University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc

Steven E Poet

Branson W Ritchie

Victoria V Burnley

Frank D Niagro

Phil D Lukert

Denise Pesti

The invention provides a nucleic acid vaccine which is protective against avian polyomavirus infection in a bird which is classified as being a member of the order comprising a nucleic acid vaccine vector comprising a suitable eukaryotic cis-acting transcription/translation regulatory sequence functionally linked to a nucleic acid encoding an immunogenic avian polyomarvirus polypeptide. Methods for preventing avian polyomarvirus infection in a bird classified as being a member of the order, are also provided.

Avian polyomavirus vaccines in psittacine birds

Disclosed are methods for delivering a preselected polypeptide into an aquatic animal by contacting the aquatic animal with an aqueous medium containing an isolated non-infectious, non-integrating polynucleotide encoding an immunogen, wherein the polynucleotide is operably linked to a promoter that controls the expression of the polynucleotide in the aquatic animal, and wherein expression of the polypeptide stimulates a detectable biological response in the animal. Also disclosed are methods for delivering a desired polynucleotide into an aquatic animal comprising contacting the aquatic animal with an aquatic medium containing an isolated non-infectious, non-integrating polynucleotide, wherein the polynucleotide is substantially complementary to all or a portion of a messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding a preselected polypeptide, and wherein expression of the polypeptide stimulates or represses a detectable biological response in the animal. Methods are further disclosed for delivering a preselected polynucleotide into an aquatic animal comprising contacting the aquatic animal with an aqueous medium containing an isolated non-infectious, non-integrating polynucleotide that is not in contact with a liposome or lipid carrier, wherein the polynucleotide stimulates a detectable biological response in the animal.

Delivery of nucleic acid into aquatic animals

Vaccine compositions which are protective against circovirus infections, including porcine circovirus and psittacine beak and feather disease virus, in animals, comprising a nucleic acid vector comprising a eukaryotic cis-acting transcription/translation regulatory sequence functionally linked to a nucleic acid encoding an animal circovirus polypeptide, wherein the nucleic acid lacks a viral origin of replication are disclosed. Nucleic acid vectors for the transient expression of one or more circovirus polypeptides in a eukaryotic cell comprising a nucleic acid vector comprising a eukaryotic cis-acting transcription/translation regulatory sequence functionally linked to the nucleic acids of the invention are described. Methods of preventing a circovirus-associated disease in an animal comprising administering to the animal a nucleic acid vector comprising a eukaryotic cis-acting transcription/translation regulatory sequence functionally linked to a nucleic acid encoding an animal circovirus polypeptide, wherein the nucleic acid lacks a viral origin of replication are also described. Methods of preventing a circovirus-associated disease in an animal comprising administering to the animal an immunogenic amount of one or more animal circovirus polypeptides are also described. Also disclosed are nucleic acid and polypeptide sequences useful in the vaccine compositions and methods of the invention.

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Winterville, GA, United States of America

Steven E Poet