Figure 3.

M-TBK1 KO mice have a less severe host response to influenza than WT mice. (A) Survival and (B) weight curves for mice infected intranasally with 5 × 10⁴ egg-infective dose (tissue culture–infective dose [TCID₅₀], 366) of influenza A virus (IAV) strain PR8. Mortality was assessed by Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon test and weight by two-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons (Šidák correction). (C) Viral infection level as measured by RT-qPCR of IAV M2 gene from lung homogenates at Days 1–14. (D) Viral infection level as measured by TCID₅₀ from lung homogenates at Day 6. (E) Arterial oxygen saturation, (F) heart rate, and (G) respiratory rate at Days 0 and 6. n = 3–8 mice per group in two independent experiments. (H) BAL fluid (BALF) protein measurements from mice at Days 0–14 after infection. (I) Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurements in BALF from mice at Day 6. (J) Leukocyte counts in BALF assessed using cell counts and cytospins on Day 6. (K) Representative cytospin images from BAL at Day 6. Panels H–J depict six to eight mice per group and two or three independent experiments. Panels D–J reflect analysis by two-tailed unpaired t test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, and ***P < 0.005. ActB = β-actin; U = units.