Table 1.

Description of the mouse groups involved in this study

No. of animals	Immunization	Centers	Source	Timepoint
5	TSHR	1	Intestinal scraping	T4
10	TSHR	2	I.S./Feces	T0–T4*
8	βgal	2	I.S./Feces	T0–T4*
6	Untreated	2	I.S./Feces	T4°

A total of 23 female BALB/cOlaHsd, 6–8-week-old mice were challenged either with the pTriEx1.1Neo-hTSHR to induce disease (TSHR group) or with pTriEx1.1Neo-β-gal as a plasmid control group (βgal group). Independent SPF animal units were based in London (Center 1) and Essen (Center 2). An untreated group of six mice has been included as a background control. Samples collection comprised of intestine scraping (I.S.) from Center 1 and both fecal pellets and I.S. within Center 2

*Fecal pellets of βgal and TSHR-immunized mice have been collected before any immunization (T0) and during the time course of the immunization protocol until the sacrifice (T4), as represented in Additional file 1: Figure S1

°Untreated mice were sampled at T4 before (fecal) and after the sacrifice (intestinal scraping)