Ponies infected with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) undergo a persistent infection that results in recurrent viremia and associated disease cycles at irregular intervals, evidently resulting from relatively rapid antigenic variation of the infecting virus. However, viremia and clinical episodes typically subside within one year post infection. Thus, the EIAV system provides a dynamic model in which to examine the interactions between evolving lentivirus antigens and host immune systems and in which the infected animal is routinely able to bring virus replication under control, despite the occurrence of antigenic variation and the role of macrophage as a target cell. The goal of this research program is to examine the immune responses to EIAV during the course of experimental infections and after vaccination with different viral immunogens. The long range goal then is to use this information as a guide to designing approaches for the immunological conrol of human retrovirus infections. The first specific aim of this proposal is to examine in detail the humoral and cellular immune responses during the course of experimental infections of ponies with defined strains of EIAV. The immune responses will be monitored at frequent intervals by a variety of in vitro assays, and the resultant data correlated with the course of virus replication and clinical disease.
The second aim of this program is to assay the immune responses in ponies to a panel of viral immunogens, including inactivated whole virus vaccines and subunit vaccines consisting of purified viral proteins or cloned viral antigens. Attempts will be made to develop vaccine procedures which produce a broadly protective immune status in vaccinated ponies.
The final aim of this proposal is to employ synthetic peptide methodology to ascertain the immunologically important regions of the EIAV env proteins and to identify specific peptide regions for use in subsequent vaccine studies. The results of these experiments should provide important fundamental information on immune responses to lentivirus infections and possible means of developing immunoprophylactic or immunotherapeutic protocols for lentivirus (or oncovirus) infections of animals and man.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01AI025850-01
Application #
3139536
Study Section
(SRC)
Project Start
1987-09-30
Project End
1992-08-31
Budget Start
1987-09-30
Budget End
1988-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Louisiana State University A&M Col Baton Rouge
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
075050765
City
Baton Rouge
State
LA
Country
United States
Zip Code
70803
Craigo, Jodi K; Ezzelarab, Corin; Cook, Sheila J et al. (2015) Protective efficacy of centralized and polyvalent envelope immunogens in an attenuated equine lentivirus vaccine. PLoS Pathog 11:e1004610
Liu, Chong; Cook, Sheila J; Craigo, Jodi K et al. (2014) Epitope shifting of gp90-specific cellular immune responses in EIAV-infected ponies. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 161:161-9
Craigo, Jodi K; Ezzelarab, Corin; Cook, Sheila J et al. (2013) Envelope determinants of equine lentiviral vaccine protection. PLoS One 8:e66093
Craigo, Jodi K; Montelaro, Ronald C (2013) Lessons in AIDS vaccine development learned from studies of equine infectious, anemia virus infection and immunity. Viruses 5:2963-76
Craigo, Jodi K; Ezzelarab, Corin; Montelaro, Ronald C (2012) Development of a high throughput, semi-automated, infectious center cell-based ELISA for equine infectious anemia virus. J Virol Methods 185:221-7
Liu, Chong; Cook, Frank R; Cook, Sheila J et al. (2012) The determination of in vivo envelope-specific cell-mediated immune responses in equine infectious anemia virus-infected ponies. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 148:302-10
Craigo, Jodi K; Montelaro, Ronald C (2011) EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA VIRUS INFECTION AND IMMUNITY: LESSONS FOR AIDS VACCINE DEVELOPMENT. Future Virol 6:139-142
Craigo, Jodi K; Montelaro, Ronald C (2010) EIAV envelope diversity: shaping viral persistence and encumbering vaccine efficacy. Curr HIV Res 8:81-6
Craigo, Jodi K; Barnes, Shannon; Cook, Sheila J et al. (2010) Divergence, not diversity of an attenuated equine lentivirus vaccine strain correlates with protection from disease. Vaccine 28:8095-104
Fidalgo-Carvalho, Isabel; Craigo, Jodi K; Barnes, Shannon et al. (2009) Characterization of an equine macrophage cell line: application to studies of EIAV infection. Vet Microbiol 136:8-19

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