Canine influenza virus and related compositions and methods of use

Abstract

The present invention provides an isolated canine influenza virus of subtype H3N8 comprising an HA having SEQ ID NO: 4 or an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, with the proviso that the amino acids at positions 94 and 233 are identical to SEQ ID NO: 4; a composition comprising attenuated or inactivated virus; isolated or purified HA, NM, NP, M1, NS1, PA, PB1, and PB2 proteins and fragments thereof and compositions comprising same or nucleic acids, optionally as part of a vector, encoding same; and a method of inducing an immune response to canine influenza virus in an animal comprising administering to the animal an aforementioned composition.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An isolated or purified Hemagglutinin HA, which (i) has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or (ii) is derived from an influenza virus and which has an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is identical to that of SEQ ID NO: 4 at amino acid positions 94 and 233 and the isolated or purified HA has a leucine at position 94 and a glutamic acid at position 233, according to the numbering of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
       2. A composition comprising the isolated or purified HA of  claim 1  in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       3. A method of inducing an immune response to a canine influenza H3 virus in an animal, which method comprises administering to the animal the composition of  claim 2 , whereupon where upon an immune response to canine influenza H3 virus is induced in the animal. 
     
     
       4. An A vector comprising the isolated or purified nucleic acid encoding the HA of  claim 1 , optionally as part of a vector. 
     
     
       5. The isolated or purified nucleic acid The vector of  claim 4 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the HA comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
       6. A composition comprising the isolated or purified nucleic acid vector of  claim 4 , which expresses HA in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal, and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       7. An isolated or purified HA peptide fragment comprising a contiguous nine amino acid fragment of SEQ ID NO: 4, or a contiguous nine amino acid fragment of an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, that either includes the Leu at position 94 of SEQ ID NO: 4 or the Glu at position 233 of SEQ ID NO: 4, according to the numbering of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
       8. A composition comprising the isolated or purified HA peptide fragment of  claim 7  in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       9. A method of inducing an immune response to a canine influenza H3 virus in an animal, which method comprises administering to the animal the composition of  claim 8 , whereupon where upon an immune response to canine influenza H3 virus is induced in the animal. 
     
     
       10. An A vector comprising an isolated or purified nucleic acid encoding the HA peptide fragment of  claim 7 , optionally as part of a vector. 
     
     
       11. A composition comprising the isolated or purified nucleic acid vector of  claim 10 , which expresses the HA peptide in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal, and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       12. An isolated polypeptide that is 97% or greater identical to SEQ ID NO: 4 and has a leucine at position 94 and a glutamic acid at position 233, according to the numbering of SEQ ID NO: 4 and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       13. An isolated DNA which encodes a polypeptide that is 97% or greater identical to SEQ ID NO: 4 and has a leucine at position 94 and a glutamic acid at position 233 according to the numbering of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
       14. An isolated polypeptide comprising a contiguous nine amino acid sequence that is greater than 97% identical to a sequence fragment of SEQ ID NO: 4, wherein said sequence fragment comprises either the Leu at position 94 or the Glu at position 233 of SEQ ID NO: 4, according to the numbering of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
       15. A method of inducing an immune response to a canine influenza H3 virus in an animal, which method comprises administering to the animal the composition of claim 4 or claim 12, where upon an immune response to a canine influenza H3 virus is induced in the animal.