FIG. 5.

Real-time RT-PCR quantification of MCMV late-gene transcripts. NIH 3T3 cells were infected at an MOI of 1 TCID₅₀/cell with wild-type (wt) and mutant MCMV. Total RNA was harvested (A) 24 and (B) 72 h p.i. and quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Two RNA preparations from cells infected with different virus stocks were made, and from each preparation, two to four independent quantitative PCRs per sample were done. The transcript abundance in MCMV wt-infected cells was defined as 1. The abundances of transcripts from mutant viruses are shown relative to the wt. The error bars represent the standard errors. mock, mock infected.