Fig. 2: SARS-CoV-2 replicates in human macrophages.
From: Inflammasome activation in infected macrophages drives COVID-19 pathology
a, Representative flow cytometry plots and frequencies of mNG+ human (CD68+) or mouse (F4/80+) lung macrophages in SARS-CoV-2-mNG infected MISTRG6-hACE2 mice. n = 7 (human) and n = 6 (mouse) mice over at least three experiments. b, Quantification of gRNA and sgRNA (E gene)40,63 in sorted mNG+ or mNG− epithelial cells or human immune cells. n = 3 mice over 2 experiments. Mean values are shown with data points. ND, not detected. c, Representative fluorescence microscopy images of dsRNA (rJ2), CD68 and DAPI staining in fixed lung tissues from SARS-CoV-2-infected MISTRG6-hACE2 mice. Representative of n = 5 mice examined over 3 experiments. The yellow rectangle indicates the region magnified on the right. The yellow arrow indicates colocalization of CD68 with dsRNA. Pseudocolours were assigned. d, Representative fluorescence microscopy images of RdRp, CD68 and DAPI staining in fixed lung tissues from SARS-CoV-2-infected MISTRG6-hACE2 mice. Representative of n = 5 mice examined over 3 experiments. The yellow arrows indicate colocalization of human CD68 with dsRNA. The yellow rectangle indicates the region magnified above. Pseudocolours were assigned. For c and d, scale bars, 50 μm. e, The frequencies of mNG+ human immune cells in remdesivir-treated (1–3 d.p.i.) or control MISTRG6-hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2-mNG. n = 6 mice were examined over 3 experiments. Mean values are shown with data points. f, The frequencies of mNG+ human immune cells after ACE2 blockade (1–3 d.p.i.) in MISTRG6 (no AAV) mice infected with SARS-CoV-2-mNG. n = 5 (control infected) and n = 6 (anti-ACE2 treated) mice were examined over 2 experiments. Mean values are shown with data points. g, Representative flow cytometry plots and frequencies of mNG+ macrophages in infected MISTRG6-hACE2 mice treated with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)19,45,64 at 35 h.p.i. n = 7 (control infected) and n = 4 (treated) mice were examined over 2 experiments. Mean values are shown with data points. h, The frequencies of mNG+ human immune cells in MISTRG6-hACE2 mice after CD16 blockade (2 d.p.i.). n = 6 mice were examined over 3 experiments. Mean values are shown with data points. Statistical analysis was performed using unpaired (a and g) and paired (e, f and h) two-tailed t-tests.
