FIGURE 8.

Comparisons of virulence in mice of virus-free isolate (LD-F1), AfPV1-infected isolate (LD-F1-b), and AfPV1- and SatRNA-infected isolate (LD-F1-a) by lateral tail vein injection. (A) Determination of the optimal spore concentration of A. flavus for pathogenicity testing in mice and the immunosuppressed mice were infected with 40 μL spores of A. flavus isolate LD-F1 ranging in concentration from 10⁴, 10⁶ to 10⁸ CFU/mL. (B) Survival of mice infected with spores of virus-free isolate (LD-F1), AfPV1-infected isolate (LD-F1-b), and AfPV1- and SatRNA-infected isolate (LD-F1-a) over a 14 days incubation period. (C) Fungal burden in lung, kidney, and liver tissue over 7 days. Control experiments are comprised of untouched mice (UTC) and saline buffer injected immunosuppressive mice (Mock). P-values were estimated using Log rank, non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s multiple comparison tests. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.