Generation of the T cell-specific Tsc1 KO mice.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Western blot analysis showed TSC1 was expressed in thymus, spleen as well as pLNs of WT B6 mice, brain serves as the positive control. (<b>B</b>) Tsc1 and Tsc2 expression level in splenic CD8⁺T cells was higher than that in B cells and CD4⁺T cells as detected by Real-time PCR analysis. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001 compared with the indicated groups. Date were shown as Mean±SD (N = 6). (<b>C</b>) Schematic representation of deletion of Tsc1 exons 17 and 18 by Lck-Cre-mediated recombination in T cells. (<b>D</b>) Genotyping of wild type (Tsc1^+/+, WT), heterozygous(Lck-cre⁺Tsc1^loxp/+, HE) and knockout (Lck-cre⁺Tsc1^loxp/loxp, KO) mice with tail genomic DNA. (<b>E</b>) Detection of Tsc1 deletion in purified CD8⁺T cells, CD4⁺T cells and non-T cells from spleen of Tsc1 KO mice. Tsc1 was specifically deleted in T cells. (<b>F</b>) Western blot analysis showed efficient deletion of TSC1 and TSC2 protein expression in thymocytes. Phosphorylated S6 level was significantly increased in Tsc1 KO mice.