VPR function and activity

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a) vpr protein or a functional fragment thereof, or a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes vpr protein or a functional fragment thereof;

• and
• b) pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

A pharmaceutical composition that comprises redifferentiated tumor cells induced to redifferentiate by contacting tumor cells with vpr protein or introducing into tumor cells a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes vpr protein.

A method of identifying compounds which inhibit vpr from stimulating differentiation of undifferentiated cells which comprises the steps of

• a) contacting, in the presence of a test compound, said undifferentiated cells with an amount of vpr protein sufficient to stimulate differentiation and
• b) comparing the differentiation that occurs with the differentiation that occurs when said undifferentiated cells are contacted with vpr protein in the absence of said test compound.

A method of identifying compounds that inhibit vpr protein binding to p55, p24, p15, p7 or p6 protein which comprises the steps of:

• a) contacting vpr protein or a fragment thereof and p55, p24, p15, p7 or p6 protein or a fragment thereof in the presence of a test compound,
• b) determining the level of binding between vpr protein and p55, p24, p15, p7 or p6 protein and
• c) comparing that level to the level of binding that occurs when vpr protein or a fragment thereof and p55, p24, p15, p7 or p6 protein or a fragment thereof are contacted in the absence of a test compound.

A method of identifying compounds that inhibit p24 protein binding to p15 or p7 protein which comprises the steps of:

• a) contacting p24 protein or a fragment thereof and p15 or p7 protein or a fragment thereof in the presence of a test compound,
• b) determining the level of binding between p24 protein and p15 or p7 protein and
• c) comparing that level to the level of binding that occurs when p24 protein or a fragment thereof and p15 or p7 protein or a fragment thereof are contacted in the absence of a test compound.

A method of identifying compounds which inhibit p24 aggregation which comprises the steps of:

• a) maintaining p24 protein under conditions which promote its aggregation in the presence of a test compound,
• b) determining the level of p24 aggregation and
• c) comparing that level to the level of aggregation that occurs when p24 protein is maintained under the same conditions in the absence of a test compound.

Isolated antibodies which specifically bind to vpr protein produced in eukaryotic cells.

Isolated vpr protein produced in eukaryotic cells.

A method of enhancing retroviral propagation in cell culture comprising the step of:

• adding vpr protein in conjunction with infection of the cells by retrovirus;
• or
• introducing into a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a sequence that encodes vpr protein in conjunction with infecting said cells with a retrovirus.

A method of identifying compounds that inhibit vpr enhancement of retroviral replication comprising the steps of:

• a) infecting cells with a retrovirus in the presence of vpr protein and a test compound or infecting with a retrovirus in the presence of vpr protein, cells transformed with a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes vpr, wherein the transformed cells produce vpr protein and
• b) comparing the amount of virus produced with the amount of virus produced by infecting cells with a retrovirus in the absence of a test compound.

A method of modifying macrophage cells comprising the step of contacting macrophage cells with vpr protein or introducing into the macrophage cells a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a sequence that encodes vpr protein.

Drug delivery particles comprising vpr, p24 and a non-HIV, cell-type specific envelope protein.

A fusion compound comprising a biologically active portion linked to a vpr fragment which binds to p24.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising

• a) vpr, an immunogenic fragment of vpr or anti-vpr antibodies;
• and
• b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

A method of treating an individual exposed to HIV by administering an immunogenic amount of vpr, an immunogenic fragment of vpr or an effective amount of anti-vpr antibodies.