Figure 6

Fetal gene expression associated with cardiac function. Expression of genes associated with cardiac contractility (RYR2, ATP2A2 and PLN), response to stress (CAMK2D and AGT), and muscle fiber maturation (MYH6 and MYH7) in the heart of fetuses derived from gestational day matched, non-inoculated control gilts (CON n = 10) and from PRRSV2 challenged dams at 12 days post-inoculation and classified based on serum and thymic viral load as uninfected (UNIF n = 13), high viral load viable (HV-VIA n = 8) or high viral load meconium stained (HV-MEC n = 16). Gene expression was determined by qPCR and fold changes were calculated relative to the average of the CON with unique superscripts denoting statistical differences (P < 0.05) within a given gene.