Extended Data Fig. 7: Mice lacking Ifnar1 exhibit normal innervation patterns, sensory neuron numbers, and sensorimotor behaviours.
From: STING controls nociception via type I interferon signalling in sensory neurons
a–f, Hindpaw skin was collected from Ifnar1+/+ or Ifnar1−/− mice and immunostained for TuJ1 (a), CGRP (c) or IB4 (e) with DAPI as in Extended Data Fig. 4. Quantification of epidermal TuJ1+ (b), CGRP+ (d) and IB4+ (f) nerve fibres indicate that similar skin innervation densities for each marker in WT and KO mice. Scale bar for (a–f) is 50 μm. g–i, L3–L5 spinal cord segments were collected from Ifnar1+/+ or Ifnar1−/− mice and immunostained for CGRP (red) and IB4 (green) to label central nociceptive terminals in the dorsal horn. g, Representative images, scale bar is 100 μm. Image J quantification of CGRP (h) and IB4 (i) pixel density (displayed in arbitrary units, A.U.) indicates similar densities of central innervation. j, k, L5 DRGs were collected from Ifnar1+/+ and Ifnar1−/− mice and total cell counts were performed as in Extended Data Fig. 4 using TuJ1 (purple) and DAPI (blue) (j). Scale bar is 200 μm. k, Quantification of total DRG neuron numbers indicated that Ifnar1+/+ or Ifnar1−/− mice have similar numbers of L5 DRG neurons. l–n, No differences were observed between Ifnar1+/+ and Ifnar1−/− mice in the tape test (l), in the accelerating rotarod test (m), or in locomotor activity in the open field test (n) (30 min duration). All data are expressed as the mean ± s.e.m. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001. Statistical comparisons were conducted with two-tailed t-test. See Supplementary Information for complete sample sizes, sex, and statistical information.
