Vav Proteins Are Required for Systemic Antifungal Host Defense
(A–E) Mice of the indicated genotypes were intravenously infected with 1 × 105 CFUs of C. albicans.
(A) Serum IL-6 and TNF levels in WT and Vav1/2/3−/− mice were determined by CBA 6 hr after infection.
(B and C) After 4 days, kidneys were macroscopically examined (B; scale bar, 10 mm), and C. albicans titers were determined in the kidneys (C).
(D) Kidney sections from C. albicans-infected WT and Vav1/2/3−/− mice were stained with H&E or periodic acid-Schiff (PAS; scale bars, 100 μm).
(E) WT (n = 5) and Vav1/2/3−/− (n = 4) mice were monitored daily for health and survival. Statistical survival analyses were performed using the log-rank test (p < 0.005).
(A and C) Each symbol represents an individual mouse; small horizontal lines indicate the mean; error bars indicate the SEM. Data of one experiment in each case are presented. ∗p < 0.05, Student’s t test (A and C, left) and one-way ANOVA (C, right, p = 0.06).