Patent ID: 7465580

Claim:
A recombinant vector comprising a DNA segment which encodes a recombinant protein that has the following sequences: an amino acid sequence with at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residue 1 to residue 40 of a wild-type EBNA-1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) having SEQ ID NO:1 which is N-terminal to at least three consecutive tripeptides selected from any combination of the following tripeptides Gly-Gly-Ala, Gly-Ala-Gly, Gly-Gly-Gly, Ala-Gly-Ala, or Ala-Gly-Gly, which are N-terminal to an amino acid sequence with at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residues 328 to 641 of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the recombinant protein lacks residues 65 to 89 of the wild-type EBNA-1 protein, wherein the recombinant protein binds an oriP of EBV with an affinity that is at least 10% that of the binding of the wild-type EBNA-1 protein, is noncytotoxic and activates transcription at levels at least 5% that of the wild-type EBNA-1 protein from an extrachromosomal template having an oriP of EBV which is capable of binding the wild-type EBNA-1 protein.