Virulence-Dependent Alterations in the Kinetics of Immune Cells during Pulmonary Infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Fig 4
Analysis of T cell kinetics, subtypes, and polarization in Mtb-infected mice.
Single-cell suspensions prepared from lung tissues of mice infected with Mtb strains at 2, 5, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 112 days post-infection. A representative gating strategy (at 112 days post-infection) for the assessment of CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells is shown in the left panel of (A), (B), and (C). CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were stained with the indicated surface and transcription factor antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry. (D) Bar graphs display the absolute numbers of CD3+/CD4+ and CD3+/CD8+ T cells in the lungs at 2, 5, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 112 days post-infection. (E) Using CD3+CD4+ T cells as the parent gate, specific staining for the transcription factors T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt and Foxp3 in lung cells from Mtb-infected mice is shown at various time points. Line graphs show the expression of T-bet (Th1 cells), GATA-3 (Th2 cells), RORγt (Th17 cells) and Foxp3 (Tregs) in CD3+/CD4+ T cell populations at the indicated time points. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001, Mtb K-infected group vs. Mtb H37Rv-infected group. One representative plot out of two independent experiments is shown.