Tat-SF1 depletion inhibits HIV-1 infectivity.

<p>(A) TZM-bl assay using HIV-1_TT31 . Replication-competent HIV-1_TT31 was used to infect TZM-bl cells that were transiently transfected with either an empty vector, a non-silencing shRNA control, or shRNAs targeting Tat-SF1. A western blot confirming knockdown is shown below the chart. This western blot corresponds to cells used in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0005710#pone-0005710-g003" target="_blank">Figures 3A–D</a>. Luciferase values of the cell lysates were read 3 days after infection. Luciferase values were reported as the means of triplicate wells. Error bars represent standard error. (B) TZM-bl assay using HIV-1_JRFL. Replication-competent HIV-1_JRFL was used in the same type of experiment described in (A). (C) TZM-bl assay using HIV-1_IIIB. Replication-competent HIV-1_IIIB was used in the same type of experiment described in (A) and (B), except that cell lysates were read 6 days after infection. (D) Reverse transcriptase assay. Supernatants from infected cells in (C) were measured for reverse transcriptase activity 3 and 6 days after infection. Values from the phosphor screen image were reported as the means of triplicate wells. Error bars represent standard error.