Fig. 2.
CR3 mediates phagocytosis of B. burgdorferi by BMMs. (A) Phagocytosis of Bb914 by BMMs generated from CD11b-deficient mice (blue histogram) or B6 controls (black histogram). The 4 °C binding control is represented by the gray histograms. The cells were tested at an m.o.i. of 1 (Upper) and 10 (Lower). (B) Confocal micrograph of a BMM showing colocalization of GFP (B. burgdorferi Bb914, green) and CD11b (blue). The small micrographs represent internalized B. burgdorferi (arrows) that displayed presence or absence of colocalization with CD11b. (C) In vivo phagocytosis of B. burgdorferi by CD11b-deficient and wild-type B6 mice injected intraperitoneally with 1 × 107 spirochetes. A B6 mouse was also injected with non-GFP (WT) B. burgdorferi to control for migration of inflammatory cells into the peritoneum. The peritoneal lavages were analyzed after 6 h by flow cytometry. Shown are representative results for a total of three CD11b-deficient and three control B6 mice.