Fig. 6. TGF-β indirectly regulates TCRγδ⁺CD8αα⁺ IELs by affecting the function of IECs.

a Representative FACS plot of CD8α and CD8β expression on TCRγδ⁺CD8αα⁺ IELs co-cultured with IECs in different settings. b, c Frequency of TCRγδ⁺CD8αα⁺ IELs population (b) and Ki67 expression on TCRγδ⁺CD8αα⁺ IELs (c). d Representative FACS plot of CD8α and CD8β expression on TCRγδ⁺CD8α⁻β⁻ IELs. e, f Frequency of TCRγδ⁺CD8αα⁺ IELs population after co-culture (e) and Ki67 expression on TCRγδ⁺CD8α⁻β⁻ IELs (f). g Representative FACS plot of CD8α and CD8β expression on γδ IELs of Smad3^+/+ or Smad3^−/− recipient mice transferred with BM cells from C56BL/6 J mice for a month. h Frequency of CD8αα⁺ population of γδ IELs from Smad3^+/+ and Smad3^−/− recipient mice. i–k Frequency of Vγ7 (i), Vγ1 (j), and Vγ4 (k) subsets of γδ IELs from Smad3^+/+ and Smad3^−/− recipient mice. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01; ns no significant difference (unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test). Data were representative of three independent experiments (means ± SEM).