FIG 2.

VZV differentially regulates NKG2D ligand expression. ARPE-19 cells were infected with VZV or mock infected at a 1:1 ratio and harvested 48 hpi. (A) Cells were stained with antibodies against MICA, ULBP2, ULBP3, and MHC-I, and levels of expression were compared between mock (continuous black lines) and VZV (dotted black lines) infections on the cell surface, using flow cytometry. Isotype control antibody staining is indicated by the gray-filled histogram. One representative histogram of at least three independent experiments is shown. The relative mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) fold change over mock in NKG2D ligand or MHC-I expression (less respective isotypes) is presented below each correlating histogram as the mean ± SEM of data from biological replicates (NKG2DLs, n = 6; MHC-I, n = 4). Statistical significance was established by two-tailed paired Student's t test. ns, not significant; *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01. (B) Mock- or VZV-infected protein lysates were harvested at 48 hpi and immunoblotted with antibodies against MICA, ULBP2, and ULBP3. Corresponding probing for a housekeeping protein (actin) is shown beneath. One representative blot of three independent experiments is shown.