MCMV-induced downmodulation of SLAM receptors correlates with the extent of infection and depends on viral gene expression.

<p>(A) Peritoneal macrophages were mock-infected or infected for 72 h with MCMV-GFP at the different moi indicated, and analyzed by flow cytometry for surface expression of CD48, CD84, CD229, Ly108 and MHC class I (MHC I) as described in <a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004000#ppat-1004000-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>. Black line histograms represent the expression of these molecules on the total number of cells alive in the cultures (including both MCMV-infected GFP-positive cells and uninfected GFP-negative cells), and dashed line histograms represent isotype controls. Micrographs of the corresponding infections are shown in the right panels. (B) Same as in A, except that an moi of 10 was used, and macrophages were also exposed for 72 h to the same amount of MCMV-GFP UV-inactivated. Open histograms represent the expression of these molecules on MCMV-infected cells from the MCMV-GFP treated cultures and shaded histograms represent the total number of cells alive in the MCMV-GFP UV-inactivated exposed cultures. Isotype IgGs were used as negative controls (dashed line histograms). A micrograph of the MCMV-GFP infection at an moi of 10 (GFP-positive, ∼95% in the culture) is shown on the right panel. A representative experiment out of two performed is shown.