Ultraviolet-irradiated vaccinia virus recombinants, exposing HIV-envelope on their outer membrane, induce antibodies against this antigen in rabbits.

The construction and isolation of recombinants of vaccinia virus (IHD-J strain), bearing on their outer membrane a chimeric protein consisting of the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of vaccinia B5R protein and the external domain of HIV envelope, has been previously described by us. The present study aimed to investigate the potential use of such recombinants as a vaccine, following inactivation of their infectivity by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The minimal dose of UV irradiation, required for the complete inactivation of the infectivity of these recombinants, was determined. Injections of rabbits with the irradiated noninfectious recombinant viruses successfully induced specific antibodies against the HIV envelope antigen, in addition to those against the poxvirus.