Figure 7.

Vaginally inoculated ZIKV replicates in the LFRT of WT mice with minimal induction of IFN response. (A–G) Groups of C57BL/6N female mice were i.vag. infected with 2 × 10⁴ FFU of ZIKV (PRVABC59). (A) FFU equivalent of ZIKV in total RNA from LFRT tissues was determined by qRT-PCR at the indicated time points after infection. (B–D) Levels of mRNA for the indicated genes from LFRT were determined from total RNA using qRT-PCR, normalized to GAPDH, and expressed as fold-change over uninfected controls. (E and F) Viral load or ISGs from iLN at day 2 after infection were determined as in A and B–D. (G) Linear regression analysis of FFU equivalent of ZIKV and induced IRF7 in the iLN and LFRT tissues after i.vag. infection. Each dot represents one mouse. n = 3–6 pulled from two independent experiments. Data represent mean ± SEM. *, P < 0.05. UI, uninfected.