Fig. 6: IL-33 leads to aberrant accumulation of mTECs independently of thymocytes. | Nature Communications

Fig. 6: IL-33 leads to aberrant accumulation of mTECs independently of thymocytes.

From: IL-33 induces thymic involution-associated naive T cell aging and impairs host control of severe infection

Fig. 6

a, b Representative and quantified flow cytometry of ST2+ cells gated on CD45+EpCaM-, CD45-EpCaM+, or CD45-EpCaM- cells in the thymus (n = 3 mice). c Quantification of flow cytometry of annexin V+ cells from the purified thymocytes treated with IL-33 for 3 days (n = 6 mice, pool of two independent experiments). P = 0.9057 (CD4+CD8+), P = 0.8832 (CD4+CD8-), P = 0.5614 (CD4-CD8+). d–f Representative and quantified flow cytometry of cTECs or mTECs from the thymus in dGUO-treated FTOCs treated with IL-33 (PBS or IL-33, n = 7 or 6 biologically independent samples of fetal thymic lobes, pool of two independent experiments). P = 0.0011 (mTEC), P = 0.0011 (cTEC). g, h Quantification of flow cytometry of annexin V+ cells or Ki67+ cells, gated on TEC, cTEC, or mTEC from the thymus cultured in FTOC treated with IL-33 (n = 6 biologically independent samples of fetal thymic lobes, pool of two independent experiments). IL-33+TEC versus PBS + TEC, P < 0.0001 (Apoptosis), P < 0.0001 (Proliferation); PBS + mTEC versus PBS + cTEC, P = 0.0156 (Apoptosis), P < 0.0001 (Proliferation); IL-33+mTEC versus IL-33+cTEC, P = 0.7150 (Apoptosis), P = 0.0001 (Proliferation). i Representative and quantified western blots of P100/P52 in TECs from the thymus cultured in FTOCs treated with IL-33 (n = 3 biologically independent samples of fetal thymic lobes). P = 0.0067 (P100), P = 0.0013 (P52). j–l Representative and quantified flow cytometry of mTECs or cTECs from the thymus in FTOCs treated with IL-33 and/or NIK inhibitor (NIKi; n = 8 biologically independent samples of fetal thymic lobes, pool of two independent experiments). IL-33+Veh versus Veh, P < 0.0001 (mTEC or cTEC); IL-33+Veh versus IL-33+NIKi (Veh), P < 0.0001 (mTEC or cTEC). c, e, f, i Unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test; g, h, k, l One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons. All data are shown as the mean ± s.d; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, NS, not significant. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Back to article page