Additionally, consistent with the reduction of the surface TfR receptor levels and their reduced ability to accumulate a labile iron pool within persistently infected cells, Rab35 knock-down cells also showed a significantly reduced uptake of Alexa Fluor labeled Transferrin at 24 h post infection (2.2-fold, p = 0.0001, Fig 4I and 4J). The gene discussed is TF; the disease is infection.