Fig. 3

CD209 depletion increases Lactobacillus load and suppresses the expression of Lys1 and CecD. A, B Quantification of midgut Lactobacillus (A) and hemolymph Lactobacillus (B) in larvae treated with dsCD209 or dsGFP. The midgut and hemolymph were collected from sixth-instar larvae at 72 h PE. C, D Depletion of CD209 in the midgut (Mg) validated by RT-qPCR (C) and western blotting (D). The antiserum against CD209 or β-actin was used for detection. E Heatmap showing that DEGs encoding CD209, Lys1, and CecD were downregulated in CD209-depleted midgut. F, G RT-qPCR analysis confirming inhibition of Lys1 (F) and CecD (G) expression in the CD209-depleted midgut. Statistical differences were analyzed using Student’s t test (*p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01)