Figure 5. VP088 deletion affects SGIV infectivity.
(a–c) ddPCR quantification of virions, showing the number of total virions (a) Ivs (b) and Evs (c) at 4 intervals post infection with SGIV, SGIVp86GFP and SGIVΔ88GFP at the same MOI. (d) The copy number of intracellular SGIV genome at early stages of infection. After infection with 102 viral particles per cell in 6-well plates, DNA from HX1 cells at indicated hpi was extracted and quantified by the copy number of orf072 as a representative gene of intracellular virus genome by ddPCR. (e) Schematic SGIV life cycle. Both naked and enveloped virions enter host cells, and release the viral DNA for replication and transcription in the nucleus. The replicated DNA exits from the nucleus and enters the cytoplasm for DNA replication and transcription. Viral protein concentrates in VAS for packaging into capsids. Newly assembled virions are accumulated as paracrystalline arrays in the cytoplasm or released from host cells. Asterisk depicts the SGIV infection step where VP088 plays its key role.