FIG. 1.
Induction of IFN-α/β mRNA in brains of mice infected with WNV. Mice were inoculated with 102 PFU of WNV by footpad injection and sacrificed on days 5, 8, and 10 p.i. Total RNA from frontal cortices (black bars) and cerebella (gray bars) was analyzed for the expression of 18S rRNA, IFN-α mRNA, and IFN-β mRNA by fluorogenic quantitative RT-PCR. Data are expressed as the relative increase (n-fold) over RNA isolated from uninfected controls. Average values are from three to four mice, and error bars indicate standard deviations. Asterisks indicate differences that are statistically significant (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.005).