Fig. 2
From: Routes of Zika virus dissemination in the testis and epididymis of immunodeficient mice
Effect of miRNA target insertions on ZIKV replication in the serum and organs of AG129 mice. a Relative expression of selected miRNAs in the testis compared with their expression in the brain. Data indicate the ratio (folds change [FC]) of normalized counts for miRNAs isolated from the testis to those isolated from the brain of individual AG129 mice (n = 3). Horizontal line and error bar are geometric mean and geometric SD, respectively. b List of viruses with inserted miRNA targets. c Growth kinetics of recombinant viruses in Vero cells. Results are presented as an average titer of two biological replicates ± SD (shown as error bars). d–h Adult AG129 mice were infected ip with 106 pfu of 2×scr or miRNA-targeted viruses and were killed at 3 or 12 dpi. Mean viral titer ± SD in the serum at 1 dpi d, spleen at 3 dpi e, testis at 3 dpi f, and 12 dpi g, and brain at 12 dpi h was determined by titration in Vero cells. Mice infected with 2×202(T) and 2×202/141(T) viruses were divided into two groups (stable, stb and mutant, mut) based on the miRNA target sequence stability in the testis at 12 dpi. The titers of 2×202(T) or 2×202/141(T) viruses in the brain and testis in these two groups of mice are presented separately. The dashed lines indicate the limit of virus detection: 0.7 log10(pfu/mL) for Vero cells (c), 1.5 log10(pfu/mL) for serum d and 1.7 log10(pfu/g) for spleen, brain, or testis d–h. Differences between the titer of 2×scr and the titer of each of miRNA-targeted virus in mouse serum or organs were compared using one-way ANOVA (***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05). Differences between the replication of 2×scr and other viruses in Vero cells were compared using two-way ANOVA, and were not statistically significant (p > 0.05)
