Figure 8

Detection of viral genomes is significantly reduced in salivary glands during persistence. Three-month-old female BALB/c mice were inoculated i.p. with 5x10⁵ PFU of WT MCMV (WT) or MCMVdel SD (SDM). DNA was harvested from the indicated organs of three mice per infection group at 14 days post infection and viral genomes were quantified by qPCR using a primer probe set specific for the M54 MCMV gene and normalized to the beta-actin cellular gene. Bars represent the mean and error bars represent the standard error of the mean (SEM). p values represent the Student’s T Test result between WT MCMV and MCMVdel SD infected mice (*p < 0.05 **p < 0.01 ***p < 0.001 ****p < 0.0001).