Consistently, quantitative PCR analysis further detected increased mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including Tnf, Il1b and Il6 in the lungs of Atg5fl/fl mice infected with Mtb ∆Rv1468c or Mtb ∆Rv1468c:Rv1468c L65G, as compared to that infected with WT Mtb or Mtb ∆Rv1468c:Rv1468c at 3 weeks post-infection (Supplementary Fig. 12). Here, IL1B is linked to infection.