Figure 4. Relative expression of HIV‐1 gag and genes regulating the pentose phosphate pathway or antioxidant responses in CD4⁺ T cells infected with wild type and Tat‐deficient HIV‐1.

Primary CD4⁺ T cells were isolated from total blood of healthy donors and activated with α‐CD3‐CD28 beads for 72 h. Cells were then mock‐infected or infected with wild‐type HIV‐1_pNL4‐3 or with Tat‐deficient HIV‐1_pNL4‐3 (Bejarano et al, 2019). Cells were cultured for 1 week post‐infection, and gene expression was measured by qPCR.

• A
  Relative expression of HIV‐1 gag in cells infected with Tat‐deficient HIV‐1_pNL4‐3 as compared to cells infected with wild‐type HIV‐1 _pNL4‐3.
• B–D
  Relative expression of the limiting rate enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway, i.e., G6PD (B), and of genes regulating the thioredoxin and glutathione antioxidant pathways, i.e., TrxR1 (C) and GCLC (D), in HIV‐1 infected as compared to mock‐infected cells.

Data information: Data were first normalized using 18S as housekeeping control and then expressed as Log₂ fold mRNA expression in wild type vs Tat‐deficient infection (panel A) or in infected vs mock‐infected cells (panels B‐D), which were calculated using the 2‐ΔΔCT method (Livak & Schmittgen, 2001). GCLC = glutamate—cysteine ligase; TrxR1= thioredoxin reductase 1. Data are expressed as mean ± SD of two replicates and were analyzed by two‐way ANOVA followed by Sidak’s post‐test. *P < 0.05.