Fig. 3

Heterochronic microbiota transfer reverses age-associated retinal inflammation and functional visual protein expression. A Immunostaining of complement C3 (green) in the cross-sections of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/Bruch’s membrane (BM) interface from mice receiving PBS vs. heterochronic FMT. B Quantification of the average complement C3 staining pixel intensity (PI) per area (1280 μm²) at the RPE/BM interface in young, old, or aged PBS-treated mice vs. heterochronic FMT (n = 5 mice/group). C Immunostaining (RPE65, red; nuclei DAPI, blue) and quantification (D) of the crucial visual cycle protein RPE65 in the cross-sections of the RPE/BM interface from untreated mice vs. mice receiving heterochronic FMT, n = 5 mice/group. Statistical comparison between ages and between the FMT and PBS groups by Welch’s t test. E Percentage change in the expression of retinal lysate cytokine levels in aged mice receiving young donor FMT