Fig. 4: Fetal testis monocytes gradually differentiate into testicular macrophages after birth. | Nature Communications

Fig. 4: Fetal testis monocytes gradually differentiate into testicular macrophages after birth.

From: Testicular macrophages are recruited during a narrow fetal time window and promote organ-specific developmental functions

Fig. 4

a Strategy for 4-OHT-induced lineage-tracing and harvesting of testes from Cx3cr1creER; Rosa-Tomato embryos and juvenile/adult mice. The embryo image was created with BioRender.com software (BioRender.com). b–j Representative images (n = 3 independent gonads) of testes at various stages from Cx3cr1creER; Rosa-Tomato mice exposed to 4-OHT at E12.5 (b–d), E18.5 (e, f), or to TAM at P4 and P5 (g–j). Arrowheads denote Tomato-expressing IBA1+ or F4/80+ macrophages and arrows denote Tomato-negative CD45+ cells. Thin scale bar, 100 μm; thick scale bar, 25 μm. k–n Graphs showing quantification (n = 3 independent gonads) of percent Tomato-expressing F4/80+ macrophages at E18.5 or P7 (k), percent Tomato-expressing CD45+ cells at E18.5 or P7 (l), and percent Tomato-expressing interstitial (CD206+) and peritubular (MHCII+) macrophages at P30 (m) or P90 (n) in Cx3cr1creER; Rosa-Tomato testes induced with 4-OHT or TAM at various embryonic or postnatal stages. Data are shown as mean +/– SD. **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001 (two-tailed Student’s t test). Exact P values are provided in the Source Data file.

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