FIGURE 8.

Effects of Nef-, Nef7-, Nef7.A3G-, and A3G-containing VLPs on HIV-1 replication. 293T cells were transfected with psPAX2, CD4, CXCR4, and WT Nef, Nef7, Nef7.A3G, or A3G expression plasmids. At 72 h post-transfection culture supernatants containing VLPs were collected, cleared of cell debris, and quantitated for the RT activity. CD4+ Jurkat T lymphocytes were first infected with HIV-1 HXB2 strain. At 3 h the remaining viruses were removed from the cells by repeated washes with fresh medium and then treated with each of the VLPs. The cells were cultured for various lengths of time as indicated. At each time point, cell culture supernatant was collected and quantitated for RT activity. The RT activity of input VLPs in the culture medium was marked as a dotted line.