RNA-seq analysis of WT or cGAS−/− BMDCs infected or mock-infected with either MVA or MVA∆E5R demonstrated that MVA∆E5R infection in WT BMDCs induced higher levels of type I IFN and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines genes, including Ifnb1, Ccl5, Ccl12, Il12b, Il6, Il27, DC maturation and activation markers such as CD86, CD40, and CD69, as well as genes involved in antigen cross-presentation, including Tap1, H2-Q4, H2-Q6, and H2-Q7, compared with MVA (Fig. 6d and Supplementary Fig. 5a, b). Here, CD69 is linked to infection.