Transdominant TAT variants of the human immunodeficiency virus

A trans-dominant variant of the HIV- 1 TAT protein which has a trans-activating activity of less than 50% compared to the native HIV- 1 TAT protein and a native TAT function- inhibiting activity based on a concentration ratio of variant TAT/native TAT OF 10/1 which is greater than 50% wherein said variant is selected from the group consisting of the following variants:

• (i) a variant comprising a single substitution mutation at position 38 that results in the change of the wild-type amino acid at position 38 to an amino acid having an acidic side chain which is selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid and aspartic acid;
• (ii) a variant comprising a single substitution mutation at position 40 which results in the change of the wild-type amino acid at position 40 to an amino acid having a non-polar side chain which amino acid is selected from the group consisting of alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, phenylalanine, methanine, and tryptophan;
• (iii) a variant comprising a single substitution mutation at position 41 which results in the change of the wild-type amino acid at position 41 to an amino acid having an acidic side chain which amino acid is selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid and aspartic acid;
• (iv) a variant comprising a single substitution mutation at position 45 which result in the change of the wild-type amino acid at Position 45 to an amino acid having an uncharged polar side chain, which amino acid is selected from the group consisting of glycine, asparagine, glutamine, cysteine, serine, threonine, and tyrosine;
• and
• (v) a variant comprising a single substitution mutation at position 47 which results in the change of the wild-type amino acid at position 47 to an arginine.