TNFα and IFNγ but Not Perforin Are Critical for CD8 T Cell-Mediated Protection against Pulmonary Yersinia pestis Infection
Figure 5
Selective depletion of TNFα from either macrophages/neutrophils or T cells does not impact the protection conferred by YopE69–77 immunization.
Mice with (A) monocyte/neutrophil-specific (MN-TNF KO) or (B) T cell-specific (T-TNF KO) deletion of TNFα were immunized with CT adjuvant alone or CT mixed with YopE69–77 peptide and challenged intranasally with 20 MLD Y. pestis strain D27. Littermate TNF-floxed (TNF flox/flox) mice were used as controls. In comparison with CT-immunized mice (n = 10–14), YopE69–77-immunized MN-TNF KO mice (n = 20) and T-TNF KO mice (n = 19) were protected against Y. pestis challenge (p<0.0001) with no significant difference from YopE69–77-immunized TNF flox/flox mice (n = 12–13 mice/group). Data were pooled from 3 (A) and 5 (B) independent experiments.