Vaccination of cats with an attenuated recombinant myxoma virus expressing feline calicivirus capsid protein

Abstract

Myxoma virus, a member of the Poxviridae family (genus Leporipoxvirus) is the agent responsible for myxomatosis in the European rabbit. Recombinant myxoma viruses expressing the capsid gene of an F9 strain of feline calicivirus (FCV) were constructed from an apathogenic, laboratory attenuated, isolate of myxoma virus. The FCV capsid genes were recombined into the myxoma growth factor (MGF) locus of the myxoma genome and expressed from synthetic poxvirus promoters. Myxoma virus is unable to replicate productively in feline cells in vitro, however, cells infected with recombinant viruses do express the heterologous antigens from both late and early/late synthetic promoters. Cats immunised with myxoma–FCV recombinant virus generated high levels of serum neutralising antibody and were protected from disease on subsequent challenge with virulent FCV. Furthermore, there was no evidence of transmission of myxoma–FCV recombinant virus from vaccinated to non-vaccinated cats. These results demonstrate the potential of myxoma virus as a safe vaccine vector for use in non-lepori species and in particular the cat.