Figure 1.

CXCR7 is expressed by endothelial cells within the CNS and B cells within lymphoid tissues. Spinal cord sections derived from naive CXCR7^GFP/+ mice (a, b, and f) and from those with EAE (c–e, g, and h) were evaluated via confocal microscopy for GFP fluorescence alone (green; a–d) or with expression of CD45 (red; e) and, after amplification with anti-GFP antibodies, in conjunction with detection of CD31 (f and g) and CD45 (h). All nuclei are counterstained with ToPro3 (blue). Bars, 25 µm. Quantitation of mean numbers of GFP⁺ venules (i) and mean GFP levels (j) in spinal cord (SC), brainstem (BS), and cerebella (CB) of naive or EAE CXCR7^GFP/+ mice are shown. Data are expressed as the mean intensity per vessel for n = 12 images taken from 3 mice/group. *, P < 0.01. Flow cytometric analysis of expression of GFP and leukocyte markers in cells derived from spleens (top) and lymph nodes (LNs, bottom) of MOG-immunized wild-type (red lines) and CXCR7^GFP/+ (black lines) mice (k). (l) Spleen and LN cells were stained with indicated antibodies; numbers indicate percentages of CD19⁺ cells expression GFP. Data are representative of two experiments with three mice per group.