Figure 1.

Schematic overview of HIV-1 variants used in this study. In the HIV-rtTA variant, the rtTA gene is inserted in place of the nef gene and TetO binding sites are inserted in the HIV-1 promoter. Inactivation of the Tat-TAR axis is obtained by mutations in the R region and the Tat protein. The shNef expression cassette is inserted in the U3 region. The Tat inactivating mutation (indicted by X) in HIV-rtTA has been restored in the HIV-rtTA Tat^wt variant.