Cal-miR-155 enhances apoptosis in CAB cells with or without NNV infection. (A) The relative mRNA expression level of cal-miR-155 in CAB cells transfected with 50 nM, 100 nM and 200 nM cal-miR-155 mimic (miR-155) compared to that of cells transfected by cal-miR-155 mimic control (NC); detected by qRT-PCR after 24 h post-transfection and normalized to U6. (B) The relative mRNA expression level of cal-miR-155 in CAB cells transfected with 50 nM, 100 nM and 200 nM cal-miR-155 inhibitor (miR-155-i) compared to that of cells transfected by a cal-miR-155 inhibitor control (NC-i); detected by qRT-PCR after 24 h post-transfection and normalized to U6. (C) CAB cells transfected with miR-155, miR-155-i, or NC infected with or without NNV for 24 h, while untransfected CAB cells were used as control. Then the cells were harvested and stained with Annexin V-PE and PI, and the cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry. (D) The percentage of apoptotic cells in each group shown in panel C was graphed and statistically analyzed. Data are representative of three independent experiments and presented as means ± SD. (E) The HSP70 expression for those cells was measured by flow cytometry, and the gate was applied using an isotype control. The color purple represented the relatively expression level of HSP70. (** stands for p < 0.01; * stands for p < 0.05.).