When we infected cells with JCV and then transfected them with the pooled 5p and 3p antisense inhibitors, a highly reproducible, albeit modest, increase in large-TAg protein levels was observable at late times postinfection (Fig.3B), when the miRNAs are made. These results demonstrate that the JCV miRNAs downregulate early protein levels and that the antisense inhibitors we designed were effective at blocking, at least partially, the functions of both JCV miRNAs.
