Species specificity for transduction of cultured cells by a recombinant LuIII rodent parvovirus genome encapsidated by canine parvovirus or feline panleukopenia virus.

We previously reported that a recombinant genome derived from the autonomous rodent parvovirus LuIII could be pseudotyped with capsids of the closely related viruses, H1 and minute virus of mice. To determine whether this was also possible with less related viruses, LuIII recombinant genomes containing a luciferase reporter were cotransfected into permissive cells together with plasmids expressing the capsid proteins of either feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) or its host range variant, canine parvovirus (CPV). We observed efficient packaging of the recombinant DNA into transducing virions that displayed the cell tropism of the virus that supplied the capsid. Thus, the FPV- and CPV-pseudotyped virions were able to transduce a feline cell line but they showed no transducing activity for the human NB324K line, which is permissive for LuIII. The transducing activity of the pseudotyped viruses was not inhibited by neuraminidase treatment of the permissive recipient cells, in contrast to that of virions packaged using LuIII capsid proteins. Furthermore, canine A72 cells (permissive for CPV but not FPV) were efficiently transduced by CPV-packaged but not by FPV-packaged LuIII recombinant genomes. Pseudotyped recombinants will be useful for elucidating parvovirus host range determinants since they enable the packaged DNA and each of the capsid proteins to be supplied independently. They should also facilitate control over the targeting of parvovirus vectors for gene transfer.