Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) based vectors

1. A vector system comprising:

a) a BIV vector construct comprising;

i) a DNA segment from a BIV genome;

ii) a packaging sequence necessary to package RNA into virions;

iii) a promoter operably linked to the DNA segment; and

iv) a transgene operably linked to a second promoter, wherein at least one of vpw, vpy and tat is deleted from said construct;

b) a BIV packaging construct comprising:

i) a BIV DNA sequence fragment comprising a gag gene, a pol gene or both of BIV;

ii) a promoter operably linked to the BIV DNA sequence fragment; and

iii) a polyadenylation sequence located downstream of the BIV DNA sequence fragment; and

c) an expression construct comprising a gene encoding a viral surface protein.

2. The vector system of claim 1 wherein said expression construct is a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-G envelope glycoprotein expression vector.

3. The vector system of claim 1 further comprising a BIV rev gene.

4. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said packaging sequence is a BIV packaging sequence.

5. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said transgene is operably linked to a mammalian promoter.

6. The vector system of claim 1 wherein said BIV vector construct further comprises a BIV rev-response element.

7. A cell line transfected with the vector system of claim 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , or 6 .

8. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said packaging construct further comprises an RNA transport element.

9. The vector system of claim 8 , wherein said transport element is a lentiviral rev responsive element (RRE).

10. The vector system of claim 9 , wherein said RRE is a BIV RRE.

11. The vector system of claim 8 , wherein said transport element is constitutive.

12. The vector system of claim 8 , wherein said transport element is a Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus element.

13. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said BIV DNA sequence fragment of said packaging vector further comprises an intron upstream of said gag gene, pol gene or both.

14. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said expression construct further comprises an operatively linked promoter.

15. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said expression construct further comprises an intron upstream of said gene encoding a viral surface protein.

16. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said transgene is operably linked to an internal promoter.

17. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein any start codons in said packaging sequence are eliminated by deletion or mutation.

18. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said BIV vector construct further comprises a BIV cPPT.

19. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said BIV vector construct further comprises a 3' polypurine tract.

20. The vector system of claim 1 , wherein said BIV vector comprises an RNA transport element.

21. The vector system of claim 20 , wherein said transport element is a constitutive transport element.

22. A cell comprising the vector system of any one of claims 8 – 21 .

23. A vector system comprising:

a) a BIV vector construct comprising;

a promoter linked to a first BIV R region;

a BIV U5 element linked to said first BIV R region;

a packaging sequence;

a transgene; and

a BIV U3 element linked to a second BIV R region, wherein said promoter initiates RNA transcription of the vector construct, and at least one of vpw, vpy and tat is deleted from said construct;

b) a BIV packaging construct comprising:

a BIV DNA sequence fragment comprising a gag gene, a pol gene or both of BIV;

a promoter operably linked to said BIV DNA fragment; and

a polyadenylation sequence located downstream of said BIV DNA fragment; and

c) an expression construct comprising a gene encoding a viral surface protein.

24. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said transgene is operably linked to an internal promoter.

25. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said packaging sequence is a BIV packaging sequence.

26. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein any start codons in said packaging sequence are eliminated by deletion or mutation.

27. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said BIV vector construct further comprises a BIV cPPT.

28. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said BIV vector construct further comprises a 3′ polypurine tract.

29. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said BIV vector construct further comprises an RNA transport element.

30. The vector system of claim 29 , wherein said RNA transport element is a BIV rev response element.

31. The vector system of claim 29 , wherein said element is a constitutive transport element.

32. A cell comprising the vector system of any one of claims 23 – 31 .

33. The vector system of claim 23 , further comprising a BIV rev gene.

34. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said packaging construct further comprises an RNA transport element.

35. The vector system of claim 34 , wherein said transport element is a lentiviral rev responsive element (RRE).

36. The vector system of claim 35 , wherein said RRE is a BIV RRE.

37. The vector system of claim 34 , wherein said transport element is constitutive.

38. The vector system of claim 34 , wherein said transport element is a Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus element.

39. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said BIV DNA sequence fragment of said packaging vector further comprises an intron upstream of said gag gene, pol gene or both.

40. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said expression construct further comprises an operatively linked promoter.

41. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said expression construct further comprises an intron upstream of said gene encoding a viral surface protein.

42. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said expression construct is a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-G envelope glycoprotein expression vector.

43. The vector system of claim 23 , wherein said transgene is operably linked to a mammalian promoter.

44. A cell line comprising the vector system of any one of claims 33 – 43 .