To characterize CD4+ T-helper cell subsets, lymph node cell homogenates from WT and Zip8-KO infected mice were stimulated in vitro with a cell activation cocktail containing PMA (10 ng/ml; StemCell Technologies, Vancouver, Canada), ionomycin (250 ng/ml; StemCell Technologies) and Brefeldin A (5 μg/ml; BioLegend) for 4 hours. Cells were harvested, washed, stained for surface markers as previously described, fixed and permeabilized for 20 minutes with CytoFastFix/Perm (BioLegend), washed and then stained with an antibody cocktail containing IL-2 APC, IL-4 PE/Dazzle594, IFN-γ PE and IL-17 BV421 (BioLegend). Intracellular cytokine production of the CD4+ T-cell subset was characterized by flow cytometry.
For cytokine detection by ELISAs, LN leukocytes were stimulated with PMA (10 ng/ml) and ionomycin (250 ng/ml) for 48 hours. Supernatants were collected for measurement of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-17A/F according to manufacturers’ instructions.