recently, as molecular biologic studies have advanced, it has 
become possible to use recombinant genes to interfere with HIV 
gene expression. Several approaches have been used to exploit 
gene transfer to inhibit viral replication. These include anti- 
sense RNA (5-7) , catalytic RNA, or ribozymes (8-11) , and RNA 
analogs or decoys (12) . The gene transfer approach to targeting 
of viral nucleic acid is complicated by problems of delivering 
the anti-viral gene to the appropriate compartment of the cell, 
and by the ability to obtain catalytic activity in vivo. These 
approaches, although promising, have thus far been difficult to 
achieve. In contrast, viral proteins are well-known and contain 
domains which can be characterized with respect to structure and 
function. These viral proteins can therefore serve as targets 
for inhibition by recombinant gene products. 
The concept of dominant negative inhibition was initially 
described in yeast genetic systems (13) . It was subsequently 
demonstrated that anti-viral effects could be conferred on cells 
susceptible to infection by herpesvirus. Using the herpesvirus 
VP 16 transactivator, mutant proteins lacking the transactivation 
domain of this protein were generated which could interfere with 
viral replication (14) . The approach to dominant negative 
inhibition is an attractive one for the treatment of AIDS. For 
HIV, several potential transdominant proteins have been defined 
which have been successful in transient transfection systems to 
inhibit viral replication. Among these are the rev transdominant 
protein (15) and viral group-specific antigens (GAG) . Recent 
success in protecting cells from HIV infection using TAR analogs 
[ 8 ] 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 18 
