NKp30 and NKp46 ligands are constitutively expressed on moDCs and are down-regulated at late stages of HCMV infection. (A) NKp30 and NKp46 ligand expression on moDCs was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry using soluble recombinant NKp30-Fc and NKp46-Fc fusion proteins as described in “Expression of NCR-Fc chimeric constructs and immunofluorescence.” Staining with NKp30-Fc and NKp46-Fc (filled histograms) was compared with control human IgG1 (thin line, open histograms) and with secondary antibodies alone (dotted line, open histograms). Inserted numbers correspond to geometric means. (B) Mock moDCs (filled histograms), UV-TB40/E moDCs (dotted line, open histograms), and TB40/E moDCs (bold line, open histograms) were surface labeled at 48 hours and 72 hours after virus exposure by indirect immunofluorescence with NKp30-Fc and NKp46-Fc. Staining with a human IgG1 is included as a control (thin open histograms). Results of a representative experiment (70% IE-1/IE-2+ cells) of 4 performed are shown.