Details for Patent: 5,637,461

Title:	Ligands of HIV-1 TAT protein
Abstract:	Methods are described for the identification of nucleic acid ligand solutions to the HIV-1 tat protein. Motifs I, II and III are nucleic acid ligands identified by the disclosed methods.
Inventor(s):	Gold; Larry M. (Boulder, CO), Tuerk; Craig (Boulder, CO)
Assignee:	NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Boulder, CO)
Filing Date:	Mar 24, 1995
Application Number:	08/409,439
Claims:	1. A method for identifying non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acid ligands to the HIV-1 tat protein comprising: a) preparing a candidate mixture comprising non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids; b) contacting said candidate mixture with the HIV-1 tat protein, wherein non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids having an increased affinity to the HIV-1 tat protein relative to the candidate mixture may be partitioned from the remainder of the candidate mixture; c) partitioning said increased affinity non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids from the remainder of the candidate mixture; and d) amplifying said increased affinity non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids to yield a mixture of non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids enriched in non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids having increased affinity to the HIV-1 tat protein, whereby non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acid ligands to the HIV-1 tat protein are identified. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising e) repeating steps b), c)and d). 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said candidate mixture of non-naturally occurring single-stranded nucleic acids contacted with the HIV-1 tat protein is comprised of RNA.