A monoclonal antibody specific to Nap was prepared by using a crude
membrane fraction from a cell line which has a high affinity to Nef as an
antigen. A cDNA clone which encodes Nap was obtained by screening a cDNA
library of said cell line utilizing the specific antibody. The nucleotide
sequence of this cDNA was elucidated whereupon the full amino acid
sequences of human Nap was identified. Since the anti-Nap monoclonal
antibody inhibits the binding of Nef to Nap, it can be used as a new
therapeutic agent for AIDS. In addition, it can be applied for the
diagnosis of AIDS by clarifying the relation between the expression of Nap
and the development of AIDS. Nap can be utilized for binding experiments
to Nef. It is useful for the development of novel therapeutic agents for
AIDS based upon a mechanism of action which inhibits the attachment of
both factors and development of new inhibitors against the onset of AIDS
by a mechanism of action different from that of reverse transcriptase
inhibitors or protease inhibitors.