Figure 6
A HIV virus lacking the second Tat exon induces a stronger innate response than a wild type virus. A. Tat RNA levels in iDC 7 days after infection with HIVSF2 or HIVSF2ΔExon2Tat. B. ISG RNA levels in iDC infected for 7 days with HIVSF2 or HIVSF2 ΔExon2Tat. Statistical significance was detected when comparing HIVSF2 and HIVSF2Δexon2Tat RNA values for IRF-7 (p = 0.03), Stat-1 (p = 0.006), OAS (p = 0.03,) IL-8 (p = 0.019), IP-10 (p = 0.05), TRAIL (p = 0.01), and for the ISG RNA values grouped together (p = 0.001) (T-test). C. Protein accumulation levels of ISG-related proteins in iDC infected with HIVSF2 or HIVSF2ΔExon2Tat on day 7 after infection, reported as MFI. Significant differences were found for IRF-7 (p = 0.01), Stat-1 (p = 0.007), MAP2K6 (p = 0.013), IP-10 (p = 0.01), TRAIL (p = 0.01), MCP-3 (p = 0.05), HuMig (p = 0.01), ISG protein values when grouped together (p = 0.0026). D. Tat RNA levels in MDM 7 days after infection with HIVSF2 or HIVSF2ΔExon2Tat. E. ISG RNA levels in MDM infected for 7 days with HIVSF2 or HIVSF2 ΔExon2Tat. Statistical significance was detected when comparing HIVSF2 and HIVSF2ΔExon2Tat RNA values for IRF-7 (p = 0.03), Stat-1 (p = 0.05), MX2 (p = 0.04) and (TRAIL p = 0.05), and for the cumulative levels of all the ISG (p = 0.0008). F. Protein accumulation levels of ISG-related proteins in MDM infected with HIVSF2 or HIVSF2ΔExon2Tat on day 7 after infection, reported as MFI. Significant differences were found for IRF-7 (p = 0.05), Stat-1 (p = 0.05), TRAIL (p = 0.01), MCP-2 (p = 0.0001), HuMig (p = 0.01), ISG protein values grouped together (p = 0.03). RNA fold induction represents the ratio between the RT-PCR result obtained for cells expressing Tat or Tat1-58 and that obtained for Ad-tTA infected cells. RNA amounts are normalized using 18S RNA levels and infection rates are normalized using Tat levels.