Targeted Mutation of Nuclear Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 Impairs Secondary Immune Response in a Mouse Model

Figure 4

mice showed increased mortality and impaired spleen enlargement after secondary infection. Mice were infected by tail vein injection with 1 × 10⁴ CFU/g S. aureus on day 0 and again with 3 × 10⁵ CFU/g S. aureus on day 35. (a) Percent survival for 3 days after secondary infection ( for wild type and for mutant mice). (b) Spleen weight as a percentage of total body weight on day 38 (3 days after secondary infection) compared to day 0 (naïve mice), day 3 (3 days after primary infection), and day 35 (immediately before secondary infection) ( = range from 7 to 20 per group). (c) Same data as in (b), but presented in line graph format to emphasize the more dramatic changes in wild type compared to mutant spleens. (d) Spleen weight changes following primary and secondary infections, showing relative spleen weight on days 3 and 38 as a percentage of relative spleen weight on days 0 and 35, respectively.

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