Compositions and methods for the identification of inhibitors of retroviral infection

A method of screening for inhibitors of retroviral propagation, comprising:

• forming a mixture comprising a linear sequence of a tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment, a target nucleic acid molecule capable of binding to the tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment, and a test compound, wherein the target nucleic acid molecule corresponds to a portion of a retroviral genome involved in retroviral propagation;
• incubating the mixture under conditions that allow binding of the tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment and the target nucleic acid molecule in the absence of the test compound;
• and detecting whether or not the test compound binds to the tRNA ASL fragment or the target nucleic acid molecule, wherein the binding is indicative of the test compound being an inhibitor of the propagation of a retrovirus.

A method of identifying an inhibitor of binding of a tRNA ASL and a target nucleic acid molecule, comprising:

• forming a mixture comprising a linear sequence of a tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment that is not capable of forming a stem-loop, a target nucleic acid molecule capable of binding to the tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment, and a test compound, wherein the target nucleic acid molecule corresponds to a portion of a retroviral genome involved in reverse transcription;
• incubating the mixture under conditions that allow binding of the tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment and the target nucleic acid molecule in the absence of the test compound;
• and detecting whether or not the test compound inhibits the binding of the tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment and the target nucleic acid molecule, wherein the absence of binding of the tRNA and the target nucleic acid molecule is indicative of the test compound being an inhibitor of reverse transcription.

A kit for screening inhibitors of retroviral reverse transcription comprising:

• a nucleic acid molecule consisting essentially of a linear sequence of a tRNA anticodon stem loop fragment;
• and a detectable label.