Fig. 3

Early hepatic IFN-β is induced in a STING-dependent manner. IFN-β reporter (rep) (Ifnb^wt/Δβ-luc), MyTrMa KO IFN-β reporter (Myd88^−/− Trif^−/−Mavs^−/−Ifnb^wt/Δβ-luc), and STING KO IFN-β reporter (Tmem173^−/−Ifnb^wt/∆β-luc) mice were i.v. infected with 5 × 10⁵ pfu MCMV Δm157. a At the indicated time points luciferin was i.v. injected and luciferase activity was monitored by in vivo imaging. b Ventral and left flank regions were marked as regions of interest and bioluminescence imaging signals were quantified. Data represent at least two independently performed experiments. One representative mouse out of at least seven similar ones is shown. (IFN-β reporter n ≥ 8, MyTrMa KO IFN-β reporter n ≥ 7, STING KO IFN-β reporter n ≥ 8, **p ≤ 0.0067, ***p < 0.0001; ns = not statistically significant; a two-tailed Mann-Whitney test was used to calculate p-values). Luminescence was measured in relative light units (RLU) of c liver and d spleen homogenates ex vivo. Mean values are shown. e Ex vivo measured luminescence of liver and spleen homogenates was quantified. Data represent at least two independently performed experiments. (IFN-β reporter n ≥ 6, MyTrMa KO IFN-β reporter n ≥ 5, STING KO IFN-β reporter n ≥ 6; *p ≤ 0.0452, **p ≤ 0.0025, ***p ≤ 0.0003; ns = not statistically significant; a two-tailed Mann-Whitney test was used to calculate p-values). Error bars indicate mean ± s.e.m.