Fig. 1: ATG7 expression is decreased in NTM-PD patients and is required for antimicrobial responses during NTM lung infection.

a Dot-plot illustrating the relative ATG7 mRNA expression normalized to GAPDH in PBMCs from healthy controls (HCs, n = 39) and NTM patients (M. abscessus subsp. abscessus [Mabc], n = 31; M. abscessus subsp. massiliense [Mmass], n = 22). b, c Immunohistochemical staining of ATG7 in lung tissues from NTM patients (n = 12). ATG7 expression in histocytes (yellow triangle) and giant cells (black triangle) (b). ATG7 immunohistochemical expression in necrotic and non-necrotic region (c). d Atg7 cWT and Atg7 cKO mice were infected with Mabc-R (2 × 10⁶ CFU, n = 4), Mav (1 × 10⁷ CFU, n = 4), or Mint (1 × 10⁷ CFU, Atg7 cWT n = 4; Atg7 cKO n = 3) for 21 days. In vivo bacterial loads in lung tissues were analyzed. e Atg7 cWT and Atg7 cKO mice were infected with ERFP-Mabc-R (2 × 10⁶ CFU) for 7 days. Representative in vivo imaging of lung tissues from mice. f Atg7 cWT and Atg7 cKO mice were infected with Mabc-R (2 × 10⁶ CFU) for 14 days, Mav (1 × 10⁷ CFU), or Mint (1 × 10⁷ CFU) for 21 days. Representative H&E images of lung tissues (left panel). Quantitative analysis of the inflamed area (right panel). e, f are representative of at least three independent experiments performed. Statistical significance was examined by Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparison test (a), and two-tailed Student’s t-tests (c, d, f). Data shown (means ± SEM) represent the combined results of triplicate from three independent experiments (c, d, f). Images are representative of at least three independent experiments (b, e, f). Un uninfected. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.