FIG 5.

IFN-γ-mediated antimicrobial defense to C. parvum infection is suppressed in neonatal intestinal epithelium. (A) C. parvum infection in enteroids from neonatal and adult mice in the absence of IFN-γ as assessed by fluorescence microscopy (C. parvum in green by arrows). (B) C. parvum infection burden in enteroids from neonatal and adult mice. Enteroids were first infected for 8 h and then cultured for additional 24 and 48 h in the presence or absence of IFN-γ. Statistical significance (ANOVA test): *, P < 0.01 versus control (0 h); #, P < 0.01 versus adult enteroids treated with IFN-γ for the same time period. (C) Expression levels of defense genes in enteroids from neonatal and adult mice following infection in the presence or absence of IFN-γ. Statistical significance (ANOVA test): *, P < 0.01 versus non-IFN-γ-treated control; #, P < 0.01 versus IFN-γ-treated adult enteroids. (D) RNA levels of key signaling components in enteroids from neonatal and adult mice as assessed by qRT-PCR. (E) Upregulation of XR_001779380 and lincRNA-Cox2 in enteroids from neonatal and adult mice following C. parvum infection. Data are shown as the means ± SD from at least three independent experiments. Statistical significance (ANOVA test): *, P < 0.01 versus noninfection control. Scale bars, 20 μm.