Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of mouse lungs after exposure to early SARS-CoV-2 bearing 614G, Kappa or Delta variant

Age-matched K18-hACE2 transgenic mice were passively transferred with human COVID-19 mRNA post-vaccination (post-vac) sera followed by the lethal challenge with different SARS-CoV-2 viruses via intranasal route, including (1) New York-PV09158/2020 (NY) of lineage B.1.3 bearing 614G, (2) Kappa (B.1.617.1) and (3) Delta (B.1.617.2). Mouse lungs were harvested on 5 days post infection (dpi). Total RNA was extracted using QIAgen RNeasy Plus Mini Kit and was reverse transcribed using the High-Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Resultant cDNA was used as the template along with RT2 SYBR Green ROX qPCR Mastermix (Qiagen) to perform RT² Profiler™ PCR Array Mouse Hypoxia Signaling Pathway (Qiagen) real-time PCR in Stratagene MX3000p qPCR system. qPCR gene expression profiling. Lung homogenates from 6 SARS-CoV-2 infected K18-hACE2 transgenic mice on dpi 5 were treated as indicated in the summary. Total RNA extracted was analyzed individually.