D not increase the cytoplasmic RNA levels of RRE-containing RNAs. In addition, the experimental variation for the determination of cytoplasmic copy numbers is too high to reveal more subtle changes. Strikingly different, a strong and differential Oltipraz effect of Rev on the amount of virion-associated RNAs could be observed (figure 3B). All RREcontaining HIF-2��-IN-1 site transcripts were strongly enriched in virions when Rev was present. This effect varies between 30 and 200-fold and is statistically significant in all cases. In contrast, virion-associated RNA levels of all transcripts lacking an RRE did not vary significantly with or without Rev. In the presence of Rev the amount of particle-associated unspliced RNA of VHgenomic was 17-fold and 5-fold higher compared to the levels of the singlyspliced SD1-SA5 RNA and the fully-spliced SD1-SA5+SD4-SA7 RNA, respectively. The unspliced RNA is therefore the predominant RNA species in viral particles. Remarkably, high amounts of unspliced RNAs of VHenv and VHnef identical in sequence to the spliced transcripts of VHgenomic could also be detected in viral particles. Consistent with this finding, packaging of an RNA mimicking the spliced HIV env transcript was previously shown by others but not quantified in detail [11]. The encapsidation efficiency was defined as ratio of virionassociated and cytoplasmic RNA levels. Mean values of log10 transformed ratios for each data pair of all repeat experiments for the RNA species analyzed are shown in figure 4. All RREcontaining transcripts showed a dramatic and statistically significant increase in their encapsidation efficiencies in the presence of Rev (figure 4). Since the encapsidation efficiency of a singlyspliced, RRE-containing HIV-1 env transcript expressed from a proviral HIV construct was similarly low as for the multiplyspliced nef transcript lacking the RRE, it was previously concluded that Rev does not influence packaging of HIV env RNA [9]. Our results clearly demonstrate that Rev is able to increase packaging of RRE-containing vector transcripts. This suggests that packagingof HIV env RNA could be inhibited by sequences not present in fully-spliced HIV RNAs. This negative effect could probably be overcome by a Rev-mediated nuclear export of env RNA leading to an encapsidation efficiency similar to that observed for the fullyspliced HIV transcript (see [9]). A strong correlation between the Rev-dependent enhancement of the infectious vector titer (37-fold) and the encapsidation efficiency of the unspliced RNA of VHgenomic (53-fold) confirms our previous results (figure 2 and 4 and [13]). Therefore, unspliced RNA of VHgenomic exported to the cytoplasm in the absence of Rev cannot be efficiently encapsidated resulting in low viral titers. This could be explained by a direct or an indirect role of Rev in the encapsidation process. Binding of Rev to the RRE or to the Rev-binding site in the 59UTR [28] could initiate the encapsidation process. However, such a direct effect is difficult to envision, because Rev was never reported to interact with HIV Gag and Rev is not known to be part of the HIV-virion. Therefore, the most plausible explanation is a more indirect effect such as the generation of an inhibitory ribonucleoprotein complex in the nucleus that prevents further cytoplasmic utilization of the 18325633 introncontaining lentiviral vector RNA. A Rev-mediated nuclear export of this RNA would prevent/disrupt the association of inhibitory factors with the RNA and would all.D not increase the cytoplasmic RNA levels of RRE-containing RNAs. In addition, the experimental variation for the determination of cytoplasmic copy numbers is too high to reveal more subtle changes. Strikingly different, a strong and differential effect of Rev on the amount of virion-associated RNAs could be observed (figure 3B). All RREcontaining transcripts were strongly enriched in virions when Rev was present. This effect varies between 30 and 200-fold and is statistically significant in all cases. In contrast, virion-associated RNA levels of all transcripts lacking an RRE did not vary significantly with or without Rev. In the presence of Rev the amount of particle-associated unspliced RNA of VHgenomic was 17-fold and 5-fold higher compared to the levels of the singlyspliced SD1-SA5 RNA and the fully-spliced SD1-SA5+SD4-SA7 RNA, respectively. The unspliced RNA is therefore the predominant RNA species in viral particles. Remarkably, high amounts of unspliced RNAs of VHenv and VHnef identical in sequence to the spliced transcripts of VHgenomic could also be detected in viral particles. Consistent with this finding, packaging of an RNA mimicking the spliced HIV env transcript was previously shown by others but not quantified in detail [11]. The encapsidation efficiency was defined as ratio of virionassociated and cytoplasmic RNA levels. Mean values of log10 transformed ratios for each data pair of all repeat experiments for the RNA species analyzed are shown in figure 4. All RREcontaining transcripts showed a dramatic and statistically significant increase in their encapsidation efficiencies in the presence of Rev (figure 4). Since the encapsidation efficiency of a singlyspliced, RRE-containing HIV-1 env transcript expressed from a proviral HIV construct was similarly low as for the multiplyspliced nef transcript lacking the RRE, it was previously concluded that Rev does not influence packaging of HIV env RNA [9]. Our results clearly demonstrate that Rev is able to increase packaging of RRE-containing vector transcripts. This suggests that packagingof HIV env RNA could be inhibited by sequences not present in fully-spliced HIV RNAs. This negative effect could probably be overcome by a Rev-mediated nuclear export of env RNA leading to an encapsidation efficiency similar to that observed for the fullyspliced HIV transcript (see [9]). A strong correlation between the Rev-dependent enhancement of the infectious vector titer (37-fold) and the encapsidation efficiency of the unspliced RNA of VHgenomic (53-fold) confirms our previous results (figure 2 and 4 and [13]). Therefore, unspliced RNA of VHgenomic exported to the cytoplasm in the absence of Rev cannot be efficiently encapsidated resulting in low viral titers. This could be explained by a direct or an indirect role of Rev in the encapsidation process. Binding of Rev to the RRE or to the Rev-binding site in the 59UTR [28] could initiate the encapsidation process. However, such a direct effect is difficult to envision, because Rev was never reported to interact with HIV Gag and Rev is not known to be part of the HIV-virion. Therefore, the most plausible explanation is a more indirect effect such as the generation of an inhibitory ribonucleoprotein complex in the nucleus that prevents further cytoplasmic utilization of the 18325633 introncontaining lentiviral vector RNA. A Rev-mediated nuclear export of this RNA would prevent/disrupt the association of inhibitory factors with the RNA and would all.