FIG 3.

Heterozygous STAT1 R274W mice are more susceptible to γHV68 and have diminished expression of ISGs and IFN-γ during infection. WT and STAT1 R274W mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with 10⁶ PFU of γHV68 or PBS control (mock, day 0). Mice were euthanized and the spleen harvested at days 0, 4, 8, and 14 after infection. (A) Viral genome copies in the splenocytes as measured by qPCR on days 4, 8, and 14 after infection. (B) Expression of open reading frame 50 (ORF50), ORF73, and MK3 in the spleen as measured by qPCR on day 14 after infection. (C) Levels of infectious virus in splenocytes as measured by plaque-forming assay on day 14 after infection. (D to F) Expression levels of CXCL10 (D), IRF1 (E), and IFN-γ (F) in the spleen as measured by qRT-PCR on days 0, 4, 8, and 14 after infection. All data represent the mean of n = 8 to 14 samples per genotype at each time point from at least two independent experiments and were analyzed by unpaired t test (****, P < 0.0001; ***, P < 0.0005; **, P < 0.005; *, P < 0.05).