Conventional DCs from Male and Female Lupus-Prone B6.NZM Sle1/Sle2/Sle3 Mice Express an IFN Signature and Have a Higher Immunometabolism That Are Enhanced by Estrogen

Figure 1

Conventional DCs from young lupus-prone male mice express the IFN signature. The IFN signature of TCSle cDCs is dependent on steroidal hormones. Bone marrow precursors from C57BL/6 (B6: black bars) or B6.NZM.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 (TCSle: white bars) female and male mice were cultured with GM-CSF in standard phenol red/media conditions (a, c, d) or media lacking phenol red and void of steroids (charcoal-treated FBS: hormone depleted) (b, c, d). On day 7, cDCs were harvested and total RNA was isolated for qRT-PCR analysis (a, b). Genes were normalized to the housekeeping gene cyclophilin. Standard female B6 condition was set to 1. On day 7-8, cDCs were harvested and stained with antibodies against CD11c and CD11b and analyzed by flow cytometry (c, d). One representative plot of a B6 female in standard conditions (c, left) or hormone-depleted conditions (c, right). Unpaired t-test comparing male B6 to male TCSle or female B6 to female TCSle was used. Mean + SE values are from 6 independent experiments, using one mouse per strain per experiment. and .

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