In an activated CD4+ T cell, transcription of integrated viral DNA
is facilitated by both cellular transcription factors and the viral
transcriptional transactivator Tat. Some viral RNAs are then spliced,
and both spliced and unspliced RNAs transported to the cytosol where
some are translated into structural and regulatory proteins before
assembly, budding though the cell membrane and the maturation of
the viral particles (reviewed in Coiras et al.6). Typically, infected CD4+
T cells then undergo apoptosis.