Fig. 2. T cell Abca1/Abcg1 deficiency decreases blood, splenic, and para-aortic lymph node T cells and increases T cell activation.

Ldlr^−/− and T-Abc^dkoLdlr^−/− mice were fed a chow diet. Blood, spleens, and para-aortic lymph nodes (LNs) were collected. Cells were stained with the indicated antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry. a Representative flow cytometry plots of T cell receptor β (TCRβ)⁺ (total T cells), CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ T cells gated as in Supplementary Fig. 6a. b Quantification of total (p < 0.000001), CD4⁺ (p < 0.000001), and CD8⁺ (p < 0.000001) T cells as percentage of total white blood cells (leukocytes). c Total (p < 0.000001), CD4⁺ (p < 0.000001), and CD8⁺ (p < 0.000001) T cell concentration in blood after correction for total blood leukocyte counts. n = 14 Ldlr^−/− and n = 15 T-Abc^dkoLdlr^−/− mice. Total (p = 0.00039), CD4⁺ (p = 0.0030), and CD8⁺ (p = 0.00024) T cells as a percentage of total splenic cells (d) and total (p = 0.0087), CD4⁺ (p = 0.0420), and CD8⁺ (p = 0.00085) T cells as cells/spleen after correction for total splenic cell number (e). Total (p = 0.000084), CD4⁺ (p = 0.000037), and CD8⁺ (p = 0.000016) T cells as a percentage of total para-aortic LN cells (f) and total (p = 0.0044), CD4⁺ (p = 0.00297), and CD8⁺ (p = 0.0021) T cells as cells/LN after correction for total para-aortic LN cell number (g). d–g n = 6 Ldlr^−/− and n = 7 T-Abc^dkoLdlr^−/− mice. Representative flow cytometry plots of (h) CD4⁺CD44⁻CD62L⁺ (T_naive), CD44⁺CD62L⁻ (T_{memory/effector} (T_mem/eff)), CD8⁺ T_naive, CD8⁺CD44⁺CD62L⁺ (T_{central memory} (T_CM)), and T_mem/eff cells gated as in Supplementary Fig. 7a, (i, j) quantifications of CD4⁺ T_naive (p < 0.000001) and T_mem/eff (p < 0.000001) cells (i) or CD8⁺ T_naive (p < 0.000001), T_CM (p < 0.000001), and T_mem/eff (p = 0.0000027) cells (j) as a percentage of CD4⁺ (i) or CD8⁺ (j) T cells, and (k, l) concentrations in blood for CD4⁺ T_naive (p < 0.000001) and T_mem/eff cells (k) or CD8⁺ T_naive (p < 0.000001), T_CM, and T_mem/eff cells (l) after correction for total blood leukocyte counts. n = 14 Ldlr^−/− and n = 15 T-Abc^dkoLdlr^−/− mice. b, i, j The experiments were performed twice with the same results. For all panels, error bars represent SEM. Biologically independent samples were included. p value was determined by unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.