FIG 4.

Adoptive transfer of ILC3-enriched cells but not non-ILC3s sorted from the Rag1^−/− mouse intestinal lamina propria for restoring IL-7R-deficient mice to gain colon resistance to colonization by the IFN-γ-susceptible mutant Chlamydia strain. (a) ILC3-enriched and non-ILC3 cells were sorted from CD45⁺ CD90⁺ double-positive cells, as described in the Fig. 3 legend, as donor cells for adoptive transfer experiments. The transfer was carried out twice with 1 × 10⁵ cells each and 1 day before and 1 day after infection, respectively, as indicated at the bottom. (b to g) The IFN-γ-susceptible mutant Chlamydia strain (clone G28.51.1) was used to infect groups of IL-7R^−/− mice without (b and c) or with the transfer of non-ILC3s (d and e) or ILC3s (f and g). On days 3 and 7 and weekly thereafter after inoculation, rectal swabs were taken (b, d, and f), or on day 28, mouse tissues were harvested (c, e, and g), as indicated along the x axis, for monitoring live chlamydial organisms (see the Fig. 1 legend for tissue name abbreviations). The yields of chlamydial organisms from swabs or tissues are expressed as log₁₀ IFU per swab or tissue, as shown along the y axis. Note that adoptive transfer of ILC3s but not non-ILC3s conferred large intestinal resistance to mutant Chlamydia colonization in IL-7R^−/− mice. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01 (by a Wilcoxon rank sum test [areas under the curve between IL-7R^−/− mice transferred with non-ILC3s and those transferred with ILC3s]). Data were acquired from two independent experiments.