at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ), and overlaid again with 4 ml of 1.25% Nobel agar containing 0.5X PBS and 600 ug/ml 5-bromo4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (X-gal, United States Biochemical, Cleveland, Ohio). The plates were incubated at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) for 4-16 hours, until blue viral plaques (β-galactosidase positive) were observed. The recombinant viral plaques were picked with sterile blunt needles attached to a 1 cc syringe, suspended in 0.5 ml of 0.25 mg/ml trypsin, vortexed vigorously, and incubated at 37° C. for 15-30 minutes. The disrupted viral plaques were then inoculated onto 5×10 5  Vero cells in T-25 cm 2  flasks and incubated at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) until greater than 80% CPE was observed. The viral-cell lysates containing RRPV-FIV gag were subjected to two cycles of freeze-thawing and stored at -70° C. Five individual RRPV-FIV gagclones were selected and plaqued purified four times as described above. 
     D. Isolation of Recombinant Raccoon Pox Virus Carrying FIV envAB Gene 
     RRPV carrying the FIV-NCSU 1  envAB gene (RRPV-FIV envAB) were isolated and purified from the pSC11-FIV envAB/Vero cell transfection using the methods as described for RRPV-FIV gag with some slight modifications. Thymidine kinase deficient (tk-) raccoon pox viruses from the initial viral-cell lysates were selected on tk- Rat-2 cells (ATCC CRL 1764). This was performed by inoculating 1 ml of the initial viral-cell lysate onto a monolayer of Rat-2 cells in a T-75 cm 2  flask (approximately 5×10 6  cells) containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) at 30 ug/ml in MEM. The infected monolayer was incubated at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) for 3-4 days until greater than 70% CPE was observed. The tk- viral-cell lysates were subjected to two cycles of freeze-thawing two times and stored at -70° C. RRPV-FIV envAB were isolated and purified from the tk- viral-cell lysates by the standard viral plaque assay as described above for RRPV-FIV gag on Vero cells. Five individual RRPV-FIV env AB clones were selected and plaque purified five times. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     Characteristics of Recombinant FIV-Expressing Raccoon Pox Viruses 
     A. Confirmation of FIV gag and envAB Genes in RRPV by Polymerase Chain Reaction 
     The presence of the FIV gag and envAB genes in the RRPVs was confirmed sing PCR. 90 μl of a viral-cell lysate was incubated with 10 μl of 10× PCR lysis buffer 1×; 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.5, containing 50 mM KCl, 2.5 mM MgCl 2 , 0.5% Tween 20, 0.3 mg/ml Proteinase K) for 16 hours at 50° C., then boiled for 10 minutes. 10 μl of this lysate was used as a template in the PCR reaction. PCR was performed in 100 μl of 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.3, containing 50 mM KCl, 200 uM of each dNTP, 1.5 mM MgCl 2 , 30 pmoles of each primer, and 2.5 Units of AmpliTaq® DNA polymerase (Perkin-Elmer Cetus, Norwalk, Conn.). The primers used in the PCR for FIV gag were: 
     5&#39;-TATGGAAAAGGCAAGAGAAGGAC-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 9] 
     5&#39;-TCGAGATACCATGCTCTACACTG-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 10] 
     corresponding to nucleotides 471-493 and 763-785 of the FIV gag open reading frame, respectively. The primers used in the PCR for FIV envAB were: 
     5&#39;-TATGGAAAAGATGGGATGAGACTA-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 11] 
     5&#39;-GTCACTTACCTTCATAGTAAACC-3&#39; [SEQ. I.D. NO. 12] 
     corresponding to nucleotides 857-880 and 1513-1535 of the FIV env open reading frame, respectively. The PCR amplifications were performed in a DNA Thermal Cycler (Perkin-Elmer Cetus) by first heating the reaction mixes to 94° C. for denaturation, and then 35 cycles of 1 minute at 95° C., 1 minute at 55° C., and 2 minutes at 72° C., and a final incubation of 8 minutes at 72° C. 10 μl of the PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis in a horizontal-submarine 4% NuSieve® agarose (FMC BioProducts, Rockland, Me.) gel in TAE buffer (40 mM Tris base, 20 mM sodium acetate, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.2) by applying 5 V/cm for 1-2 hours, and staining with ethidium bromide. PCR amplifications with the FIV gag and env primers gave expected DNA fragments of 314 and 678 nucleotides, respectively. PCR amplifications using the pSC11 FIV gag and envAB transfer plasmids served as positive controls. PCR amplifications using wild-type raccoon pox virus-Vero cell lysates served as a negative control. 
     B. Confirmation of RRPV FIV gag and envAB Protein Expression by Western Blot Analysis 
     Confluent monolayers of Vero cells in a T-25 cm 2  flask (1-2×10 6  cells) were infected with clones of either RRPV-FIV gag or RRPV-FIV envAB at an M.O.I. of 1 to 10 TCID  50  per cell. The infected cells were incubated at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) for 2-3 days until approximately 80% CPE was observed. 20 μl of the viral-cell lysate was added to 5 μl of 5× Laemmli sample buffer (0.3 M Tris-HCl buffer, pH 6.8, containing 5% SDS, 50% glycerol, 0.4% bromophenol blue, and 3% 2-mercaptoethanol) and heated at 95° C. for 5 minutes. The denatured protein samples were separated by SDS/polyacrylamide electrophoresis using a 4-15% gradient polyacrylamide gel (Maniatis et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 1982, Cold Spring Harbor Press). After electrophoresis, the proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose filters (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, Calif.) by electrotransfer using a Bio-Rad transfer apparatus per manufacturer&#39;s instructions. The transfer was performed in 25 mM Tris-HCl buffer, containing 0.2 M glycine and 20% methanol, for 45 minutes at 50V with constant current. 
     The blot was then screened for FIV gag and envAB proteins by immunoblot analysis as previously described (Davis et al., Basic Methods in Molecular Biology, 1986, Elsevier Science Publishing Company, New York, N.Y.) with some slight modifications. After transfer, the nitrocellulose blot was rinsed in phosphate buffer saline, pH 7.4, containing 0.1% Tween-20 (PBS-TW), and non-specific sites were blocked by incubating the blot in PBS containing 1% bovine serum albumin (PBS-BSA) at 4° C. overnight, followed by a 15 minute wash in PBS-TW. The blot was then incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature with goat anti-FIV IgG diluted 1:100 in PBS-TW containing 1% BSA (PBS-TW-BSA), followed by four 5 minute washes in PBS-TW. Next, the blot was incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature with a biotin-labeled mouse-anti-goat IgG antibody (secondary antibody) (Kirkegaard &amp; Perry Laboratories Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.) diluted 1:2000 in PBS-TW-BSA, followed by four 5-minute washes in PBS-TW. Antigen-antibody complexes were detected by, incubating the blot for 30 minutes at room temperature with horseradish peroxidase conjugated streptavidin (Kirkegaard &amp; Perry Laboratories Inc.) diluted 1:1000 in PBS-TW, washing four times for 5 minutes each in PBS-TW, and visualizing with peroxidase chromogenic substrate (Kirkegaard &amp; Perry Laboratories Inc.). Sucrose-gradient purified FIV and wild-type raccoon pox virus/Vero cell lysates were used as the positive and negative controls for the immunoblot analysis, respectively. 
     Goat anti-FIV antibodies were prepared as follows. FIV NCSU 1  was grown in peripheral blood lymphocytes and concentrated using a hollow fiber apparatus to a concentration of about 10 6  TCID 50  /ml. The concentrated virus stock was mixed with an oil adjuvant such as OW3 in a ratio of 1:1 (v:v), and the emulsion was used to inoculate goats six times, at intervals of 34 weeks. At monthly intervals, the goats were bled and the serum was tested for the presence of anti-FIV antibodies. 
     C. Confirmation of RRPV FIV gag and envAB Protein Expression by Immunofluorescence Assay 
     Confluent monolayers of Vero cells in 96-well plates (1-2×10 4  cells/well) are infected with clones of either RRPV-FIV gag or RRPV-FIV envAB at a multiplicity of infection of 0.1 to 1.0 plaque forming units per cell. Cell infected with wild-type RCNV serve as a negative control. The infected cells are incubated at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) for 1 day until approximately 20% CPE is observed. The cells are then washed three times with PBS and fixed with 80% acetone at 4° C. for ten minutes. Next, the cells are rehydrated with PBS and incubated with a monoclonal antibody (IgG) against either FIV gag or env surface membrane proteins for 30 minutes at room temperature. FIV antigen/FIV antibody complexes are detected using a FITC-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (Kirkegaard &amp; Perry Laboratories Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.) and fluorescence microscopy. 
     D. Raccoon Poxvirus Titration 
     Virus preparations were pre-treated by dilution into an equal volume of 0.5% trypsin and incubation at 37° C. for 30 minutes in order to release virus from inclusions. Serial dilutions (10-fold) of virus were then prepared in MEM and were inoculated (100 μl/well) in replicates of five onto Vero cells (1×10 4  cells in 100 μl per well) in a 96 well plate. Plates were incubated for 3-5 days at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) and observed for cytopathology typical of raccoon poxvirus. Viral infectivity titers were calculated as 50% endpoints based on cytopathology using the methods of Reed and Muench (Reed and Muench, The American Journal of Hygiene 27: 493, 1938). 
     EXAMPLE 4 
     Preparation of Vaccines Based on Recombinant Pox Viruses 
     A. Preparation of Master Seeds of RRPV-FIV gag and envAB Viruses 
     A single clone of each recombinant virus that showed significant recombinant protein expression (by the method described in Example 3 above) was selected for large-scale expansion to serve as a master seed virus. All recombinant virus expansions and titrations were done on Vero cells in MEM containing 2.5% FBS. Each plaque-purified virus clone was expanded by inoculating a confluent monolayer of Vero cells in a T-150 cm 2  flask (1×10 7  cells) with 1 ml of viral-cell lysate (approximately 10 7  infectious virus particles), and incubating at 37° C. (5% CO 2 ) until 100% CPE was observed (2-3 days). This viral-cell lysate served as a pre-master seed virus stock and was used to obtain the master seed virus. The pre-master seed of each recombinant virus was titrated on Vero cells and a TCID 50  was determined. The master seed viruses for RRPV-FIV gag and RRPV-FIV envAB were grown on Vero cells using an MOI of 0.01 and 0.1, respectively. Three roller bottles of confluent Vero cells were infected for each of the master seed viruses using MEM media supplemented with 2.5% fetal bovine serum and incubated for approximately 3 days at 37° C. Infected culture supernatant fluids were harvested, and seed viruses were aliquoted into 1.5 ml ampules, which were sealed and stored in a liquid nitrogen freezer. 
     B. Preparation of Vaccines 
     Vero cells (3×10 7 ) were seeded into 850 cm 2  roller bottles in 200 ml of growth media (MEM containing 0.5% lactalbumin hydrolysate and 5% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum) and incubated for 18 hours at 37° C. The next day, the media were removed from the cells and replaced with 50 ml of RRPV-FIV gag at a multiplicity of infection of 0.01 in infection media (MEM containing 0.5% LAH and 2.5% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum). The virus used was at the fourth passage beyond the master seed preparation. Virus was allowed to adsorb to the cells for 30 minutes at 37° C., after which the volume of medium was adjusted to 150 ml per roller bottle. Roller bottles were incubated at 37° C. until 100% cytopathology was evident (3 days). A virus/cell lysate was then prepared and stored frozen (-70° C.). The virus titer of RRPV-FIV gag was determined to be 1074 TCID 50  /ml. 
     Recombinant raccoon poxviruses expressing the FIV envAB gene fragment were prepared in the same manner, except that a multiplicity of infection of 0.1 was used. The virus was at the fourth passage beyond the master seed preparation. The RRPV-FIV envAB preparation was titered and found to contain 10 6 .4 TCID 50  /ml. 
     Wild type raccoon poxvirus was grown using the same methods as described above. This virus preparation was found to contain 10 7 .7 TCID 50  /ml. 
     EXAMPLE 5 
     Test of Efficacy of FIV Vaccines Based on Recombinant Pox Viruses 
     A. Vaccination 
     Thirty 6-7 month old cats (specific pathogen-free, Harlan Sprague Dawley, Madison, Wis.), fifteen males and fifteen females, were used. Cats were divided into six groups and vaccinated twice, 21 days apart, as indicated below: 
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________Assignment of Groups for Vaccination #                    Vol- VirusGroup Cats   Vaccine       ume  Dose (TCID.sub.50)                                    Route*______________________________________1     5      RRPV-FIV gag  1 mL 10.sup.7.4                                    SC2     5      RRPV-FIV gag  1 mL 10.sup.7.4                                    IM3     5      RRPV-FIV envAB                      3 mL 10.sup.6.9                                    SC4     5      RRPV-FIV envAB                      2 mL 10.sup.6.7                                    IM5     5      RRPV-FIV gag(1 ml)                      4 mL 10.sup.7.4 (gag)                                    SC        +        RRPV-FIV envAB                      3 mL 10.sup.6.9 (envAB)                                    SC6     5      Wild Type raccoon                      1 mL 10.sup.7.7                                    SC        pox virus______________________________________ *SC = Subcutaneous Vaccination IM = Intermuscular Vaccination 
    
     B. Experimental Design 
     Twenty-five cats were vaccinated with the recombinant raccoon poxvirus vaccines as indicated in Table 1. Five cats were administered a similar titer of wild type raccoon poxvirus to serve a negative controls. Two vaccinations were administered 21 days apart. Subcutaneous vaccinations were administered in the nape of the neck, and intramuscular vaccinations were administered in a rear thigh. Four weeks following the second vaccination, all cats were challenged with the NCSU-1 strain of FIV and monitored for viremia and evidence of lymphocyte population changes as described below. Eleven months following FIV challenge, cats in Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 were challenged with Toxoplasma gondii and monitored for 48 days for clinical signs of disease. 
     C. FIV Challenge 
     Four weeks following the second vaccination, all of the cats were challenged subcutaneously with 10 cat ID 50  units of the NCSU 1  isolate of FIV(1: 1000 dilution of lot # 021891). Whole blood was obtained from the cats prior to challenge, and periodically after challenge, in order to assess virus infection parameters as follows: 
     1. Detection of Viremia 
     Culture isolation of FIV was performed as described previously (Wasmoen et al., Vet. Immuno. Immunopath. 35:83 1992). Mononuclear cells were isolated from whole blood using Percoll™ (Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway N.J.) gradients. 5×10 5  cells from FIV-challenged cats were cultured with 1×10 6  mononuclear cells isolated from uninfected cats. Cultures were fed with RPMI media every 7 days and supernatants tested for the presence of FIV by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects FIV p25 antigen (Petcheck ELISA, IDEXX, Portland Me.). 
     2. Lymphocyte Subsets 
     Leukocytes were isolated from whole blood using Histopaque™ (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis Mo.) and lymphocyte subsets quantitated by staining the cells with antibodies specific to CD4 (monoclonal antibody CAT30A), CD8 (monoclonal antibody FLSM 3.357), pan T lymphocytes (monoclonal antibody FLSM 1.572) or B lymphocytes (anti-cat IgG) followed by FACS analysis. These monoclonal antibodies are described elsewhere (Tompkins et al. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 26:305, 1990) and the flow cytometry procedure is the same as previously described (R. V. English et al. J. Infect. Dis. 170:543, 1994). CD4:CD8 ratios were calculated. 
     D. Toxoplasma gondii Challenge 
     Tacheozoites of the ME49 strain of T. gondii that were frozen in 10% glycerol were inoculated intraperitoneally into Swiss mice (Charles Rivers Laboratories) and serially passed in mice according to published procedures (Davidson et al., Am. J. Pathol. 143:1486, 1993). Tacheozoites harvested from peritoneal fluids of mice were enumerated using a hemacytometer. Cats were tranquilized using ketamine hydrochloride and inoculated with 50,000 fresh tachyzoites into the right common carotid artery that had been surgically isolated. Cats were monitored for clinical signs of disease, including ocular discharge, nasal discharge, dyspnea, fever, depression, and weight loss for 3 days prior to and 48 days following T. gondii inoculation. 
     Clinical signs follow T. gondii challenge were scored as follows: 
     
         ______________________________________Clinical Sign  Score______________________________________Fever          103.0 to    1 point per day          103.9° F.          104.0 to    2 points per day          104.9° F.          ≧105.0° F.                      3 points per day(Temperatures were not scored until ≧1° F. abovebaseline.)Depression/Lethargy    1 point per dayDehydration            2 points per dayNasal Discharge        1 point per dayOcular Discharge       1 point per dayRespiratory Distress:Tachypnea              2 points per dayDyspnea                4 points per day______________________________________ 
    
     E. Results 
     At one month following inoculation with the NCSU-1 strain of FIV, 60% of the control cats were found to be viremic (FIG. 9). Cats vaccinated with RRPV-FIV gag were all negative for FIV, 40% of the cats vaccinated with RRPV-FIV envAB were virus positive, and 20% of the cats vaccinated with a combination of these two viruses were viremic (FIG. 9). Therefore, the ability of the test vaccines to prevent viremia at this time point varied from 33% to 100% (FIG. 10). 
     At three months after FIV challenge, 80% of the control cats were found to be virus positive (FIG. 9). Similarly, FIV could be isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of nearly all vaccinated cats using this very sensitive method (FIG. 9). 
     With respect to immune status, 80% of the control cats showed evidence of CD4:CD8 lymphocyte ratio inversions (i.e. ratios less than 1.0) at three months (FIG. 9). In contrast, only 30% of the RRPV-gag vaccinated cats had evidence of significant CD4:CD8 inversions, and the RRPV-FIV envAB vaccinates were similarly protected from this lymphocyte subset change (FIG. 9). Cats vaccinated with a combination of the two recombinant viruses were not significantly different from the controls (i.e. 80% showed CD4:CD8 inversions) at 3 months after challenge (FIG. 9). 
     At 9 months after FIV challenge, 100% of the control cats were FIV infected, and all showed CD4:CD8 inversions (FIG. 9). A large percentage of the vaccinated cats were also shown to be viremic at this time point. However, only 50% of the RRPV-FIV gag vaccinates and 20% of the RRPV-FIV envAB vaccinates showed evidence of CD4:CD8 inversions at this time point. Therefore, these two vaccines showed a significant ability to prevent the CD4:CD8 lymphocyte ratio changes associated with FIV infection even though the cats appeared to be viremic (FIG. 10). 
     In order to determine whether CD4:CD8 lymphocyte subset inversions signified a deterioration in the immune system of cats following FIV infection (and, conversely, that lack of inversion in vaccinates signified maintenance of immune function), vaccinated and control cats (from groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6) were challenged with Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite causes subclinical infections in normal cats, but has been reported to cause severe disease in cats that are immunocompromised due to FIV infection (Davidson et al., Am. J. Pathol. 143:1486, 1993). Following T. gondii challenge, control cats displayed ocular discharge, nasal discharge, dyspnea, and fever. The average total clinical score for control cats was 15.6 (FIG. 11). By comparison, there was a 41% reduction in clinical disease scores in RRPV-FIV gag vaccinated cats, related to reductions in clinical signs of ocular discharge and dyspnea (FIG. 11). The clinical picture following T. gondii challenge was even less severe in RRPV-FIV envAB vaccinated cats. This group showed a 92% decrease in ocular signs, 75% decrease in nasal discharge, 73% reduction in dyspnea, and 58% decrease in overall clinical scores (FIG. 11). Further, 80% of the control cats displayed weight loss in the first 14 days after challenge, compared to weight loss in only 44% of the RRPV-FIV gag vaccinates and 50% of the V-FIV envAB vaccinates. Therefore, control cats were more susceptible to induction of disease by this opportunistic pathogen than vaccinated cats. 
     These data suggest that vaccination altered the progression of clinical disease caused by this virus (i.e. induction of immune suppression). This is indicated by a lower rate of CD4:CD8 inversions in vaccinated cats and by a decreased susceptibility to infection with the opportunistic pathogen T. gondii. 
     
         __________________________________________________________________________#             SEQUENCE LISTING- &lt;160&gt; NUMBER OF SEQ ID NOS: 16- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 1&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 29&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 1#            29    ttat ggcagaagg- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 2&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 23&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 2#                23accg ttc- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 3&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 22&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 3#                 22aag ag- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 4&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 22&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 4#                 22att tc- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 5&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 22&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 5#                 22tca ag- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 6&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 27&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 6#             27   tccc aatactc- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 7&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 29&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 7#            29    ctac agcaacatg- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 8&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 29&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 8#            29    tttt ctaatgatg- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 9&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 23&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 9#                23gaag gac- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 10&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 23&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 10#                23taca ctg- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 11&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 24&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 11#                24tgag acta- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 12&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 23&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 12#                23gtaa acc- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 13&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 1353&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 13- atggggaatg gacaggggcg agattggaaa atggccatta agagatgtag ta - #atgctgct  60- gtaggagtag gggggaagag taaaaaattt ggggaaggga atttcagatg gg - #ccattaga 120- atggctaatg tatctacagg acgagaacct ggtgatatac cagagacttt ag - #atcaacta 180- aggttggtta tttgcgattt acaagaaaga agaaaaaaat ttggatcttg ca - #aagaaatt 240- gataaggcaa ttgttacatt aaaagtcttt gcggcagtag gacttttaaa ta - #tgacagtg 300- tcttctgctg ctgcagctga aaatatgttc actcagatgg gattagacac ta - #gaccatct 360- atgaaagaag caggaggaaa agaggaaggc cctccacagg catttcctat tc - #aaacagta 420- aatggagtac cacaatatgt agcacttgac ccaaaaatgg tgtccatttt ta - #tggaaaag 480- gcaagagaag gattaggagg tgaggaagtt cagctatggt tcactgcctt ct - #ctgcaaat 540- ttaacaccta ctgacatggc cacattaata atggccgcac cagggtgcgc tg - #cagataaa 600- gaaatattgg atgaaagctt aaagcaactt actgcaggat atgatcgtac ac - #atccccct 660- gatgctccca gaccattacc ctattttact gcagcagaaa ttatgggtat tg - #gatttact 720- caagaacaac aagcagaagc aagatttgca ccagctagga tgcagtgtag ag - #catggtat 780- ctcgagggac taggaaaatt gggcgccata aaagctaagt ctcctcgagc tg - #tgcagtta 840- agacaaggag ctaaggaaga ttattcatcc tttattgaca gattgtttgc cc - #aaatagat 900- caagaacaaa atacagctga agttaagtta tatttaaaac agtcattaag ca - #tggctaat 960- gctaatgcag aatgtaaaaa gccaatgacc caccttaagc cagaaagtac cc - #tagaagaa1020- aagttgagag cttgtcaaga aataggctca ccaggatata aaatgcaact ct - #tggcagaa1080- gctcttacaa aagttcaagt agtgcaatca aaaggatcag gaccagtgtg tt - #ttaattgt1140- aaaaaaccag gacatctagc aagacaatgt agagaagtga gaaaatgtaa ta - #aatgtgga1200- aaacctggtc atgtagctgc caaatgttgg caaggaaata gaaagaattc gg - #gaaactgg1260- aaggcggggc gagctgcagc cccagtgaat caagtgcagc aagcagtaat gc - #catctgca1320#       1353       aact attggattta taa- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 14&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 3225&lt;212&gt; TYPE: DNA&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 14- ggatccaaca ataattatgg cagaaggatt tgcagccaat agacaatgga ta - #ggaccaga  60- agaagctgaa gagttattag attttgatat agcaacacaa atgaatgaag aa - #gggccact 120- aaatccaggg atgaacccat ttagggtacc tggaataaca gataaagaaa ag - #caagacta 180- ttgtaacata ttacaaccta agttacaaga tttacggaat gaacttcaag ag - #gtaaaact 240- agaagaagga aatgcaggta agtttagaag aacaagattt ttaaggtatt ct - #gatgaaca 300- agtattgtcc ccggttcatg cgttcatagg atattgtatt tatttaggta at - #cgaaataa 360- gttaggatct ttaagacatg acattgatat tgaagcaccc cccgaagagt gt - #tatgataa 420- tagagagaag ggtacaactg acaatataaa atatggtaga cgatgttgcc ta - #ggaacggt 480- gactttgtac ctgattttat ttataggatt aataatatat tcacagacag cc - #gacgctca 540- ggtagtatgg agacttccac cattagtagt cccagtagaa gaatcagaaa ta - #attttttg 600- ggattgttgg gcaccagaag aacccgcctg tcaggacttt cttggggcaa tg - #atacatct 660- aaaagctaag acaaatataa gtatacgaga gggacctacc ttggggaatt gg - #gctagaga 720- aatatgggca acattattca aaaaggctac tagacaatgt agaagaggca ga - #atatggaa 780- aagatgggat gagactataa caggaccatc aggatgtgct aataacacat gt - #tataatgt 840- ttcagcaata gtacctgatt atcagcgtta tttagataga gtagatactt gg - #ttacaagg 900- gaaaataaat atatcattat gtctaacagg aggaaaaatg ttgtacaata aa - #gttacaaa 960- acaattaagc tattgtacag acccattaca aatcccactg atcaattata ca - #tttggacc1020- taatcaaaca tgtatgtgga atacttcaca aattcaggac cctgaaatac ca - #caatgtgg1080- atggtggaat cacatggcct attataacag ttgtaaatgg gaagaggcaa ag - #gtaaagtt1140- tcattgtcaa agaacacaga gtcagcctgg gtcatggcgt agagcaatct cg - #tcatggaa1200- acaaagaaat agatgggagt ggagaccaga ttttgagagt gaaaaggtga aa - #atatctct1260- acagtgcaat agcacgaaaa acctaacctt tgcaatgaga agttcaggag at - #tatggaga1320- agtaacggga gcttggatag agtttggatg tcatagaaat aaatcaaacc tt - #catactga1380- agcaaggttt agaattagat gtagatggaa tgtagggagt gatacctcgc tc - #attgatac1440- atgtggaaac actccaaatg tttcaggtgc gaatcctgta gattgtacca tg - #tattcaaa1500- taaaatgtac aagttttctt taccaaacgg gtttacaatg aaggtagatg ac - #cttattat1560- gcatttcaat atgccaaaag ctgtagaaat gaataatatt gctggaaatt gg - #tcttgtac1620- atctgacttg ccatcgtcat gggggtatat gaattgtaat tgcccaaata gt - #agtagtag1680- ttatagtggt actaaaatgg catgtcctag caatcgaggc atcttaagga at - #tggtataa1740- cccagtagca ggattacgac aatccttaga acagtatcaa gttgtaaaac aa - #ccagatta1800- cttactggtc ccagaggaag tcatggaata taaacctaga aggaaaaggg ca - #gctattca1860- tgttatgttg gctcttgcaa cagtattatc tattgccggt gcagggacgg gg - #gctactgc1920- tatagggatg gtaacacaat accaccaagt tctggcaacc catcaagaat ct - #atggaaaa1980- ggtgactgaa gccttagaga taaacaactt aaggttagtt acattagagc at - #caagtact2040- agtaatagga ttaaaagtag aagctatgga aaaattttta tatacagctt tc - #gctatgca2100- agaattagga tgtaatccaa atcaattttt ctccaaaatc cctcttgagt tg - #tggacaag2160- gtataatatg actataaatc aaacaatatg gaatcatgga aatataactt tg - #ggggaatg2220- gtataaccac accaaagatt tacaaccaaa gttttatgaa ataataatgg ac - #atagaacc2280- aaataatgta caagggaaaa cagggataca acaattaccc aagtgggaag at - #tgggtaag2340- atggatagga aatattccac aatatttaaa gggactattg ggaggtatct tg - #ggaatagg2400- attaggagtg ttattattga ttttatgttt acctacattg gttgattgta ta - #agaaattg2460- tatccacaag atactaggat acacagtaat tgcaatgcct gaagtagaag ga - #gaagaaat2520- acaaccacaa atggaattga ggagaaatgg tagccaattt ggcatgtctg aa - #aaagagga2580- ggaatgatga agtatctcag acttatttta taagggagat actgtgctaa gt - #tcttccct2640- ttgaggaagg tatgtcatat gaatccattt cgaaccaaat caaactaata aa - #gtatgtat2700- tgtaaggtaa aaggaaaaga caaagaagaa gaagaaagaa gaaagctttc aa - #gaggatga2760- tgacagagtt agaagatcgc ttcaggaagc tatttggcac gacttctaca ac - #gggagaca2820- gcacagtaga ttctgaagat gaacctccta aaaaagaaaa aagggtggac tg - #ggatgagt2880- attggaaccc tgaagaaata gaaagaatgc ttatggacta gggactgttt ac - #gaacaaat2940- gataaaagga aatagctaag catgactcat agttaaagcg ctagcagctg ct - #taaccgca3000- aaaccacatc ctatgtaaag cttgctaatg acgtataagt tgttccattg ta - #agagtata3060- taaccagtgc tttgtgaaac ttcgaggagt ctctccgttg aggactttcg ag - #ttctccct3120- tgaggctccc acagatacaa taaatatttg agattgaacc ctgtcaagta tc - #tgtgtaat3180#                3225ct cggaatccgg gccgagaact tcgca- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 15&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 450&lt;212&gt; TYPE: PRT&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 15- Met Gly Asn Gly Gln Gly Arg Asp Trp Lys Me - #t Ala Ile Lys Arg Cys#                15- Ser Asn Ala Ala Val Gly Val Gly Gly Lys Se - #r Lys Lys Phe Gly Glu#            30- Gly Asn Phe Arg Trp Ala Ile Arg Met Ala As - #n Val Ser Thr Gly Arg#        45- Glu Pro Gly Asp Ile Pro Glu Thr Leu Asp Gl - #n Leu Arg Leu Val Ile#    60- Cys Asp Leu Gln Glu Arg Arg Lys Lys Phe Gl - #y Ser Cys Lys Glu Ile#80- Asp Lys Ala Ile Val Thr Leu Lys Val Phe Al - #a Ala Val Gly Leu Leu#                95- Asn Met Thr Val Ser Ser Ala Ala Ala Ala Gl - #u Asn Met Phe Thr Gln#           110- Met Gly Leu Asp Thr Arg Pro Ser Met Lys Gl - #u Ala Gly Gly Lys Glu#       125- Glu Gly Pro Pro Gln Ala Phe Pro Ile Gln Th - #r Val Asn Gly Val Pro#   140- Gln Tyr Val Ala Leu Asp Pro Lys Met Val Se - #r Ile Phe Met Glu Lys145                 1 - #50                 1 - #55                 1 -#60- Ala Arg Glu Gly Leu Gly Gly Glu Glu Val Gl - #n Leu Trp Phe Thr Ala#               175- Phe Ser Ala Asn Leu Thr Pro Thr Asp Met Al - #a Thr Leu Ile Met Ala#           190- Ala Pro Gly Cys Ala Ala Asp Lys Glu Ile Le - #u Asp Glu Ser Leu Lys#       205- Gln Leu Thr Ala Gly Tyr Asp Arg Thr His Pr - #o Pro Asp Ala Pro Arg#   220- Pro Leu Pro Tyr Phe Thr Ala Ala Glu Ile Me - #t Gly Ile Gly Phe Thr225                 2 - #30                 2 - #35                 2 -#40- Gln Glu Gln Gln Ala Glu Ala Arg Phe Ala Pr - #o Ala Arg Met Gln Cys#               255- Arg Ala Trp Tyr Leu Glu Gly Leu Gly Lys Le - #u Gly Ala Ile Lys Ala#           270- Lys Ser Pro Arg Ala Val Gln Leu Arg Gln Gl - #y Ala Lys Glu Asp Tyr#       285- Ser Ser Phe Ile Asp Arg Leu Phe Ala Gln Il - #e Asp Gln Glu Gln Asn#   300- Thr Ala Glu Val Lys Leu Tyr Leu Lys Gln Se - #r Leu Ser Met Ala Asn305                 3 - #10                 3 - #15                 3 -#20- Ala Asn Ala Glu Cys Lys Lys Pro Met Thr Hi - #s Leu Lys Pro Glu Ser#               335- Thr Leu Glu Glu Lys Leu Arg Ala Cys Gln Gl - #u Ile Gly Ser Pro Gly#           350- Tyr Lys Met Gln Leu Leu Ala Glu Ala Leu Th - #r Lys Val Gln Val Val#       365- Gln Ser Lys Gly Ser Gly Pro Val Cys Phe As - #n Cys Lys Lys Pro Gly#   380- His Leu Ala Arg Gln Cys Arg Glu Val Arg Ly - #s Cys Asn Lys Cys Gly385                 3 - #90                 3 - #95                 4 -#00- Lys Pro Gly His Val Ala Ala Lys Cys Trp Gl - #n Gly Asn Arg Lys Asn#               415- Ser Gly Asn Trp Lys Ala Gly Arg Ala Ala Al - #a Pro Val Asn Gln Val#           430- Gln Gln Ala Val Met Pro Ser Ala Pro Pro Me - #t Glu Glu Lys Leu Leu#       445- Asp Leu    450- &lt;210&gt; SEQ ID NO 16&lt;211&gt; LENGTH: 856&lt;212&gt; TYPE: PRT&lt;213&gt; ORGANISM: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus- &lt;400&gt; SEQUENCE: 16- Met Ala Glu Gly Phe Ala Ala Asn Arg Gln Tr - #p Ile Gly Pro Glu Glu#                15- Ala Glu Glu Leu Leu Asp Phe Asp Ile Ala Th - #r Gln Met Asn Glu Glu#            30- Gly Pro Leu Asn Pro Gly Met Asn Pro Phe Ar - #g Val Pro Gly Ile Thr#        45- Asp Lys Glu Lys Gln Asp Tyr Cys Asn Ile Le - #u Gln Pro Lys Leu Gln#    60- Asp Leu Arg Asn Glu Leu Gln Glu Val Lys Le - #u Glu Glu Gly Asn Ala#80- Gly Lys Phe Arg Arg Thr Arg Phe Leu Arg Ty - #r Ser Asp Glu Gln Val#                95- Leu Ser Pro Val His Ala Phe Ile Gly Tyr Cy - #s Ile Tyr Leu Gly Asn#           110- Arg Asn Lys Leu Gly Ser Leu Arg His Asp Il - #e Asp Ile Glu Ala Pro#       125- Pro Glu Glu Cys Tyr Asp Asn Arg Glu Lys Gl - #y Thr Thr Asp Asn Ile#   140- Lys Tyr Gly Arg Arg Cys Cys Leu Gly Thr Va - #l Thr Leu Tyr Leu Ile145                 1 - #50                 1 - #55                 1 -#60- Leu Phe Ile Gly Leu Ile Ile Tyr Ser Gln Th - #r Ala Asp Ala Gln Val#               175- Val Trp Arg Leu Pro Pro Leu Val Val Pro Va - #l Glu Glu Ser Glu Ile#           190- Ile Phe Trp Asp Cys Trp Ala Pro Glu Glu Pr - #o Ala Cys Gln Asp Phe#       205- Leu Gly Ala Met Ile His Leu Lys Ala Lys Th - #r Asn Ile Ser Ile Arg#   220- Glu Gly Pro Thr Leu Gly Asn Trp Ala Arg Gl - #u Ile Trp Ala Thr Leu225                 2 - #30                 2 - #35                 2 -#40- Phe Lys Lys Ala Thr Arg Gln Cys Arg Arg Gl - #y Arg Ile Trp Lys Arg#               255- Trp Asp Glu Thr Ile Thr Gly Pro Ser Gly Cy - #s Ala Asn Asn Thr Cys#           270- Tyr Asn Val Ser Ala Ile Val Pro Asp Tyr Gl - #n Arg Tyr Leu Asp Arg#       285- Val Asp Thr Trp Leu Gln Gly Lys Ile Asn Il - #e Ser Leu Cys Leu Thr#   300- Gly Gly Lys Met Leu Tyr Asn Lys Val Thr Ly - #s Gln Leu Ser Tyr Cys305                 3 - #10                 3 - #15                 3 -#20- Thr Asp Pro Leu Gln Ile Pro Leu Ile Asn Ty - #r Thr Phe Gly Pro Asn#               335- Gln Thr Cys Met Trp Asn Thr Ser Gln Ile Gl - #n Asp Pro Glu Ile Pro#           350- Gln Cys Gly Trp Trp Asn His Met Ala Tyr Ty - #r Asn Ser Cys Lys Trp#       365- Glu Glu Ala Lys Val Lys Phe His Cys Gln Ar - #g Thr Gln Ser Gln Pro#   380- Gly Ser Trp Arg Arg Ala Ile Ser Ser Trp Ly - #s Gln Arg Asn Arg Trp385                 3 - #90                 3 - #95                 4 -#00- Glu Trp Arg Pro Asp Phe Glu Ser Glu Lys Va - #l Lys Ile Ser Leu Gln#               415- Cys Asn Ser Thr Lys Asn Leu Thr Phe Ala Me - #t Arg Ser Ser Gly Asp#           430- Tyr Gly Glu Val Thr Gly Ala Trp Ile Glu Ph - #e Gly Cys His Arg Asn#       445- Lys Ser Asn Leu His Thr Glu Ala Arg Phe Ar - #g Ile Arg Cys Arg Trp#   460- Asn Val Gly Ser Asp Thr Ser Leu Ile Asp Th - #r Cys Gly Asn Thr Pro465                 4 - #70                 4 - #75                 4 -#80- Asn Val Ser Gly Ala Asn Pro Val Asp Cys Th - #r Met Tyr Ser Asn Lys#               495- Met Tyr Lys Phe Ser Leu Pro Asn Gly Phe Th - #r Met Lys Val Asp Asp#           510- Leu Ile Met His Phe Asn Met Pro Lys Ala Va - #l Glu Met Asn Asn Ile#       525- Ala Gly Asn Trp Ser Cys Thr Ser Asp Leu Pr - #o Ser Ser Trp Gly Tyr#   540- Met Asn Cys Asn Cys Pro Asn Ser Ser Ser Se - #r Tyr Ser Gly Thr Lys545                 5 - #50                 5 - #55                 5 -#60- Met Ala Cys Pro Ser Asn Arg Gly Ile Leu Ar - #g Asn Trp Tyr Asn Pro#               575- Val Ala Gly Leu Arg Gln Ser Leu Glu Gln Ty - #r Gln Val Val Lys Gln#           590- Pro Asp Tyr Leu Leu Val Pro Glu Glu Val Me - #t Glu Tyr Lys Pro Arg#       605- Arg Lys Arg Ala Ala Ile His Val Met Leu Al - #a Leu Ala Thr Val Leu#   620- Ser Ile Ala Gly Ala Gly Thr Gly Ala Thr Al - #a Ile Gly Met Val Thr625                 6 - #30                 6 - #35                 6 -#40- Gln Tyr His Gln Val Leu Ala Thr His Gln Gl - #u Ser Met Glu Lys Val#               655- Thr Glu Ala Leu Glu Ile Asn Asn Leu Arg Le - #u Val Thr Leu Glu His#           670- Gln Val Leu Val Ile Gly Leu Lys Val Glu Al - #a Met Glu Lys Phe Leu#       685- Tyr Thr Ala Phe Ala Met Gln Glu Leu Gly Cy - #s Asn Pro Asn Gln Phe#   700- Phe Ser Lys Ile Pro Leu Glu Leu Trp Thr Ar - #g Tyr Asn Met Thr Ile705                 7 - #10                 7 - #15                 7 -#20- Asn Gln Thr Ile Trp Asn His Gly Asn Ile Th - #r Leu Gly Glu Trp Tyr#               735- Asn His Thr Lys Asp Leu Gln Pro Lys Phe Ty - #r Glu Ile Ile Met Asp#           750- Ile Glu Pro Asn Asn Val Gln Gly Lys Thr Gl - #y Ile Gln Gln Leu Pro#       765- Lys Trp Glu Asp Trp Val Arg Trp Ile Gly As - #n Ile Pro Gln Tyr Leu#   780- Lys Gly Leu Leu Gly Gly Ile Leu Gly Ile Gl - #y Leu Gly Val Leu Leu785                 7 - #90                 7 - #95                 8 -#00- Leu Ile Leu Cys Leu Pro Thr Leu Val Asp Cy - #s Ile Arg Asn Cys Ile#               815- His Lys Ile Leu Gly Tyr Thr Val Ile Ala Me - #t Pro Glu Val Glu Gly#           830- Glu Glu Ile Gln Pro Gln Met Glu Leu Arg Ar - #g Asn Gly Ser Gln Phe#       845- Gly Met Ser Glu Lys Glu Glu Glu#   855__________________________________________________________________________