Suppression of HIV and viral evolution in the plasma of NSG-CTL mice.

<p><b>A.</b> Blood plasma from the same HIV-1_HSA-HA infected mice as described in <a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1002649#ppat-1002649-g003" target="_blank">Figure 3</a> was collected 2 weeks and 6 weeks post infection. Viral RNA (vRNA) levels per sample (typically 50 µl of plasma per mouse) were determined by quatitative reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and results were multiplied by a standard factor to yield copies of vRNA per milliliter (ml) of blood. The points represent the copies of HIV vRNA per milliliter (ml) of blood and the solid line represents mean per group (+/− SEM). Statistical comparison was performed between SL9-specific TCR containing mice and non-specific TCR-containing mice and p values are provided (Student's t test). The dotted line indicates the limit of detection of the assay. The data are representative of 3 separate experiments, with a minimum of 3 mice per experimental condition, and utilized the same mice depicted in the experiment described in <a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1002649#ppat-1002649-g003" target="_blank">Figure 3</a>. <b>B.</b> Evolution of the SL9 epitope in infected mice. Viral stock of the input virus, and virus from plasma of mice containing the control TCR or virus from plasma of mice containing the SL9-specific TCR 6 weeks following infection was sequenced utilizing a RT-PCR technique. The translated sequence is provided for each sample, with the SL9 epitope highlighted in bold.