Fig. 4: During IAV infection, lung pDCs increase and produce IFN-I.
a,b, Ifnb1EYFP mice were infected (i.n.) with 160 p.f.u. of IAV and analyzed at different time points p.i. pDC (a) and YFP+ pDC (b) percentages within lung CD45+ cells (data presented as mean ± s.e.m.) isolated from infected Ifnb1EYFP mice were determined. n = 2 at 0, 3 at 2, 6 at 4 and 6, 4 at 8 days p.i. In a,b, a nonparametric one-way ANOVA (Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s post hoc test) was used for statistical analysis. c, IFNα and IFNβ concentrations were analyzed in the BAL of CTR and pDC-less mice uninfected (0) or at indicated days p.i. Each dot represents an individual. The data shown (mean ± s.e.m.) are pooled from two independent experiments (n = 3 per strain at 0, 3 CTR and 2 pDC-less at 2, 6 CTR and 7 pDC-less for IFNα and 7 per strain for IFNβ at 3, 6 per strain at 6 and 7 per strain at 8 days p.i.). Data were analyzed using an unpaired and nonparametric two-sided multiple t-test (Mann–Whitney) with Holm–Sidak correction. d–i, Representative images of lung sections of SCRIPT mice at 4 p.i. Sections were stained with anti-CD45 (white), anti-HA IAV (orange), anti-Tomato (Tom; purple) and anti-YFP (green). On each image acquired, CD45 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in highly inflamed areas was at least twice that of lowly inflamed areas. j–m, The numbers of CD45+ cells (j), HA (IAV)+ cells (k), pDCs (l) and YFP+ pDCs (m) per mm² were quantified in highly and lowly inflamed areas. The data shown (mean ± s.e.m.) are from five SCRIPT mice at 2, 5 at 3, 10 at 4 and 4 at 6 p.i., with two lung sections analyzed per mouse. An unpaired and nonparametric two-sided multiple t-test (Mann–Whitney) with Holm–Sidak correction was used for statistical analysis.
