CD4⁺ RTEs are activated during EVL and RTEs are recruited to hepatic granulomas.

<p>CD45.2-expressing mice were treated with busulfan followed by a CD4-depleted CD45.1⁺ BMT 24 hours later. On day 7 post BMT mice were infected with LV9 amastigotes or left uninfected. Spleens were taken on day 28 post BMT (d21 p.i.) and stained for CD3, CD4, CD45.1 and CD44. Graph represents the percentage of CD44^hi cells in either the recipient CD4⁺ T cell population or the donor-derived CD4⁺ T cell population. Graph represents mean +/- SEM for 20 animals per group from 4 independent experiments (<b>A</b>). Flow plots represent gates used to determine CD44^hi CD4⁺ T cells (<b>B</b>). hCD2.GFPd mice were treated with busulfan followed by a CD4- and CD8-depleted VaDsRed BMT. Mice were infected with LV9 amastigotes on day 7 post BMT. Hepatic granulomas were imaged on d28 post BMT (d21 p.i.) from infected liver explants using 2-photon laser scanning microscopy (2P-LSM). Representative image displays a hepatic granuloma containing recipient T cells (green) and donor-derived RTEs (red) (<b>C</b>). Graph represents the distribution of donor-derived RTEs recruited to 3D z-stack reconstructions of 45 randomly selected hepatic granulomas (<b>D</b>). Busulfan chimeras were established as described above. Graph represents the percentage of CD44^hi cells in either the recipient CD4⁺ T cell population or the donor-derived CD4⁺ T cell population. Graph represents mean +/- SEM for 20 animals per group from 4 independent experiments (<b>E</b>). Flow plots represent gates used to determine CD44^hi CD4⁺ T cells (<b>F</b>).