The 3'-orf protein of human immunodeficiency virus shows structural homology with the phosphorylation domain of human interleukin-2 receptor and the ATP-binding site of the protein kinase family.

The primary amino acid sequence within a stretch of 25 residues (positions 91-116) of the middle portion of the 3'-orf protein (p27(3')-orf) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shares structural homology with a highly charged region within the intracytoplasmic phosphorylation domain of human interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and the ATP-binding site of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK) and other members of the protein kinase family. Comparison of the predicted secondary structure within this region of p27(3')-orf with the phosphorylation domain of human IL-2R and the ATP-binding region of the phospho-kinase family of protein suggests that the 3'-orf protein could serve homologous function(s).