Tmprss2 Is Essential for Influenza H1N1 Virus Pathogenesis in Mice
Figure 1
Tmprss2 is essential for spread and pathogenesis of H1N1 influenza viruses.
Eight to eleven weeks old female mice were infected with 2×105 FFU mouse-adapted PR8M (H1N1; A), 2×105 FFU HA4 (pH1N1, B), 2×103 FFU mouse-adapted PR8F (H1N1; C). Body weight loss was monitored until day 14 p.i. Mice with a weight loss of more than 30% of the starting bodyweight were euthanized and recorded as dead. Weight loss data represent mean values +/− SEM. Note that only data of surviving mice are presented (e.g. about 50% of infected mice died after infection with PR8M, see Fig. S1). Body weight loss was significantly different between wild type and homozygous mutant mice at day 6 p.i. (p<0.0001 for PR8M infected mice, and p<0.0001 for HA4 infected mice, using the non-parametric Mann Whitney U test) and between heterozygous and homozygous mutant mice (PR8M infected mice, p<0.0001 using the Mann Whitney U test).