Virus release efficiency and Gag processing. (A) Western blotting (WB) analysis. 293T cells were transfected with WT pNL4-3 or p6Gag mutants. At 24 h post-transfection, cell and virus lysates were collected and analyzed by WB with HIV immunoglobulin (HIV-Ig). Positions of HIV-1 Gag precursor Pr55Gag, Gag processing intermediate p41 and HIV-1 capsid protein p24 are indicated. (B) Virus release efficiency. The relative efficiency of virus release was calculated as the amount of virion p24 divided by total Gag (virion p24 + cellular Pr55Gag + cellular p24). (C) Gag processing. Gag processing was expressed as the ratio of p24 relative to Pr55Gag in virions. The data were plotted in bar graphs. The efficiency of virus release and Gag processing for WT was set as 100%. Error bars indicate the standard deviation (SD) from more than three independent experiments; ns, not significant. *, P < 0.05, **, P < 0.01, and ***, P < 0.001.