GENE RECOMBINANT, NOTAMMENT RETROVIRUS RECOMBINANT DEFECTIF ET ACTIVABLE PAR UN TRANSACTIVATEUR, CELLULES LES CONTENANT, LEUR PROCEDE DE FABRICATION ET LEURS APPLICATIONS, NOTAMMENT POUR LA DETECTION IN VITRO D'UNE INFECTION RETROVIRALE OU DE L'ETUDE DE L'INHIBITION IN VITRO DE L'INFECTION PAR DES PRINCIPES ACTIFS DE MEDICAMENTS

摘要

The invention concerns means (products and processes) applicable to the in vitro detection of the presence of an infectious retrovirus in a biological specimen, in particular of an AIDS virus (HIV). These means consist, in particular, of cells which are susceptible to infection by HIV and which include a recombinant gene containing a DNA corresponding essentially to the totality of the genome of a rotrovirus having a gene which can be activated by a retroviral transactivator controlled by a promoter. Said DNA, however, does not contain the coding sequence for the retroviral transactivator but does contain a heterologous marker controlled by a promoter, in this case LTR<5>, which is normally associated with the coding sequences for the gag, pol and env proteins. The activation of the marker indicates the presence of infectious retrovirus in the specimen.