Isolation of a highly cytopathic lentivirus from a nondomestic cat.

A feline immunodeficiency virus-like virus (FIV-Oma) isolated from a Pallas' cat (Otocolobus manul) is highly cytopathic in CrFK cells, in contrast to the chronic, noncytolytic infection established by an FIV isolate from a domestic cat (FIV-Fca). The virions have typical lentivirus morphology, density, and magnesium-dependent reverse transcriptase activity. The major core protein is antigenically cross-reactive with that of FIV-Fca; however, FIV-Oma transcripts do not cross-hybridize with FIV-Fca. A conserved region of the FIV-Oma pol gene has 76 to 80% nucleic acid identify with the corresponding pol regions of other feline lentiviruses and 64 to 69% identity with those of human, ovine, and equine lentiviruses.