RNA-seq transcriptional analysis of mouse lung tissue with and without Coccidioides immitis lung infection

Our previous data suggested that CXC ELR+ chemokines might be involved in neutrophil recruitment to the lungs during Coccidioides infection. To test that hypothesis, we infected IL-8R2 (Cxcr2) KO mice on a BALB/c background. IL-8R2 KO mice had fewer neutrophils in infected lungs than BALB/c controls, but unexpectedly the IL-8R2 KO mice also had 10-fold fewer organisms in their lungs than did control mice. To better understand the differences in IL-8R2 KO mouse lungs during Coccidioides infection we performed RNA-seq on lung tissue from uninfected and Coccidioides immitis infected mouse lungs in control and IL-8R2 (Cxcr2) KO mice. IL-8R2 KO mouse lungs had higher expression of genes associated with lymphocyte activation, including Th1 and Th17-related genes Ifnγ and Il17a and transcription factors Stat1 and Rorc. Bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from infected IL-8R2 KO mice similarly contained more IL-17A and IFNγ. RNA-seq of lung tissue from BALB/c DBA/2 Nramp1 congenic (Potter M et al. (1983) PMID: 6343242) (wild-type or WT) and Balb/c CXCR2tm (IL-8R2) knockout (IL-8R2 KO) mice with or without Coccidioides immitis infection on day 14 after infection.