The synergistic effect of functionally abnormal IL-12p40 allele and high levels of IL-10 production in response to IFNγ may help explain how BTBR mice can both express higher IL-12(p40) and IL-12(p70) than their C57 counterparts, but also be more susceptible to Listeriosis (Heo et al., 2011). Here, IFNG is linked to listeriosis.