Infection of Cats with Molecularly Cloned and Biological Isolates of the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Molecularly cloned viruses are considered essential reagents for characterizing viral domains responsible for infectivity and disease pathogenesis in the host. The infectivity and hematological alterations associated with two molecularly cloned isolates of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV-pPPR and FIV-pF34) and an uncloned isolate (FIV-PPR) were assessed by inoculation of cats. Inoculated cats were tested for viral antibody, viremia, and clinical pathological disease. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from inoculated cats were assayed for virus infection by virus isolation, amplification of proviral DNA (by polymerase chain reaction), and in situ hybridization for viral RNA. Over 50% of the cats inoculated with cloned virus FIV-pF34 failed to seroconvert even when coinfected with feline leukemia virus; these cats were consistently virus positive only by amplification of proviral DNA. All cats inoculated with cloned virus FIV-pPPR seroconverted and were found virus positive by at least two of three virus detection assays. Both cloned viruses were less capable of suppressing CD4:CD8 ratios when compared to the biological isolates from which they were cloned. Isolates which replicate efficiently in feline peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), i.e., FIV-pPPR or biological FIV-PPR, caused greater virus load and lower CD4:CD8 ratios when compared to cloned FIV-pF34, which replicates efficiently in feline adherent cell lines and macrophages but poorly in primary feline PBMC. Molecular clones FIV-pF34 and FIV-pPPR will be useful reagents for characterization of viral determinants of virus load and possibly, cell tropism in vivo.