TLR7 and infection: We examined the transcription levels of PtpA-targeting genes in U937 macrophages infected with BCG strains at 12 h post-infection, and found that the transcription levels of RNF187, GADD45A, TLR7, and SLC35B2, but not those of MAP4K2 and TNFRSF8, were elevated in cells infected with the PtpA Δ1-20-complemented strain BCG (ΔPtpA + PtpA Δ1-20), which had a truncated PtpA losing its DNA-binding region, in comparison with that of WT BCG strain (Fig. 6a).