Fig. 3: gC enhances IFN-γ-induced ICAM1 and MHCII protein levels at the plasma membrane via IFNGR.

a–c HaCaT (a, b) cells or NHEK (c) were mock-stimulated or stimulated with 5 ng/mL IFN-γ, 300 nM VZV gC constructs or both for 24 h and then labelled with antibodies binding ICAM1, MHCII, and stained with Zombie-NIR dye. Cells were analysed by flow cytometry and median fluorescence intensities were determined after gating on single alive cells. Bar charts show the fold change of mean ± SD of ICAM1 (a, c) or MHCII (b) surface protein levels induced by gC constructs to either unstimulated or IFN-γ baseline. Each symbol in the graphs shown in (a-c) corresponds to one independent biological experiment (n = 3 biological replicates). d, e HaCaT cells were pre-treated with 2 μg/mL IFNGR1-neutralising antibody or isotype control for 2 h followed by the addition of 5 ng/mL IFN-γ, 300 nM gC or both for 24 h prior to flow cytometry analysis, as described. Bar charts show the fold change mean ± SD of ICAM1 (d) or MHCII (e) levels compared to unstimulated cells. Each symbol in the graphs shown in (d, e) corresponds to one independent biological experiment (n = 3 biological replicates). One-way ANOVA, followed by Šídák’s multiple comparisons was performed (comparing condition with gC to baseline without gC (a–c) and comparing between isotype and neutralising antibody (d, e)). *P < 0.033; **P < 0.002; ***P < 0.001. Data were provided as Source Data.