Deep transcriptional sequencing of mucosal challenge compartment from rhesus macaques acutely infected with simian immunodeficiency virus implicates loss of cell adhesion preceding immune activation

Recent studies of nonhuman primates (NHPs) have suggested that during the acute phase of infection, antiviral mucosal immunity is restricting viral replication in the primary infection compartment. These studies imply that HIV achieves systemic infection as a consequence of a failure in host antiviral immunity. Here, we used high-dose intrarectal inoculation of rhesus macaques with SIVmac251 to examine how the mucosal immune system is overcome by SIV during acute infection. The host response in rectal mucosa was characterized by mRNA deep sequencing (mRNA-seq) at 3 and 12 days post inoculation (DPI) in 4 animals for each time point. The eight RMs were intrarectally challenged with SIVmac251 using 1 mL of a high-dose inoculum (6000 TCID50/mL). SIV inoculates were deposited at a rectal depth of 25 mm from the anus. Baseline rectal samples were obtained 14 days prior to viral challenge by pinch biopsy.