The lack of apoptosis and necrosis seen in the brains of mice infected with the D355A mutant (Fig. 7) suggests that, during in vivo infection, decreasing ncgRNA production by increasing nsP1 capping efficiency leads to decreased viral induction of neuronal apoptosis and, therefore, decreased glutamate release, resulting in the reduced death of infected and uninfected neurons. This evidence concerns the gene SH2D3A and infection.