Patent ID: 8580492
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: A61P,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
1. An in vitro method of identifying an agent that inhibits the methyltransferase activity of a methyltransferase that catalyzes methylation of Lys-51 of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Tat polypeptide, the method comprising a) contacting a test agent with a sample comprising the methyltransferase and an HIV Tat polypeptide, forming a test sample, wherein the methyltransferase comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:31 and wherein the HIV Tat polypeptide has a length of from 15 amino acids to 100 amino acids and comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to amino acids 41 through 55 of SEQ ID NO:1; and b) determining the effect, if any, of the test agent on the methylation of the Tat polypeptide, wherein said determining comprises detecting methylation of lysine at a position corresponding to Lys-51 of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1.