Fig. 6. Caspase-1/11 KO mice have an impaired response to infection.

a, b Chronically infected C57B6/J mice were injected i.p. with 20 mg/kg propidium iodide. 24 h later, mice were sacrificed and brains were imaged with confocal microscopy. A representative image is shown. c, d Mice expressing ASC-citrine (c) or ASC-citrine and CX3CR1-cre^ERT2ZsGreen (d) were infected with 10 cysts of the Me49 strain of T. gondii. 4 weeks post infection brains were harvested, cryopreserved, stained, and imaged. Arrows indicate ASC aggregates in Iba1⁺ cells (c) or in ZsGreen⁺ microglial cells (d). e–i WT and casp-1/11KO mice were infected with 10 cysts of the Me49 strain of T. gondii. 6 weeks p.i. brains were harvested and analyzed. Paired averages for 3–6 experiments are shown. e Cyst burden per brain was determined by counting cysts in brain homogenate on a light microscope. (n = 20 mice, p = 0.034). f Infiltrating myeloid cell populations were quantified by flow cytometry. Cells were pre-gated on singlets/live/CD45⁺/CD11c⁻. (n = 51 mice, p = 1.47 × 10⁻⁴). g iNOS⁺ cell populations were quantified, cells were pre-gated on singlets/live/CD45⁺/CD11c⁻/CD11b⁺/CD45^hi. (n = 51 mice, p = 0.0024). h, i CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cell populations were quantified, cells were pre-gated on live/singlets/CD3⁺. h (n = 41 mice). g (n = 51 mice, p = 7.47 × 10⁻⁴). j, k Brain slices from WT (j) and caspase-1/11 KO (k) mice were H&E stained and representative images are shown. Arrow heads indicate parasite cysts. Statistics were performed using a randomized block ANOVA (two way) (e–i). Scale bars in (a, b) are 400 μm, scale bar in (d) is 15 μm, all other scale bars are 50 μm. Source data (e–i) are provided as a Sourcedata file.