Figure 2. Increased expression of IL17 and Th17-signature genes in Blimp-1-deficient effector/memory cells.

CD4⁺ antigen-experienced (CD44^High) T cells were sorted from pooled SP and mLN from Ctrl or Blimp-1 CKO mice and stimulated in vitro with plate-bound anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 and IL17 production was measured by ICC staining and FACS analysis at 6 hours (A) or in the supernatants by ELISA at 48 hours (B). Il17a, Il23r, RORC, and BATF steady state mRNA levels (C) were measured by qRT PCR in Ctrl and Blimp-1 CKO stimulated as in (A). Results shown in A-C are representative of two to three independent experiments with three to five mice/group. Bars show average and error bars represent SEM. Results in C are presented relative to 18S expression.