Mtb infection leads to significant decrease in the number of ASC specks-positive cells which is independent of the ESX-1 secretion system.

BMDMs were primed with LPS (100ng/ml) for 4 h and simultaneously infected with different H37Rv Mtb strains (Mtb, ΔesxA, and ΔesxA::esxA) or left uninfected (UI) followed by treatment with the NLRP3 activator ATP (0.1mM) for 30 min. Cells were fixed, permeabilized and immunostained for ASC (Alexa Fluor 594, red). ASC specks were detected by fluorescence microscopy. Scale bar 10μm. Bacteria were detected using their autofluorescence (Excitation 436/20 nm; Emission 480/40 nm) Data are representative of three independent experiments.

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