SODB1 is essential for Leishmania major infection of macrophages and pathogenesis in mice - Fig 5

SODB1/Δsodb1 L. major parasites are attenuated in Leishmania-susceptible mouse strains (A and B) Eight week-old Nos2^-/- C57BL/6 (B6.Nos2^-/-) mice were inoculated in the dorsal subcutaneous tissue of the right hind foot with 10⁴ WT or SODB1/Δsodb1 L. major purified metacyclic promastigotes. (A) Lesion development in the inoculated foot was measured over time by digital calipers and is presented as the % of initial foot area. Each data point represents the mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) of 4 mice per group. Data are representative of 2 independent experiments. (B) At 50 dpi, parasite burdens in the right hind foot and draining popLN were quantified by limiting dilution assay. Data represent the mean ± SEM and are pooled from 2 independent experiments. (C and D) Eight week-old WT Balb/cJ mice were inoculated subcutaneously in the right hind foot with 10⁴ WT or SODB1/Δsodb1 L. major purified metacyclic promastigotes. (C) Lesion development in the inoculated foot was measured over time by digital calipers and is presented as the % of initial foot area. Each data point represents the mean ± SEM of 5 mice per group. (D) At 50 dpi, parasite burdens in the right hind foot and draining popLN were quantified by limiting dilution assay. Data represent the mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001 by 2-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test (A and C) or unpaired student’s t-test (B and D).