RACCOON POXVIRUS AS A GENE EXPRESSION AND VACCINE VECTOR FOR GENES OF RABIES VIRUS AND OTHER ORGANISMS

摘要

Raccoon poxvirus, an organism that may be indigenousin nature, is established as a suitable substrate forinsertion and expression of nucleotide coding sequence ofheterolgous organisms. Two infectious raccoon poxvirusrecombinants for expressing rabies virus surface spikeglycoprotein (G) were produced by homologousrecombination between raccoon poxvirus DNA and chimericplasmids previously used for production of vaccinia virusrecombinants by thymidine kinase insertionalinactivation. Raccoons that were fed polyurethane baitsloaded with raccoon poxvirus recombinant quicklydeveloped high levels of rabies virus neutralizingantibodies and were protected when challenged with anotherwise lethal dose of raccoon rabies street virus.Dogs developed rabies virus neutralizing antibodies afterfeeding a vectored raccoon poxvirus recombinant incontrast to feeding a vaccinia: G recombinant thatinduced no rabies neutralizing antibodies. Cotton rats,skunks, mice and rabbits that were fed recombinantraccoon poxvirus developed variable levels of rabiesneutralizing antibodies. All vaccinated cotton rats wereprotected from otherwise lethal rabies challenge.