Patent ID: 8318419

Claim:
An in vitro testing method in a host cell to determine compounds that inhibit the binding of phosphatidylinositol (PI)4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P 2 ) with the MA domain of an HIV Gag protein comprising: (a) introducing into the host cell a detectable tag to be triggered by positional changes of amino acid residues in the MA domain of the HIV Gag protein; (b) contacting a test compound with PI(4,5)P 2 and the MA domain of the HIV Gag protein; and (c) measuring a signal from the detectable tag to determine the ability of the test compound to change positioning of amino acid residues in the MA domain flanked by amino acid residues His-89 and Glu-12 or reducing the interaction of the amino acid residues His-89 and Glu-12 from forming a salt bridge.