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Updated: May 19, 2026

The Citrobacter rodentium Mouse Model: Studying Pathogen and Host Contributions to Infectious Colitis
Published on: February 19, 2013
CX(3)CR1(+) macrophages support IL-22 production by innate lymphoid cells during infection with Citrobacter rodentium
C Manta1, E Heupel, K Radulovic
1Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Abstract:
Innate immune cells, such as intestinal epithelial cells, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, granulocytes, and innate lymphoid cells provide a first line of defence to enteric pathogens. To study the role of CX(3)CR1(+) DCs and macrophages in host defence, we infected CX(3)CR1-GFP animals with Citrobacter rodentium. When transgenic CX(3)CR1-GFP animals are infected with the natural mouse pathogen C. rodentium, CX(3)CR1(-/-) animals showed a delayed clearance of C. rodentium as compared with (age- and sex-matched) wild-type B6 animals. The delayed clearance of C. rodentium is associated with reduced interleukin (IL)-22 expression. In C. rodentium-infected CX(3)CR1-GFP animals, IL-22 producing lymphoid-tissue inducer cells (LTi cells) were selectively reduced in the absence of CX(3)CR1. The reduced IL-22 expression correlates with decreased expression of the antimicrobial peptides RegIIIβ and RegIIIγ. The depletion of CX(3)CR1(+) cells by diphtheria toxin injection in CX(3)CR1-GFP × CD11c.DOG animals confirmed the role of CX(3)CR1(+) phagocytes in establishing IL-22 production, supporting the clearance of a C. rodentium infection.
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