Intriguingly, compared with Il23a−/− and Zbtb46-DTR mice, mice lacking macrophages, such as CX3CR1-DTR or MM-DTR mice, tend to succumb during the later phase of infection [23, 37, 41], underscoring the essential roles of both Th17 cells and CX3CR1+ macrophages in controlling C. rodentium infection during the late phase. This evidence concerns the gene CX3CR1 and infection.