A rapid and simple screening method for HIV-1 protease inhibitors using recombinant Escherichia coli.

Extensive efforts have been made to develop anti-HIV drugs from potential HIV-1 protease inhibitor1'2) since the protease inhibitors have been proven to produce immature and non-infectious viruses3'4). In order to find HIV-1 protease inhibitors and study the kinetics of inhibition of the protease, many assay methods have been devised using the protease produced by genetic engineering techniques. These assay methods have used a variety of substrates such as peptides analogous to the natural polyprotein substrate of HIV-1 with chromogenic, fluorometric, or radiometric modifications5 ~ 8), or a