Effect of Rev1-Vpu expression on HIV-1 replication in PBMCs and tonsillar explant cultures.

<p>(A) PHA-stimulated PBMCs were infected with adjusted amounts of the indicated viruses. Virus replication was monitored by analyzing RT-activity in the supernatant. The means of three independent experiments +/- SEM are shown. (B, C) Surface expression levels of (B) tetherin and (C) CD4 were determined by flow cytometry at day 3 post infection. Infected cells were identified by intracellular p24 staining after surface staining of CD4 or tetherin. Dot plots indicating the gating strategy are shown in the right panels. Bar diagrams summarizing four to five independent experiments +/- SD are shown on the left. (D) Sequence analyses of viral mixtures. Wt and fs mutant virus stocks were normalized for infectivity, mixed at the indicated ratios, and the <i>rev1-vpu</i> region was sequenced after bulk amplification of cDNA. The lower panels show respective standard curves. The peak fluorescence of the T residue at position 1 (ZM246 wt) and the A residue at position 3 (ZM247 wt) is expressed as a fraction of the total fluorescence (relative peak height). (E) Sequence chromatograms of 1:1 input mixtures and viral cultures 10 days post infection (dpi). Percentages of wt and fs sequences displayed in the right panels were calculated from the standard curves shown in (D). (F) Human tonsil explant cultures were infected and analyzed as described in (A). One representative experiment for one of three independent donors is shown (***p<0.001; **p<0.01; *p<0.05; n.s. not significant).