Inventors:
William A. Haseltine - Cambridge MA
Craig A. Rosen - Brookline MA
Joseph G. Sodroski - Cambridge MA
Wei C. Goh - Somerville MA
Assignee:
Dana Farber Cancer Institute - Boston MA
International Classification:
C12P 2100, C12N 1500, C12N 500
Abstract:
This invention describes stable tat. sub. III cell lines. It is disclosed that by transfecting a preselected tat. sub. III cell line with a vector containing a sufficient amount of the HTLV-III LTR responsive to tat. sub. III gene products for trans-activation and an enhancer upstream of the tat. sub. III responsive segment, it is possible to express high levels of the tat. sub. III gene products. By including a preselected heterologous gene on this vector, it is also possible to express high levels of a desired gene product. A substantially pure protein comprising 86 amino acids and having an apparent molecular weight of about 14,000 dalton and exhibiting trans-activating activity is also disclosed. This protein and polypeptides having trans-activating ability, which is also disclosed, can be used to produce high levels of a desired gene product. A method of detecting the presence of HTLV-III/LAV virus in an individual is also disclosed and comprises the step of:
(a) incubating whole blood or lymphocytes from the invididual to be tested with tat. sub.