Fig. 8: Genetics and environmental factors predict outcomes during exposure with T. muris parasite.
From: Genetic and environmental interactions contribute to immune variation in rewilded mice
Significant variation in worm burden among exposed mice, 3 weeks after inoculation with 200 eggs of T. muris per host, Block 1 and Block 2, Supplementary Data 12. a, Worm burden (number of nematodes remaining in the cecum at that timepoint) followed a negative binomial distribution. b, Worm burden depicted as number of worms per mouse (left, n = 75, C57BL/6 Lab = 11, 129S1 Lab = 11, PWK/PhJ Lab = 9, C57BL/6 RW = 16, 129S1 RW = 14, PWK/PhJ RW = 14, dots represent individual mice) and percentage of mice (Prevalence) still infected by worms (right). Each was predicted by a combination of genetic and environmental effects, including Gen × Env for worm burden (see text). c, When we used PC2 from the scRNA-seq data (Fig. 3b) as an index of immune variation among individuals in our statistical models, we found that Gen × Env was no longer significant. Instead, the best model included main effects of host strain (C57BL/6 versus 129SL versus PWK/PhJ), environment (Lab versus RW) and PC2. The figure depicts 1,000 model-estimated values for the effect of each predictor on worm burden. The three different inbred strains of mice, 129S1, C57BL/6 and PWK/PhJ mice, were infected with T. muris under laboratory conditions, and at day 14 post infection, MLN cells were collected and stimulated with PMA/ION. d, The proportion and numbers of CD4+ T cells producing IFNγ, IL-13 and IL-4 at day 14 following infection with T. muris are calculated and displayed as mean ± s.e.m.; dots represent individual mice. NS P > 0.05; **P < 0.01; females (triangular dots), males (circle dots). For IFNγ, IL-13, n = 48; 129S1 Uninfected = 6, 129S1 T. muris = 14, C57BL/6 Uninfected = 6, C57BL/6 T. muris = 16, PWK/PhJ Uninfected = 5, PWK/PhJ T. muris = 11 over 5 experiments, For IL-4, n = 44; 129S1 Uninfected = 5, 129S1 T. muris = 10, C57BL/6 Uninfected = 5, C57BL/6 T. muris = 12, PWK/PhJ Uninfected = 4, PWK/PhJ T. muris = 8 over 4–5 experiments. PMA/ION, phorbol myristate acetate/ionomycin.
