siRNA efficacy at inhibiting HCMV protein expression during a single round of HCMV replication at high multiplicity of infection.

<p>MRC-5 cells were transfected with 50 nM of non-specific scrambled control siRNA (siSc) or siRNAs targeting HCMV transcripts UL54 (siUL54A/B), UL97 (siUL97A/B), and UL122/123 (siUL122A/B) followed by infection with HCMV (1 pfu/cell) at 24 hours post transfection. (A) Cells were harvested 24, 48 and 72 hours post infection and HCMV immediate-early (IE1p72 and IE2p86), early (pp65), early-late (pUL97) and true late (MCP) protein expression measured using western blot. (B) Protein expression in UL54A/B, UL97A/B and UL122A/B siRNA treated and HCMV-infected cells relative to cells treated with scrambled siRNA (siSc) measured using densitometry. Results derived from two representative samples from triplicate biological experiments and densitometry results presented as mean ± SD.