Canine coronavirus subunit vaccine

Abstract: The invention is related to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Canine coronavirus (CCV) spike protein. Such a protein can be used for the immunization of dogs against CCV infection. The nucleic acid sequence encoding the CCV spike protein can be applied for the preparation of the spike protein by means of genetic engineering techniques or can be applied for the preparation of vector vaccines.

Description: The present invention is concerned with a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CCV spike protein, a recombinant vector or recombinant vector virus comprising such a nucleic acid sequence, a host cell transformed with such a recombinant vector or infected with the recombinant vector virus, as well as a vaccine against CCV infection in dogs. Canine coronavirus (CCV) is a member of the distinct viral family of Coronavirus. Viruses belonging to this genus are known to infect a variety of animal species including man. They cause diverse diseases, such as gastro-enteritis (in swine, turkeys, mice, calves, dogs, cats and man), salivary gland infection (in rodents), respiratory disease (in man, swine, avians and dogs) and encephalitis (in young swine). CCV was first isolated from military dogs in Germany in 1971 and has found to be highly contagious and it spreads rapidly among susceptible dogs. Usually, the CCV is ingested on materials contaminated by infectious feces. Oral infection leads to viral replication in epithelial cells of the small intestine and CCV has also been found in the intestinal lymph nodes. The signs of the disease can develop 1-3 days following infection and include vomiting, diarrhoea, anorexia, depression and dehydration. The persistence and severity of signs is often related to stress and the presence of other viruses, parasites or bacteria. Whereas the enteric symptoms are dominant, respiratory signs including nasal and ocular discharge have also been reported. Dogs are the only known host of the CCV. Although CCV inoculation of cats and pigs results in infection, no clinical disease will be caused by CCV in these species. There is no evidence that humans, cattle and mice are susceptible to CCV. Cross protection studies have shown that the Coronaviruses induce little or no immunity to each other. For example, experimental infection of dogs with transmissible gastro-enteritis virus (TGEV) of pigs or feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) of cat does not protect them against the effects of a subsequent CCV infection. Coronaviruses consist of a group of enveloped viruses containing a genome consisting of a single-stranded RNA of about 30 kb. This genome encodes inter alia three important structural proteins: a spike protein (S), a membrane protein (M) and a nucleocapsid protein (N). The glycosylated spike protein S o is cleaved to form S 1 and S 2 in some coronaviruses. Two or three copies of each of S 1 and S 2 form a characteristic CCV surface structure, the spike or peplomer. The spike protein and its constituent polypeptides thereof play an important role in inducing a virus neutralizing immune response in infected animals. Conventional CCV vaccines comprise chemically inactivated virus vaccines or modified live-virus vaccines. However, inactivated vaccines require additional immunizations, disadvantageously contain adjuvants and are expensive to produce. Further, some infectious virus particles may survive the inactivation process and may cause disease after administration to the animal. In general, attenuated live virus vaccines are preferred because they evoke an immune response often based on both humoral and cellular reactions. Up to now, such vaccines based on CCV strains can only be prepared by serial passage of virulent strains in tissue culture. However, because of this treatment uncontrolled mutations are introduced into the viral genome, resulting in a population of virus particles heterogeneous in their virulence and immunizing properties. In addition it is well known that such traditional attenuated live virus vaccines can revert to virulence resulting in disease of the inoculated animals and the possible spread of the pathogen to other animals. Improved vaccines might be constructed, based on recombinant DNA technology, which only contain the necessary and relevant CCV immunogenic material capable of eliciting an immune response against the CCV pathogens, or which contain the genetic information encoding said material, and do not display above-mentioned disadvantages of the live or inactivated vaccines. In EP295057 a CCV vaccine is described which comprises cell-associated CCV peplomer protein. The cell-associated peplomer described in EP 295057 may be obtained by infecting a cell culture with CCV and disrupting the cultured cells to collect the cell associated peplomer protein. According to the present invention, an isolated and purified nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein is provided which can be applied for the preparation of a vaccine for the immunization of dogs against CCV infection. "Nucleic acid sequence" as used herein refers to a polymeric form of nucleotides of any length, both to ribonucleic acid sequences and to deoxy ribonucleic acid sequences. In principle, this term refers to the primary structure of the molecule. Thus, this term includes double and single stranded DNA, as well as double and single stranded RNA, and modifications thereof. In general, the term "polypeptide" refers to a molecular chain of amino acids with a biological activity, does not refer to a specific length of the product and if required can be modified in vivo or in vitro, for example by glycosylation, amidation, carboxylation or phosphorylation; thus inter alia, peptides, oligopeptides and proteins are included. The term "polypeptide having one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein" refers to a polypeptide having one or more epitopes capable of eliciting a protective immune response in a dog against CCV infection or disease. In particular, the present invention provides a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having one or more immunogenic determinants of the CCV spike protein which has an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6. Also included within the scope of the present invention are nucleic acid sequences encoding a functional variant of the polypeptide shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6. These functional variants are polypeptides having an amino acid sequence derived from the amino acid sequence specifically disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6 but retain one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein, i.e. said variants having one or more epitopes capable of eliciting a protective immune response in a dog against CCV infection or disease. It will be understood that for the particular polypeptide embraced herein, derived from the CCV-6, Insavc-1 or Liverpool C54 strain, natural variations can exist between individual viruses or strains of canine coronaviruses. These variations may be demonstrated by (an) amino acid difference(s) in the overall sequence or by deletions, substitutions, insertions, inversions or additions of (an) amino acid(s) in said sequence. Amino acid substitutions from which can be expected that they do not essentially alter biological and immunological activities, have been described. Amino acid replacements between related amino acids or replacements which have occurred frequently in evolution are, inter alia Ser/Ala, Ser/Gly, Asp/Gly, Asp/Asn, Ile/Val (see Dayhof, M.D., Atlas of protein sequence and structure, Nat. Biomed. Res. Found., Washington D.C., 1978, vol. 5, suppl. 3). Based on this information Lipman and Pearson developed a method for rapid and sensitive protein comparison (Science 227 , 1435-1441, 1985) and determining the functional similarity between homologous polypeptides. Nucleic acid sequences encoding such homologous functional variants are included within the scope of this invention. Moreover, the potential exists to use recombinant DNA technology for the preparation of nucleic acid sequences encoding these various functional variants. Nucleic acid sequences according to the invention may be derived from isolates of CCV strains such as CCV-6, Insavc-1 (EP 396,193), CCV 1-71 (ATCC VR-809) or CCV TN449 (ATCC VR-2068). In another aspect of the invention nucleic acid sequences described above are provided which can be used for the preparation of a vaccine to protect cats against FIPV infection. The information provided in SEQ ID NO: 1-6 allows a person skilled in the art to isolate and identify the nucleic acid sequences encoding the various functional variant polypeptides mentioned-above having corresponding immunological characteristics with the CCV spike protein specifically disclosed herein. The generally applied Southern blotting technique or colony hybridization can be used for that purpose (Experiments in Molecular Biology, ed. R.J. Slater, Clifton, U.S.A., 1986; Singer-Sam, J. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 80 , 802-806, 1983; Maniatis T. et al., Molecular Cloning, A laboratory Manual, second edition; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, USA, 1989). For example, RNA or cDNA derived from a specific CCV strain is electrophoresed and transferred, or "blotted" thereafter onto a piece of nitrocellulose filter. It is now possible to identify CCV spike protein nucleic acid sequences on the filter by hybridization to a defined labeled DNA fragment or "probe", i.e. a (synthetic) poly- or oligonucleotide sequence fragment of the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5 which under specific conditions of salt concentration and temperature hybridizes to the homologous nucleic acid sequences present on the filter. After washing the filter, hybridized material may be detected by autoradiography. The corresponding DNA fragment can now be eluted from the agarose gel and used to direct the synthesis of a functional variant of the polypeptide disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6. Therefore, a preferred functional variant according to the invention is a polypeptide comprising one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein and is encoded by a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes to the DNA sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5. In another way CCV cDNA may be cloned into a k gt11 phage as described by Huynh et al. (In: D. Glover (ed.), DNA Cloning: A Practical Approach, IRL Press Oxford, 49-78, 1985) and expressed in a bacterial host. Recombinant phages can then be screened with polyclonal serum raised against the purified CCV spike protein disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6 determining the presence of corresponding immuno-logical regions of the variant polypeptide. The production of the polyclonal serum to be used herein elicited against the CCV spike protein is described below. As is well known in the art, the degeneracy of the genetic code permits substitution of bases in a codon resulting in an other codon but still coding for the same amino acid, e.g. the codon for the amino acid glutamic acid is both GAT and GAA. Consequently, it is clear that for the expression of a polypeptide with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6 use can be made of a derivate nucleic acid sequence with such an alternative codon composition different from the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5, respectively. Furthermore, also fragments of the nucleic acid sequences encoding the specifically disclosed CCV spike protein or functional variants thereof as mentioned above are included in the present invention. The term "fragment" as used herein means a DNA or amino acid sequence comprising a subsequence of the nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide of the invention. Said fragment is or encodes a polypeptide having one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein, i.e. has one or more epitopes which are capable of eliciting a protective immune response in a dog. Methods for determining usable polypeptide fragments are outlined below. Fragments can inter alia be produced by enzymatic cleavage of precursor molecules, using restriction endonucleases for the DNA and proteases for the polypeptides. Other methods include chemical synthesis of the fragments or the expression of polypeptide fragments by DNA fragments. Typical sequences encoding the CCV spike protein precursor are shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 and 5. These cDNA sequences are about 4328, 4352 and 4358 nucleotides in length, respectively, and encode a polypeptide of 1443, 1451 and 1453 amino acids, respectively. A preferred nucleic acid sequence according to the invention is characterized in that said sequence contains at least part of the DNA sequence disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5. A nucleic acid sequence according to the invention may be isolated from a particular CCV strain and multiplied by recombinant DNA techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology or may be chemically synthesized in vitro by techniques known in the art. All modifications resulting in the above-mentioned functional variants of the specifically exemplified polypeptide are included within the scope of the present invention for as long as the resulting polypeptides retain one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein. A nucleic acid sequence according to the present invention can be ligated to various replication effecting DNA sequences with which it is not associated or linked in nature resulting in a so called recombinant vector molecule which can be used for the transformation of a suitable host. Useful recombinant vector molecules, are preferably derived from, for example plasmids, bacteriophages, cosmids or viruses. Specific vectors or cloning vehicles which can be used to clone nucleic acid sequences according to the invention are known in the art and include inter alia plasmid vectors such as pBR322, the various pUC, pGEM and Bluescript plasmids, bacteriophages, e.g. k gt-Wes, Charon 28 and the M13 derived phages or viral vectors such as SV40, adenovirus or polyoma virus (see also Rodriquez, R.L. and D.T. Denhardt, ed., Vectors: A survey of molecular cloning vectors and their uses, Butterworths, 1988; Lenstra, J.A. et al., Arch. Virol. 110 , 1-24, 1990). The methods to be used for the construction of a recombinant vector molecule according to the invention are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are inter alia set forth in Maniatis, T. et al. (Molecular Cloning A Laboratory Manual, second edition; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1989). For example, the insertion of the nucleic acid sequence according to the invention into a cloning vector can easily be achieved when both the genes and the desired cloning vehicle have been cut with the same restriction enzyme(s) as complementary DNA termini are thereby produced. Alternatively, it may be necessary to modify the restriction sites that are produced into blunt ends either by digesting the single-stranded DNA or by filling in the single-stranded termini with an appropriate DNA polymerase. Subsequently, blunt end ligation with an enzyme such as T4 DNA ligase may be carried out. If desired, any restriction site may be produced by ligating linkers onto the DNA termini. Such linkers may comprise specific oligonucleotide sequences that encode restriction site sequences. The restriction enzyme cleaved vector and nucleic acid sequence may also be modified by homopolymeric tailing. "Transformation", as used herein, refers to the introduction of a heterologous nucleic acid sequence into a host cell, irrespective of the method used, for example direct uptake or transduction. The heterologous nucleic acid sequence may be maintained through autonomous replication or alternatively, may be integrated into the host genome. If desired, the recombinant vector molecules are provided with appropriate control sequences compatible with the designated host which can regulate the expression of the inserted nucleic acid sequence. In addition to microorganisms, culture of cells derived from multicellular organisms may also be used as hosts. The recombinant vector molecules according to the invention preferably contain one or more marker activities that may be used to select for desired transformants, such as ampicillin and tetracycline resistance in pBR322, ampicillin resistance and β-galactosidase activity in pUC8. A suitable host cell is a microorganism or cell which can be transformed by a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide or by a recombinant vector molecule comprising such a nucleic acid sequence and which can if desired be used to express said polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid sequence. The host cell can be of procaryotic origin, e.g. bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas species; or of eucaryotic origin such as yeasts, e.g. Saccharomyces cerevisiae or higher eucaryotic cells such as insect, plant or mammalian cells, including HeLa cells and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Insect cells include the Sf9 cell line of Spodoptera frugiperda (Luckow et al., Bio-technology 6 , 47-55, 1988). Information with respect to the cloning and expression of the nucleic acid sequence of the present invention in eucaryotic cloning systems can be found in Esser, K. et al. (Plasmids of Eukaryotes, Springer-Verlag, 1986). In general, prokaryotes are preferred for the construction of the recombinant vector molecules useful in the invention. For example E.coli K12 strains are particularly useful such as DH5α or JM101. For expression nucleic acid sequences of the present invention are introduced into an expression vector, i.e. said sequences are operably linked to expression control sequences. Such control sequences may comprise promoters, enhancers, operators, inducers, ribosome binding sites etc. Therefore, the present invention provides a recombinant vector molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the CCV spike protein operably linked to expression control sequences, capable of expressing the DNA sequences contained therein in (a) transformed host cell(s). It should, of course, be understood that the nucleotide sequences inserted at the selected site of the cloning vector may include nucleotides which are not part of the actual structural gene for the desired polypeptide or may include only a fragment of the complete structural gene for the desired protein as long as transformed host will produce a polypeptide having at least one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein. When the host cells are bacteria, illustrative useful expression control sequences include the Trp promoter and operator (Goeddel, et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 8 , 4057, 1980); the lac promoter and operator (Chang, et al., Nature 275 , 615, 1978); the outer membrane protein promoter (Nakamura, K. and Inouge, M., EMBO J. 1 , 771-775, 1982); the bacteriophage k promoters and operators (Remaut, E. et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 11 , 4677-4688, 1983); the α-amylase (B. subtilis) promoter and operator, termination sequence and other expression enhancement and control sequences compatible with the selected host cell. When the host cell is yeast, illustrative useful expression control sequences include, e.g., α-mating factor. For insect cells the polyhedrin or p10 promoters of baculoviruses can be used (Smith, G.E. et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 3 , 2156-65, 1983). When the host cell is of mammalian origin illustrative useful expression control sequences include, e.g., the SV-40 promoter (Berman, P.W. et al., Science 222 , 524-527, 1983) or, e.g. the metallothionein promoter (Brinster, R.L., Nature 296 , 39-42, 1982) or a heat shock promoter (Voellmy et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82 , 4949-53, 1985). For maximizing gene expression, see also Roberts and Lauer (Methods in Enzymology 68 , 473, 1979). Therefore, the invention also comprises (a) host cell(s) transformed with a nucleic acid sequence or recombinant expression vector molecule described above, capable of producing the CCV spike protein by expression of the nucleic acid sequence. The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of a purified polypeptide displaying immunological characteristics of a CCV spike protein, i.e. the polypeptide has one or more immunogenic determinants of a CCV spike protein, essentially free from whole viruses or other protein with which it is ordinarily associated. More particularly, the invention provides a process for the preparation of a polypeptide comprising at least part of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4 or 6 or a functional variant thereof. In addition a polypeptide substantially comprising an immunogenic fragment of the CCV spike protein which can be used for immunization of dogs against CCV infection or diagnostic purposes, is prepared in the present invention. Various methods are known for detecting such usable immunogenic fragments within an amino acid sequence. Suitable immunochemically active polypeptide fragments of a polypeptide according to the invention containing (an) epitope(s) can be found by means of the method described in Patent Application WO 86/06487, Geysen, H.M. et al. (Prod. Natl. Acad. Sci. 81 , 3998-4002, 1984), Geysen, H.M. et al. (J. Immunol. Meth. 102 , 259-274, 1987) based on the so-called pepscan method, wherein a series of partially overlapping peptides corresponding with partial sequences of the complete polypeptide under consideration, are synthesized and their reactivity with antibodies is investigated. In addition, a number of regions of the polypeptide, with the stated amino acid sequence, can be designated epitopes on the basis of theoretical considerations and structural agreement with epitopes which are now known. The determination of these regions is based on a combination of the hydrophilicity criteria according to Hopp and Woods (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 78 , 3824-3828, 1981) and the secondary structure aspects according to Chou and Fasman (Advances in Enzymology 47 , 45-148, 1987). T-cell epitopes which may be necessary can likewise be derived on theoretical grounds, e.g. with the aid of Berzofsky's amphiphilicity criterion (Science 235 , 1059-62, 1987). In another embodiment of the invention a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleic acid sequence mentioned above is used. Immunization of dogs against CCV infection can, for example be achieved by administering to the animals a polypeptide prepared according to the process mentioned above in an immunologically relevant context as a so-called subunit vaccine. The subunit vaccine according to the invention may comprise a polypeptide in a pure form, optionally in the presence of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The polypeptide can optionally be covalently bound to a non-related protein, which, for example can be of advantage in the purification of the fusion product. Examples are β-galactosidase, protein A, prochymosine, blood clotting factor Xa, etc. In some cases the ability to raise neutralizing antibodies against these polypeptides per se may be low. Small fragments are preferably conjugated to carrier molecules in order to raise their immunogenicity. Suitable carriers for this purpose are macromolecules, such as natural polymers (proteins like key hole limpet hemocyanin, albumin, toxins), synthetic polymers like polyamino acids (polylysine, polyalanine), or micelles of amphiphilic compounds like saponins. Alternatively these fragments may be provided as polymers thereof, preferably linear polymers. Polypeptides to be used in such subunit vaccines can be prepared by methods known in the art, e.g. by isolating said polypeptides from CCV, by recombinant DNA techniques or by chemical synthesis. If required these polypeptides to be used in a vaccine can be modified in vitro or in vivo, for example by glycosylation, amidation, carboxylation or phosphorylation. An alternative to subunit vaccines are live vector vaccines. A nucleic acid sequence according to the invention is introduced by recombinant DNA techniques into a micro-organism (e.g. a bacterium or virus) in such a way that the recombinant micro-organism is still able to replicate thereby expressing a polypeptide coded by the inserted nucleic acid sequence and eliciting an immune response in the infected host animal. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a recombinant vector virus comprising a heterologous nucleic acid sequence described above, capable of expressing the DNA sequence in (a) host cell(s) or host animal infected with the recombinant vector virus. The term "heterologous" indicates that the nucleic acid sequence according to the invention is not normally present in nature in the vector virus. Furthermore, the invention also comprises (a) host cell(s) or cell culture infected with the recombinant vector virus, capable of producing the CCV protein by expression of the nucleic acid sequence. For example the well known technique of in vivo homologous recombination can be used to introduce a heterologous nucleic acid sequence, e.g. a nucleic acid sequence according to the invention into the genome of the vector virus. First, a DNA fragment corresponding with an insertion region of the vector genome, i.e. a region which can be used for the incorporation of a heterologous sequence without disrupting essential functions of the vector such as those necessary for infection or replication, is inserted into a cloning vector according to standard recDNA techniques. Insertion-regions have been reported for a large number of micro-organisms (e.g. EP 80,806, EP 110,385, EP 83,286, US 4,769,330 and US 4,722,848). Second, if desired, a deletion can be introduced into the insertion region present in the recombinant vector molecule obtained from the first step. This can be achieved for example by appropriate exonuclease III digestion or restriction enzyme treatment of the recombinant vector molecule from the first step. Third, the heterologous nucleic acid sequence is inserted into the insertion-region present in the recombinant vector molecule of the first step or in place of the DNA deleted from said recombinant vector molecule. The insertion region DNA sequence should be of appropriate length as to allow homologous recombination with the vector genome to occur. Thereafter, suitable cells can be infected with wild-type vector virus or transformed with vector genomic DNA in the presence of the recombinant vector molecule containing the insertion flanked by appropriate vector DNA sequences whereby recombination occurs between the corresponding regions in the recombinant vector molecule and the vector genome. Recombinant vector progeny can now be produced in cell culture and can be selected for example genotypically or phenotypically, e.g. by hybridization, detecting enzyme activity encoded by a gene co-integrated along with the heterologous nucleic acid sequence, or detecting the antigenic heterologous polypeptide expressed by the recombinant vector immunologically. Next, this recombinant micro-organism can be administered to the dogs for immunization whereafter it maintains itself for some time, or even replicates in the body of the inoculated animal, expressing in vivo a polypeptide coded for by the inserted nucleic acid sequence according to the invention resulting in the stimulation of the immune system of the inoculated animal. Suitable vectors for the incorporation of a nucleic acid sequence according to the invention can be derived from viruses such as pox viruses, e.g. vaccinia virus (EP 110,385, EP 83,286, US 4,769,330 and US 4,722,848), herpes viruses such as Feline Herpes virus, (canine) adeno virus (WO 91/11525) or influenza virus, or bacteria such as E. coli or specific Salmonella species. With recombinant microorganisms of this type, the polypeptide synthesized in the host can be exposed as a cell surface antigen. In this context fusion of the said polypeptide with OMP proteins, or pilus proteins of for example E. coli or synthetic provision of signal and anchor sequences which are recognized by the organism are conceivable. It is also possible that the said immunogenic polypeptide, if desired as part of a larger whole, is released inside the animal to be immunized. In all of these cases it is also possible that one or more immunogenic products will find expression which generate protection against various pathogens and/or against various antigens of a given pathogen. A vaccine according to the invention can be prepared by culturing a host cell infected with a recombinant vector virus comprising a nucleic acid sequence according to the invention, whereafter virus containing cells and/or recombinant vector viruses grown in the cells can be collected, optionally in a pure form, and formed to a vaccine optionally in a lyophilized form. Host cells transformed with a recombinant vector molecule according to the invention can also be cultured under conditions which are favourable for the expression of a polypeptide coded by said nucleic acid sequence. Vaccines may be prepared using samples of the crude culture, host cell lysates or host cell extracts, although in another embodiment more purified polypeptides according to the invention are formed to a vaccine, depending on its intended use. In order to purify the polypeptides produced, host cells transformed with a recombinant vector according to the invention are cultured in an adequate volume and the polypeptides produced are isolated from such cells or from the medium if the protein is excreted. Polypeptides excreted into the medium can be isolated and purified by standard techniques, e.g. salt fractionation, centrifugation, ultrafiltration, chromatography, gel filtration or immuno affinity chromatography, whereas intra cellular polypeptides can be isolated by first collecting said cells, disrupting the cells, for example by sonication or by other mechanically disruptive means such as French press followed by separation of the polypeptides from the other intra cellular components and forming the polypeptides to a vaccine. Cell disruption could also be accomplished by chemical (e.g. EDTA treatment) or enzymatic means such as lysozyme digestion. The vaccine according to the invention can be administered in a convential active immunization scheme: single or repeated administration in a manner compatible with the dosage formulation and in such amount as will be prophylactically and/or therapeutically effective and immunogenic, i.e. the amount of immunizing antigen or recombinant micro-organism capable of expressing said antigen that will induce immunity in a dog against challenge by a virulent CCV. Immunity is defined as the induction of a significant level of protection in a population of dogs after vaccination compared to an unvaccinated group. For live viral vector vaccines the dose rate per dog may range from 10 5 - 10 8 pfu. A typical subunit vaccine according to the invention comprises 10 µg - 1 mg of the polypeptide according to the invention. The administration of the vaccine can be done, e.g. intradermally, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intraperitonially, intravenously, orally or intranasally. Additionally the vaccine may also contain an aqueous medium or a water containing suspension, often mixed with other constituents, e.g. in order to increase the activity and/or shelf life. These constituents may be salts, pH buffers, stabilizers (such as skimmed milk or casein hydrolysate), emulsifiers adjuvants to improve the immune response (e.g. oils, muramyl dipeptide, aluminiumhydroxide, saponin, polyanions and amphipatic substances) and preservatives. It is clear that a vaccine according to the invention may also contain immunogens related to other pathogens of dogs or may contain nucleic acid sequences encoding these immunogens, like antigens of Canine parvovirus (CPV), Canine Distemper virus, Canine Adenovirus I, Canine Adenovirus II, Canine Parainfluenza virus, Canine Rotavirus or Leptospira canicola to produce a multivalent vaccine. Example 1 A. 1. Preparation of genomic viral RNA of CCV-6 and Liverpool C54 strain Confluent A-72 cells grown in plastic tissue culture flasks using the Wellcome modification of minimal Eagle's medium (MEM) and 10% foetal bovine serum were infected with CCV (NVSL Challenge virus CCV-6 from the National Veterinary Service Laboratory, PO Box 844, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA) at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of approximately 0.1. After 24 h the culture supernatant was harvested, chilled to 4 °C and cell debris removed by centrifugation at 3000 x g for 15 min. Virus was pelletted from the supernatant at 53.000 x g for 2 h in a Beckman type 19 rotor. The pellet was resuspended in 5 ml of TNE (10 mM Tris-Cl, 100 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.5) using a Dounce homogeniser and layered onto a 32 ml linear 20-60% gradient of sucrose in TNE. The virus was banded isopycnically by overnight centrifugation at 100.000 x g in a Beckman SW28 rotor. The gradient was fractionated and the A 280 's and densities of the fractions determined. A peak was identified at the characteristic density of 1.18 g/cc. The peak fractions were pooled, diluted in TNE and the putative virus pelletted by centrifugation at 100.000 x g for 2 h in the Beckman SW28 rotor. RNA was isolated from the virus pellet using two approaches: A . The pellet was resuspended in 0.1 M Tris-Cl pH 8.0 containing 0.1% SDS and digested for 3 h at 50 °C with 20 µg/ml of proteinase K. The mixture was deproteinised using phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (50:49:1) saturated with TE (10 mM Tris-Cl 1 mM EDTA) and the nucleic acid recovered by precipitation with 2.5 volumes of ethanol/0.3 M sodium acetate pH 5.2. The preparation was analysed on a Tris-borate EDTA 1% agarose gel containing 0.1% SDS; a high molecular weight RNA band was identified with the characteristic mobility of coronavirus genomic RNA. B . The virus pellet was homogenised in 6 M guanidinium isothiocyanate/5 mM sodium citrate (pH 7.0)/0.1 M mercaptoethanol/0.5% N-lauroyl sarcosinate and 1 g/ml of CsCl added to each 2.5 ml of the homogenate. The mixture was then layered onto a 5.7 M CsCl/0.1 M EDTA pad and centrifuged at 108.000 x g for 12 h at 20 °C. The pellet of RNA was dissolved in TE containing 0.1% SDS. The preparation was analysed as described above. 2. cDNA cloning of CCV genomic RNA First strand synthesis from 2 µg of CCV genomic RNA prepared as described in 1A above was primed with 1 ng of a specific oligonucleotide (5' TTTTCAAATTGTCTTCTACTT 3') using 40 units of AMV reverse transcriptase in a reaction volume of 25 µl containing 20 mM Tris-Cl (pH 8.3 at 42 °C), 0.14 M KCl, 10 mM MgCl 2 , 1 mM dNTP's, 4 mM dithiothreitol, 25 units of human placental ribonuclease inhibitor. The reaction mixture was incubated for 1 h at 42 °C. Second strand synthesis was achieved by addition of 46 µl of a reaction mixture containing 7.6 mM MgCl 2 , 0.109 M Tris-Cl pH 7.4, 16.3 mM (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , 1000 units/ml RNaseH, 10.000 units/ml E. coli DNA polymerase 1 to the first strand reaction and incubation at 12 °C for 1 h followed by incubation at 22 °C for a further 1 h. The reaction products were deproteinised by two extractions with phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (50:49:1) saturated with TE and precipitated with 2 volumes of ethanol/0.3 M sodium acetate pH 5.2. The cDNA was tailed with C residues using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase using the buffer and conditions supplied by the manufacturer (Bethesda Research Laboratories, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877, USA). It was then size fractionated on a 2 ml Sephacryl S-1000 column and cDNA of size greater than 500 base pairs pooled, ethanol precipitated and dissolved in TE. 50 ng of this cDNA was annealed with 250 ng of dG-tailed PstI cut pUC119. The mixture was transformed into E. coli TG-1. Ampicillin resistant transformants were picked and screened for CCV cDNA inserts using a cDNA probe produced by random priming of reverse transcription from CCV genomic RNA. Positive colonies were screened for size of cDNA inserts by PstI digestion of mini-prep DNA. The relationships between inserts were established by restriction enzyme analysis. The clone pBH1 was selected for sequence analysis. The size of the pBH1 insert (4.0 kb) was insufficient to cover the complete CCV spike coding region and a further round of cDNA synthesis and cloning was carried out using another specific primer (5' CTAGGTAGTAACAC 3'). The RNA used was isolated as described in 1B above. cDNA synthesis was achieved using a Boehringer Mannheim (Boehringer Mannheim UK, Bell Lane, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1LG) cDNA synthesis kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. In summary first strand synthesis was again achieved using AMV reverse transcriptase, second strand synthesis by the action of E. coli DNA polymerase 1 and RNaseH. The cDNA was blunt ended by the action of T4 DNA polymerase. The cDNA was ligated into SmaI-cut phosphatased pUC18 using T4 DNA ligase and the DNA transformed into E. coli TG1. Ampicillin resistant clones were initially screened for inserts using blue/white selection on X-gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside) plates. White colonies were picked and screened for the presence of CCV cDNA inserts as described above. Clone pBH2 (size 2.8 kb) was selected for sequence analysis. The same strategy as outlined in Example 1.1.B. and 1.2. for CCV strain CCV6 was carried out for the isolation of the spike gene of the CCV C54 strain. Three overlapping clones, pBH3, pBH4 and pBH11 covered the spike gene to the blunt end. 3. DNA sequencing The cDNA inserts from clones pBH1, pBH2, and pBH3, pBH4 and pBH11 were sequenced using the Sanger dideoxy chain termination method. This shotgun approach was supplemented as necessary with sequencing from specific oligonucleotide primers on double stranded plasmid DNA templates. For the shotgun analysis insert DNA was excised from the vector sequences, circularised, sonicated, size selected on agarose gels and cloned into SmaI-cut, phosphatased M13mp8. Shotgun sequence data were assembled using the DBUTIL and DBAUTO programs of Staden and analysed using the ANALYSEQ/NIP packages of Staden. A VAX 8350 and micro VAX 3100 (Digital Equipment Corporation) were used. The sequence data are presented in SEQ ID NO: 1 and 5. B. 1. Preparation of genomic viral RNA of Insavc-1 strain Confluent A-72 cells grown in plastic tissue culture flasks using the Wellcome modification of minimal Eagle's medium (MEM) and 10% F.C.S. were infected with CCV strain Insavc-1 (Bert) (Intervet Labs.) at a m.o.i. of approximately 0.1. After 48 hours the culture supernatant was harvested, chilled to 4 ° and cell debris removed by centrifugation at 3000xg for 15 minutes. Virus was pelleted from the supernatant at 53000xg for 2 hrs in a Beckman type 19 rotor. The virus pellet was homogenized in 3.5 mls of 6M guanidinium isothiocyanate/5mM sodium citrate (pH 7.0), 0.1M mercaptoethanol, 0.5% N-lauroyl sarcosinate. The homogenate was layered onto a 5.7 M CsCl pad (1 ml) and centrifuged at 108000 g for 18 hours at 18 °C. The pellet of RNA was dissolved in TE containing 0.1% SDS, then precipitated twice with 2.5 volumes of ethanol/0.3M NaOAc pH 5.2. The preparation was analysed as a Tris-borate EDTA 1% agarose gel containing 0.1% SDS, high molecular weight RNA band was identified with the characteristic mobility of coronavirus genomic RNA. 2. cDNA and PCR cloning of CCV genomic RNA First and second strand synthesis from 2 µg of CCV genomic RNA prepared as aforementioned was primed with oligo dT and random pentanucleotides from the Boehringer cDNA synthesis kit under the conditions specified by the manufacturers protocol. The resultant blunt ended cDNA produced from this reaction was ligated into Sma1-cut phosphatased pUC 119 using T4 DNA ligase and the DNA transformed into E. coli TG-1. Ampicillin resistant clones were initially screened for inserts using blue/white selection on x-gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indetyl-B-D-galaclopyramoside) plates. White colonies were picked and screened for the presence of CCV cDNA inserts using randomly primed CCV RNA as a probe. Five positive clones were identified. Plasmid pBH6 was generated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence information from the ends of pBH5 and pBH7 allowed the design of primers BH7 and BH8. A Not 1 site was incorporated into the oligo's to facilitate cloning. Briefly, approximately 1 ng of first-strand reaction as described previously was deproteinized by two extractions with phenol:chloroform:Isoramyl alcohol (50:49:1) saturated with TE, passed down a G50 spin column and precipitated with two volumes of ethanol/0.3 M sodium acetate pH 5.2. The DNA:RNA hybrids were resuspended in 15 µl TE. The PCR reaction was carried out with the Techne programmable Dri-block PHC-1. The generated fragment was phenol/chloroform ethanol precipitated as before and resuspended in 20 µl of TE. The DNA was cleaved with Not 1 under conditions recommended by the enzyme manufacturer, and gel eluted. The Not 1 fragment was then ligated to Not 1 cut phosphatased vector using T4 DNA ligase and the DNA transformed into E. coli TG-1. Clones containing inserts were identified as previously described. 3. DNA sequencing The cDNA inserts from clones pBH5, pBH7, pBH8, pBH9, pBH10 and the PCR insert pBH6, were sequenced using the Sanger dideoxy chain terminations method as described by Barrell and Bankier (Methods in Enzymology 155 , 51-93, 1987). This shotgun approach was supplemented as necessary with sequencing from specific oligonucleotide primers on double stranded or single stranded (fl origin in pUC 119) plasmid DNA. For shotgun analyses, insert DNA was excised from the vector sequences, selfligated, sonicated, end-repaired, size selected on 1% agarose gels, cloned into Sma 1-cut phosphatased M13mp18. Shotgun sequence data were assembled and analysed using the SAP programmes of Standen. A Vax 8350 and MicroVax 3100 (Digital Equipment Corporations) were used. The sequence data are presented SEQ ID NO.: 3. Example 2 2.1. Generation of vaccinia virus Vac4b-C6 2.1.1. Assembly of CCV6 full length spike protein gene . The full length coding region of the S gene of CCV6 was reconstructed from 2 overlapping cDNA clones, BH1 and BH2. The cloning strategy is illustrated in figure 1. The 3.0 kb insert from pBH1 has identity to S and 1b. In order to express S, the polymerase coding sequence had to be removed. The sequence immediately 5' of the initiating methionine, CTAAAC TTTGGTAATCACTTGG TTAATGTGCC ATG was modified by site directed mutagenesis. Four bases, ATCC were looped in between the TGG and TTA bases to create a unique BamHI site, GGATCC. Mutants were screened by restriction enzyme digestion. Positive clones were sequenced across this site as the Klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase used in the mutagenesis reaction can introduce unspecified mutations at a very low frequency. A mutant which had the introduced BamHI site was selected and designated pBHI-bam. This plasmid overlapped pBH2 by approximately 300 bp. A unique AflII site was located in this region of overlap. The proximal S coding sequence was isolated from pBH1-bam as a 1.5 kb Af1II-SphI fragment and ligated into Af1II-SphI digested pBH2 generating pCCV6. The full length S coding sequence was isolated as a 4.4 kb BamH1 fragment then ligated into the BamH1 site of the transfer vector RK19 to form pRKCCV6. Correct orientation of the gene was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion. Thus, the plasmid RKCCV6 contains the CCV6 S gene downstream of the 4b promoter and flanked by TK coding sequences. 2.1.2. Isolation of recombinant virus Recombinant vaccinia viruses were constructed by established procedures (Mackett & Smith, J.Gen.Virol. 67 , 2067-2082, 1986). pRKCCV6 was transfected into vaccinia virus infected cells and recombinant viruses identified by dot-blot hybridisation using random primed 32 P labelled CCV6 spike gene as a probe. Plaque purification and screening were repeated 3 times before stocks were prepared. The recombinant derived from pRKCCV6 was named Vac4b-C6. 2.2. Generation of vaccinia virus Vac4b-IN 2.2.1. Assembly of CCV Insavc-1 full length spike protein gene The Insavc-1 (Bert) S gene was assembled from 3 overlapping cDNA clones BH8, BH9 and BH10. The cloning strategy is illustrated in figure 2. Digesting pBH8, which spans the middle of the S gene with PvuII and HindIII yielded a 1.4 kb fragment. This fragment was ligated into a PvuII-HindIII cut vector, pING14.2 forming pINGMS. This plasmid was linearized with HindIII, phosphatased then gel eluted. The 3' S gene coding sequence isolated as a 1.1 kb HindIII fragment from pBH10, was subcloned into HindIII cut pINGMS generating pINGM3'S. Correct orientation of the cloned HindIII fragment was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion. Before the remaining coding sequence was excised from pBH9 a unique BamHI site was introduced 10bps upstream of the peplomer AUG start codon by site-directed mutagenesis (figure 2). The 5' coding sequence of the S gene was isolated as a 1.9 kb PvuII fragment and the remaining S gene coding sequence, which was isolated as a 2.5 kb PvuII partial-EcoRI fragment from pING3'S, were ligated in a two fragment ligation to BamHI-EcoRI digested pUC118. The complete S protein gene coding sequence was isolated as a 4.4 kb BamH1 fragment and subcloned into the BamH1 cut transfer vector pRK19, generating pRKINSAVC-1. Correct orientation of the gene was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion. Thus the plasmid RKINSAVC-1 contains the CCV-INSAVC-1 S gene downstream of the vaccinia 4b promoter and flanked by TK coding sequences. 2.2.2. Isolation of recombinant vaccinia virus Plasmid RKINSAVC-1 was used to introduce the S gene coding sequence into vaccinia virus by transfection and selection tor TK - recombinants was as described by Mackett and Smith, (1986, ibid). Recombinant virus isolates identified by dot blot hybridisation with a 32 P labelled CCV6 S DNA probe were subjected to three rounds of plaque purification and virus stocks prepared. The recombinant derived from RKINSAVC-1 was named Vac4b-IN. 2.3. Generation of vaccinia virus Vac4b-C54 2.3.1. Assembly of CCV C54 full length S protein gene The C54 S gene coding sequence was assembled from the 3 overlapping clones pBH3, pBH4 and pBH11. A unique BamH1 site was created 10 bps upstream of the peplomer AUG start codon by site-directed mutagenesis in the proximal clone, pBH3 generating pBH3-bam (figure 3). A 2.0 kb AflII-EcoRI fragment was isolated from this plasmid and ligated to AflII-EcoRI digested pBH4 forming pBH5'MS. This plasmid was cleaved with HindIII, phosphatased and gel eluted. The 3' coding sequence was excised as a 1.1 kb HindIII fragment from pBH11, then ligated to the HindIII digested pBH5'MS generating pBHC54. The correct orientation of the subcloned HindIII fragment was determined by restriction enzyme digestion. The full length C54 S gene was excised by digestion with BamH1 from pBHC54 and ligated into the BamH1 cut transfer vector RK19, forming pRKC54. Similarly, the orientation of the S gene was determined by restriction enzyme digestion. Thus the plasmid RKC54 contains the CCV C54 S gene downstream of the 4b promoter and flanked by TK coding sequences. The cloning strategy is illustrated in figure 3. 2.3.2. Isolation of recombinant vaccinia virus Plasmid RKC54 was transfected into vaccinia virus infected cells. TK - recombinants were selected using BUdR (Mackett and Smith, 1986, ibid). Recombinant virus isolates were identified by dot-blot hybridisation and subjected to three rounds of plaque purification before stocks were made. The recombinant derived from pRKC54 was named Vac4b-C54. Example 3 Immunization experiments with live recombinant Vaccinia vaccine 3.1. Immunization Cats were vaccinated with the following vaccines (10 7 pfu/cat): (a) 4 cats - Vac4b-IN (b) 4 cats - Vac4b-C6 (c) 2 cats - Vac4b-gB (Vac4b-gB is recombinant Vaccinia virus which expresses the Cytomegalovirus glycoprotein gB under control of the 4b promoter) (d) 2 cats - unvaccinated. All cats were bled prior to vaccination (Bleed A). 3 weeks after vaccination the cats were bled again (Bleed B) and subsequently re-vaccinated as above. 2 weeks after re-vaccination all cats were bled (Bleed C). 3.2. Immune-precipitation Canine A72 cells were infected at a m.o.i. of about 10 with the recombinant viruses or mock-infected, incubated for 16 hours and starved of methionine for 1 hour. Infected cells were labelled with 35 S methionine and incubated for 30 min., washed and subsequently lysed in R.1.P.A. buffer. 1 µl cat antiserum (Bleed C) was added to the radiolabelled lysate and incubated on ice for 60 min. Protein G is added and incubated on ice for 60 min. After washing the protein G in R.1.P.A. buffer and PBS buffer, the bound proteins are recovered with 2% SDS 2% 2-mercapto-ethanol. The proteins are separated on 10% SDS polyacrylamide gel. Sera from Bleed C precipitated the spike protein in the case of cats given Vac4b-C6 and Vac4b-IN. Thus, the cats immunized with the Vaccinia recombinant virus containing the spike genes responded with antibodies to the spike genes. Legends to the Figures Figure 1: shows the cloning strategy for the construction of plasmid pRKCCV6 from plasmids pBH1 and pBH2. Fugure 2: shows the cloning strategy for the construction of plasmid pRKINSAVC-1 from plasmids pBH8, pBH10 and pBH9. Figure 3: shows the cloning strategy for the construction of plasmid pRKC54 from plasmids pBH3, pBH4 and pBH11. SEQUENCE LISTING (1) GENERAL INFORMATION: (i) APPLICANT: (A) NAME: AKZO N.V. (B) STREET: Velperweg 76 (C) CITY: Arnhem (E) COUNTRY: the Netherlands (F) POSTAL CODE (ZIP): 6824 BM (ii) TITLE OF INVENTION: CANINE CORONAVIRUS SUBUNIT VACCINE (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 6 (v) COMPUTER READABLE FORM: (A) MEDIUM TYPE: Floppy disk (B) COMPUTER: IBM PC compatible (C) OPERATING SYSTEM: PC-DOS/MS-DOS (D) SOFTWARE: PatentIn Release #1.0, Version #1.25 (vii) PRIOR APPLICATION DATA: (A) APPLICATION NUMBER: EP 91.303.737.0 (B) FILING DATE: 25-Apr-1991 (C) CLASSIFICATION: (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 4500 base pairs (B) TYPE: nucleic acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA (vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE: (A) ORGANISM: Canine corona virus (B) STRAIN: CCV-6 (ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: CDS (B) LOCATION: 65..4393 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= CCV6_Spikegene (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1: (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 1443 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein (vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE: (A) ORGANISM: Canina corona virus (B) STRAIN: CCV-6 (ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: Protein (B) LOCATION: 1..1443 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= CCV6_Spike (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2: (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 4429 base pairs (B) TYPE: nucleic acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA (vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE: (A) ORGANISM: Canina corona virus (B) STRAIN: CCVInSAVC-1 (ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: CDS (B) LOCATION: 60..4412 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= CCVInSAVC-1_Spikegene (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3: (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 1451 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein (vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE: (A) ORGANISM: Canine corona virus (B) STRAIN: CCVInSAVC-1 (ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: Protein (B) LOCATION: 1..1451 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= CCVInSAVC-1_Spike (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4: (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 4435 base pairs (B) TYPE: nucleic acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA (vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE: (A) ORGANISM: Canine corona virus (B) STRAIN: CCV-V54 (ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: CDS (B) LOCATION: 60..4418 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= CCV-C54_Spikegene (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5: (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 1453 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein (vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE: (A) ORGANISM: Canine corona virus (B) STRAIN: CCV-C54 (ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: Protein (B) LOCATION: 1..1453 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= CCV-C54_spike (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:

Claims: A DNA molecule encoding a polypeptide having at least one immunogenic determinants of the CCV spike protein, said CCV spike protein having an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 2, 4, or 6, said polypeptide being capable of eliciting a protective immune response in a dog against CCV infection or disease. A DNA molecule according to claim 1, said DNA molecule comprising the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 1, 3 or 5. A recombinant vector molecule comprising a DNA molecule according to claim 1 or 2, operably linked to an expression control sequence. A recombinant vector virus, harbouring a heterologous DNA molecule according to claim 1 or 2. A host cell, transformed with a recombinant vector molecule according to claim 3. A host cell, infected with a recombinant vector virus according to claim 4. A process for the preparation of a polypeptide having one or more epitopes capable of eliciting a protective immune response in a dog against CCV infection or disease, which process comprises: (a) culturing host cells according to claim 5 or 6 under conditions in which the nucleic acid sequence is expressed, and (b) isolating the polypeptide from the culture. A vaccine for the protection of dogs against CCV infection or disease, characterized in that it comprises a recombinant vector virus according to claim 4 or a host cell according to claim 5 or 6, together with an acceptable carrier. A process for the preparation of a CCV vaccine comprising the steps of culturing an infected host cell according to claim 6, collecting recombinant vector virus material, and formulating the material to a pharmaceutical preparation with immunizing activity. A process for the preparation of a CCV vaccine which process comprises: (a) culturing host cells according to claim 5 or 6 under conditions in which the nucleic acid sequence is expressed, and (b) isolating the polypeptide from the culture (c) formulating the isolated polypeptide to a pharmaceutical preparation with immunizing activity.

Inventors: BROWN THOMAS DAVID KAY, HORSBURGH BRIAN COLIN, BROWN, THOMAS DAVID KAY, HORSBURGH, BRIAN COLIN
Applicants: AKZO NOBEL NV, AKZO NOBEL N.V.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: C12N15
IPC codes: C07K14, C12N15, C12P21, A61K39, A61P31, C12N5, C12R1, C12N7