FIG 2.

The MCL1 transgene decreases apoptosis of antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells during the acute phase of virus infection. Mice were infected i.n. with VV-WR, and splenocytes were harvested at 10 days postinfection. (A) Flow cytometry was used to monitor the expression of CD8 and B8R, an H-2K^b-restricted VV-WR epitope. The percentages of B8R-specific cells shown are those within the CD8⁺ gate. TR, transgenic; Non TR, nontransgenic. (B) Lung virus titers were measured at 10 days postinfection. (C) Apoptosis of CD8⁺ splenocytes and B8R-specific CD8⁺ T cells was assessed by annexin V staining. The percentages of annexin V⁺ cells (filled histogram, nontransgenic; open histogram, transgenic) are the values obtained after gating on CD8⁺ (left panels) or B8R⁺ CD8⁺ (right panels) cells. The data shown are representative of two independent experiments, where each point in the graphs represents one mouse and the mean value of the six mice is represented by the horizontal line. **, P < 0.001 (for the difference between transgenic and nontransgenic animals; Student's t test).