Dana-farber-cancer Institute Inc.

Ernest Terwilliger

William A Haseltine

Eric Cohen

Joseph G Sodroski

Craig A Rosen

Wei C Goh

A vector comprising an HIV segment and a heterologous gene segment, which produces a replication competent and an infective HIV virus is disclosed. When the heterologous gene is a marker gene, the spread of the virus can be observed in both in vitro and in vivo systems. The use of this vector in establishing methods for screening anti-viral compounds is also disclosed.

Vector comprising a replication competent HIV-1 provirus and a

Cis-acting repression sequences which are able to provide a cis-acting inhibitory effect on the expression of a gene when placed downstream of the gene in its untranslated message are dislcosed. Cis-acting anti-repression sequences which can relieve the cis-acting repression in the presence of the art gene product are also disclosed. These sequences correspond to a sufficient number of nucleotides from the HIV-I, HIV-2, STLV-3 or HTLV-IV genomes to provide the repression or anti-repression effects. The use of the sequences in vectors and systems to control the expression of a desired gene product is also described.

Cis-acting repression sequences, cis-acting antirepression sequences,

DNA segments encoding the vpu gene and a vector encoding the vpu gene are disclosed. These sequences containing the vpu gene can be used to express a protein that has antigenic determinants that can be used to screen for people having the HIV-1 virus.

Sequences containing the vpu gene and vectors therefore methods of

A protein having molecular weight of approximately 16 kD which is also cleaved into a protein having a molecular weight of 15 kD is disclosed. This protein is referred to as viral protein U and produced by the vpu gene. It is disclosed that this protein has antigenic determinants and can be used to screen for people having the HIV-1 virus.

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Ernest Terwilliger