Molecular Responses of Human Retinal Cells to Infection with Dengue Virus

Figure 1

Infection of human retinal pigment epithelial cells with DENV: viral strain = Mon601; multiplicity of infection = 1; evaluated time points postinoculation = 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours (hr). (a) Graphs showing expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) transcripts in DENV-infected retinal pigment epithelial cells versus mock-infected cells. Reference genes were glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and TATA-binding protein. Bars represent mean relative expression, with error bars showing standard deviation. cultures/condition. Data were analyzed by two-tailed Student’s -test. (b) DENV-infected and mock-infected retinal pigment epithelial cells viewed by light microscopy. Original magnification = 100x. (c) DENV- and mock-infected retinal pigment epithelial cells immunolabeled to detect double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and DENV antigen (Ag). Alexa Fluor 555 (red) and Alexa Fluor 488 (green) with Hoechst 33342 nuclear counterstain (blue). Original magnification: 630x. (d) Graphs of DENV RNA copy number for DENV-infected retinal pigment epithelial monolayers and plaque-forming units (pfu) for culture supernatant collected from infected cells. cultures/condition. Bars represent mean DENV RNA copy number (relative to peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA)) or pfu/mL, with error bars showing standard deviation.

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