Dicer deletion abolishes functional and immuno-phenotypic HSPCs. (A) Peripheral blood chimerism by control and mutant BM in a 1:1 competitive transplantation assay. The seven arrows indicate pIpC injections. Each dot on the line indicates the average donor-type cell percentage (%CD45.2+) at the indicated time points (d, days; w, weeks after pIpC injection). n = 15. (B) Lineage contribution by donor-type cells 20 wk after pIpC injections. Lineages analyzed include myeloid (Mac-1+), B (B220+), and T cells (CD3+). Error bars indicate SD. *P < 0.05. (C) Representative FACS plot showing donor-type LKS cells in recipient BM 6 mo post-pIpC injections. (D) Intracellular flow cytometry for activated caspase-3 in three BM populations including the Lin-c−Kit+Sca+ (LKS), Lin-c−Kit+Sca− (L-K+S-), and Lin-c−Kit−Sca+ (L-K-S+) cells.