Considering the extensive distribution of α-synuclein aggregates throughout the CNS following infection with WEEV and since neurodegenerative mechanisms are likely to be common despite the sensitivity of the substantia nigra, we determined the transcriptional profiles using quantitative PCR arrays (qPCR arrays) on whole-brain homogenates to examine the expression of genes associated with a neurodegenerative phenotype (Supplementary Fig. 3). This evidence concerns the gene SNCA and infection.