Extended Data Fig. 4: Caspase-6 KO in hDPP4 KI mice reduces virus replication and virus-induced lung damage.
From: Coronaviruses exploit a host cysteine-aspartic protease for replication
a Schematic of caspase-6 KO in hDPP4 KI mice. b Western blot analysis of caspase-6 expression from caspase-6 WT and caspase-6 KO hDPP4 KI mice. c-e hDPP4 KI/caspase-6 KO and hDPP4 KI/caspase-6 WT mice were intranasally inoculated with 2.5x103PFU MERS-CoVMA. Mouse lung samples were harvested at day 2 and day 4 post infection. MERS-CoV N antigen expression at 2 dpi was determined with immunofluorescence staining (c). Scale bar in (c) represented 100 μm. Representative images of haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained lungs from MERS-CoVMA-infected hDPP4 KI/caspase-6 KO and hDPP4 KI/caspase-6 WT mice were shown (d). Scale bar in (d) represented 500 μm. Representative images of immunofluorescence staining of lungs from MERS-CoVMA-infected hDPP4 KI/caspase-6 KO and hDPP4 KI/caspase-6 WT mice at low magnification (e). Scale bar in (e) represented 500 μm. The experiments in (b–e) was repeated three times independently with similar results.
