Integrase cofactor

Abstract

The present invention provides nucleic acid molecules which include a region specifically interacting with the nucleic acid encoding the LEDGF/P75 protein or the nucleic acid encoding a fragment of a LEDGF/P75 protein and methods and uses of such nucleic acid molecules.

1 . A method of treating a viral infection in a mammal, comprising administering to said mammal an effective amount of a dominant negative variant form of LEDGF-p75 protein which competes with wild-type LEDGF-p75 for binding to its receptor. 
     
     
         2 . A method of treating a viral infection in a mammal, comprising administering to said mammal an effective amount of a polynucleotide encoding a dominant negative variant form of LEDGF-p75 protein, which competes with wild-type LEDGF-p75 for binding to its receptor. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the viral infection is a lentiviral infection. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the viral infection is a lentiviral infection. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the viral infection is an HIV infection. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the viral infection is an HIV infection. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises administering to said mammal one or more compounds effective in the treatment or prevention of viral infections. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , which further comprises administering to said mammal one or more compounds effective in the treatment or prevention of viral infections. 
     
     
         9 . A method to identify molecules which comprise a region specifically binding to LEDGF/p75 protein or to a nucleic acid encoding said protein, comprising the steps of:
 exposing said LEDGF/p75 protein or nucleic acid encoding LEDGF/p75 protein to a molecule whose ability to suppress said protein from interacting with a retroviral integrase protein is sought to be determined, and   determining the binding or hybridization of said molecule (s) to the LEDGF/p75 protein or to binding places of the LEDGF/p75 protein on the integrase or to nucleic acids encoding said LEDGF/p75 protein and monitoring the prevention or suppressing of retroviral replication or integration by the use of said molecule.   
     
     
         10 . A method for the treatment of a viral infection comprising the step of administering an effective amount of a molecule which comprises a region specifically interacting with LEDGF/p75 protein or nucleic acids encoding said LEDGF/p75 protein. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said molecule is the binding domain of the Integrase-inhibiting LEDGF/p75 protein, which binds to the IN (Integrase) protein. 
     
     
         12 . An isolated HIV-integrase, wherein said integrase is in its tetrameric form.