PROTEIN L3T4 GENE ENCODER MUTANT THAT FACILITATES INFECTION WITH HIV AND TRANSGENIC RAT EXPRESSING SUCH PROTEIN

摘要

Disclosed are (1) a DNA sequence encoding a mutant L3T4 protein which, when expressed on the surface of a cell, is capable of facilitating infection of the cell by human immunodeficiency virus; the mutant protein includes at least one amino acid residue substitution or deletion in a segment corresponding to the gp120 binding epitope of a native L3T4 protein so as to increase homology between that segment and its counterpart in a CD4 protein; (2) a murine cell line or strain transfected with such a DNA sequence; and (3) a transgenic rodent susceptible to infection by human immunodeficiency virus.