Fig. 6: The Axl receptor promotes efferocytosis of proapoptotic T cells during acute infection.

Male Axl^−/− (open triangles) and WT (closed triangles) mice were infected sc with T. cruzi parasites. Normal Axl^−/− (open triangles) and WT (closed triangles) mice were used as controls. At 2 wpi, splenocytes were obtained and analysed by flow cytometry. a Each cell population (%) is represented as the mean for each experimental group. b Graphs depict the absolute numbers of total splenocytes, B cells, CD4 T cells, and CD8 T cells. c Representative plots show late (7-AAD⁺AnV⁺) and early (AnV⁺7-AAD^neg) apoptosis for CD4 T cells in WT and Axl^−/− mice. d The percentages of early and late apoptotic T cells are represented for each mouse. e Accumulation of late-apoptotic CD8 T cells in infected Axl^−/− mice. The results are expressed as the means and SEM of n = 4 normal WT and Axl^−/− mice and n = 7 infected WT and Axl^−/− mice for each experimental group. Significant differences, as analysed by ANOVA followed by Bonferroni posttest (noninfected versus infected mice; Axl^−/− versus WT mice), are indicated for *P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01, ^***P < 0.001, and ^****P < 0.0001. All experimental data were analysed except for the outlier in e removed from the infected WT group after Grubbs’ test.