Isolation of novel HIV-2 proviruses
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsGunter Kraus, Flossie Wong-Staal, Randy Talbott, Eric M. Poeschla
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Abstract
Novel HIV-2 proviruses, molecular clones, nucleic acids, polypeptides, viruses and viral components are described. The use of these compositions as components of diagnostic assays, as immunological reagents, as vaccines, as components of packaging cells, cell transduction vectors, and as gene therapy vectors is also described.
Claims27
An isolated HIV-2 provirus comprising a full-length HIV-2 genome, wherein:
- the rev gene encoded by the provirus hybridizes to the second exon of the HIV-2.sub.KR rev gene as described in SEQ ID NO:
- 1 under stringent conditions;
- the proviral LTR has an activating deletion;
- and,
- the proviral LTR has high basal activity.
An HIV-2 provirus comprising a full-length HIV-2 genome, wherein:
- the provirus when encapsidated in an HIV viral particle encoded by the provirus, is replication competent in vitro in Molt-4/8 cells;
- the provirus is infectious in primary human and macaque lymphocytes when encapsidated in an HIV viral particle;
- the provirus, when encapsidated in an HIV viral particle encoded by the provirus, has reduced infectivity for macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared to HIV-2.sub.NIHZ and HIV-2.sub.rod ;
- the provirus, when encapsitated in an HIV viral particle encoded by the provirus, produces an attenuated infection in M. nemestrina;
- the provirus, when encapsitated in an HIV viral particle encoded by the provirus, produces an infection in Hu-PBL-SCID mice;
- the second exon of the rev gene encoded by the provirus encodes an amino acid sequence 180 amino acids in length;
- the proviral LTR has an activating deletion;
- and,
- the proviral LTR has high basal activity.
An isolated nucleic acid comprising a subsequence of the HIV-2.sub.KR provirus, wherein said subsequence is selected from the group of HIV-2.sub.KR nucleic acid sequences consisting of 30 contiguous nucleotides from the HIV-2.sub.KR genome, wherein the isolated nucleic acid binds to an HIV-2.sub.KR proviral nucleic acid under highly stringent conditions.
A recombinant nucleic acid comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 12.
A high efficiency HIV-2 packaging vector comprising a first high efficiency packaging vector nucleic acid, which first high efficiency packaging vector nucleic acid encodes a first portion of an HIV-2 particle, wherein
- the encoded HIV-2 particle is non-virulent;
- the first high efficiency packaging vector nucleic acid, when transfected into a cell, renders the cell competent to package HIV-2 packagable RNA with a titre of at least 1.times.10.sup.4 transducing units per ml, wherein the HIV-2 packagable RNA comprises an HIV packaging site;
- and,
- the first high efficiency packaging vector nucleic acid comprises a deletion in the HIV-2 psi region as compared to a wild-type genomic HIV-2 nucleic acid.
An isolated HIV-2 provirus particle comprising an HIV-2 packagable RNA, wherein the packagable RNA encodes an HIV-2 packaging sequence and does not encode one or more complete HIV-2 genes selected from the group of trans- active HIV-2 genes consisting of gag, pol, vif, vpx, vpr, env, rev, tat, and nef.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.