However, the influenza-induced pathology and morbidity was far worse in Csf2-deficient mice lacking AM but having intact B and T cell responses as compared to Batf3-deficient mice with constrained CD8+ T cell responses due to the absence of both CD103+ DCs and CD8α+ DCs but intact AM indicating that only the latter are critical for survival of respiratory viral infection. Here, BATF3 is linked to influenza.