Fig. 7: Specific re-expression of cytosolic LCN2 in astrocytes motivates phagocytic activation and demyelination in Lcn2^−/− mice.

A Experimental flow chart. B Representative immunostaining images of the transfection of GFP (green) reporter LV into astrocytes (GFAP, red) with enforced cytosolic LCN2 (blue) expression in the CC. White arrows indicated astrocytes transfected with LV. Scale bar, 20 μm. C, D Representative images and statistical analysis of C3d (blue) co-stained with GFAP (red) in mice receiving LV-NC or LV-Lcn2(Δ2–20) on the 3rd and 7th day after dMCAO (n = 5 mice; mean ± S.D.; *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001 vs. LV-NC 3d; two-way ANOVA, Tukey post hoc test). Scale bar, 20 μm. E–G Representative confocal, 3D images and quantifications of Galectin3⁺ (blue) phagocytic astrocytes (GFAP⁺, red) internalizing myelin debris (dMBP⁺, green). (n = 75 cells from five animals in each group for quantification of debris in a single astrocyte, n = 5 mice for others; mean ± S.D.; **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 vs. LV-NC 3d; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 vs. LV-Lcn2(Δ2–20) 3d; two-way ANOVA, Tukey post hoc test). Scale bar, 20 μm. H, I Representative MBP, MAG, NF200 staining and quantifications from Lcn2^−/− dMCAO mice receiving LV (n = 5 mice; mean ± S.D.; **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 vs. LV-NC 3d; two-way ANOVA, Tukey post hoc test). Scale bar, 20 μm. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.