Fig. 5: The STAT3-TIM-3 axis promotes cDC2 abundance in chronically LD-infected mice.

A Experimental procedure for DC adoptive transfer: BALB/c BMDCs (1 × 10⁶) were transfected (or not) with control siRNA or with STAT3-specific siRNA either alone or together with control vector (Ctrl vec) or TIM-3-expressing vector (TIM-3 vec) (see Supplementary Fig. 10 demonstrating the level of TIM-3 on these cells). BMDCs (1 × 10⁶) were then transferred intravenously into LD-infected BALB/c mice on specified days postinfection (indicated by arrows). On the 48th day postinfection, the spleen and liver of these LD-infected mice were isolated for various analyses [(B) and (C) panels of this figure, and Figs. 6 and 7]. The efficiency of STAT3 silencing in BMDCs localized to the spleens of recipient mice one day after the transfer is shown in Supplementary Fig. 2B. B, C The frequency (B) and the number (per 1.5 × 10⁴ CD11c⁺ sDCs; C) of cDC1 and cDC2 in the spleens of mice treated as in panel (A), analyzed by flow cytometry on the 48th day postinfection. A representative (n = 6) flow cytometry data is presented in panel (B), and compiled data of n = 6 mice per group are presented in panel (C). Error bars indicate SD. ^**p < 0.01, ^***p < 0.001; NS, not significant.