Novel post-transcriptional regulatory elements and uses thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a novel post-transcriptional regulatory element that can function as an RNA nucleo-cytoplasmic transport element. The invention also provides for an attenuated HIV-1 hybrid virus for use as a vaccine and a kit incorporating the hybrid virus. The kit also includes instructional material teaching the use of the vaccine, where the instructional material indicates that the vaccine is used for the prophylaxis or amelioration of HIV-1 infection in a mammal; that the vaccine is to be administered to a mammal in a therapeutically effective amount sufficient to express a viral protein; where the vaccine will not cause clinically significant CD4<SUP>+</SUP> cell depletion; and, the expression of the viral protein elicits an immune response to the attenuated HIV-1 virus. The invention further provides for a method for screening for post-transcriptional RNA nucleo-cytoplasmic transport element (NCTE) binding proteins.

1 - 30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . A method of identifying functional PREs, the method comprising, 
 (i) providing a PRE-deficient virus unable to replicate in a cell line;    (ii) ligating nucleic acid fragments into a genome of the virus, thereby constructing a recombinant viral clone;    (iii) inserting the recombinant viral clone into the cell line; and    (iv) isolating a nucleic acid comprising a functional PRE from the recombinant viral clone that is propagated in the cell line.