FIG 5.

Effect of CARD9 deficiency on the phagocytosis of pneumococcus by neutrophils. BALFs from infected mice obtained at 24 h after pneumococcal infection were centrifuged, and the sedimented cells were stained by the Gram method and analyzed under optical microscopy. (A) A picture representative of 8 WT mice is shown. Original magnification, ×1,000. Bars, 10 μm. (B) The proportion of all neutrophils that were engulfing pneumococcus cells was calculated as the phagocytic rate. Each column represents the mean ± SD of 8 to 10 mice. This rate was significantly lower in CARD9 KO mice (B) than in WT mice. ***, P < 0.005.