Patent ID: 7074616

Claim:
A method for producing isolated recombinant cells expressing heterologous hCD4 and mCXCR-4, said recombinant cells having a polypeptide which binds to a murine PBSF/SDF-1 and acts as a binding site for T-cell-line-tropic HIV-1 envelope protein (env) thereby promoting cell membrane fusion with a T-cell-line-tropic HIV-1 in the presence of human CD4, comprising: culturing a transformant expressing heterologous hCD4 and comprising an expression vector comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein said polypeptide binds to a murine PBSF/SDF-1 and acts as a binding site for T-cell-line-tropic HIV-1 env; (b) a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide which binds to a murine PBSF/SDF-1 and acts as a binding site for T-cell-line-tropic HIV-1 env; (c) a nucleotide sequence from a murine cell that hybridizes under stringent conditions of 42Â° C., 5Ã—SSPE, 50% formamide, 1Ã— Denhardt's reagent, 10% dextran disodium sulfate, and 0.1% SDS with the entire complementary nucleotide sequence of any one of (a) to (b) above, and encoding a polypeptide which binds to a murine PBSF/SDF-1 and acts as a binding site for T-cell-line-tropic HIV-1 env; under conditions wherein the transformant is capable of expressing the expression vector.