Fig. 6: Plasma proteome profiles of C8a−/− and Npc2+/− mouse strains.
From: Proteotyping of knockout mouse strains reveals sex- and strain-specific signatures in blood plasma
a Differences in plasma proteome profiles between C8a−/− mice and C57BL/6NCrl background controls; data points in blue circles represent erythrocyte-originating proteins likely introduced during sample collection. b Differences in plasma proteome profiles between Npc2+/− mice and C57BL/6NCrl background controls. c Images of hematoxylin and eosin (HE)-stained tissue sections from spleen, lymph node, bone marrow, brain medulla, and cerebellum of wild type, heterozygous and homozygous Npc2 KO, i.e. Npc2+/+, Npc2+/−, and Npc2−/− respectively, all females. The absence of the Npc2 protein in Npc2−/− mice is reflected in histopathological changes compared to Npc2+/+, while Npc2+/− shows no such changes. In spleen and lymph node hemolymphatic histiocytosis (foamy cells, enlarged lipid-laden macrophages) are visible only in Npc2−/−. Brain sections show an example of widespread neuronal microvesicular cytoplasmic vacuolation in vestibular nuclei of the medulla oblongata in the homozygous mice. Sections of cerebellum show Purkinje cell loss and degeneration in Npc2−/−, but not in Npc2+/+ nor Npc2+/−. Although no pathological difference was observed in the tissue sections of Npc2+/−, there was a clear discriminating protein profile quantified in collected blood plasma of these mice compared to the background wild type.
