Immunization of T-cell deficient mice against polyomavirus infection using viral pseudocapsids or temperature sensitive mutants.

A murine experimental model system aimed at developing potential vaccines to papovavirus infection in immunosuppressed individuals was explored. A VP1-pseudocapsid based on the major capsid protein of the murine polyomavirus A2 strain and a mutant, M17-pseudocapsid as well as four temperature sensitive (ts)-mutants were used as immunogens. T-cells deficient CD4-/-8-/- mice were immunized four times with each immunogen and then together with non-immunized control mice challenged with polyomavirus. In contrast to all control mice, only half of the immunized mice exhibited presence of polyoma DNA when assayed by PCR. The results indicate that pseudocapsids and ts-mutant immunization may potentially protect mice with an impaired T-cell function from polyomavirus infection.