Table 1.
Properties of pre-mNK cells relative to pDC and NK cells.
| pre-mNK cells | pDC | mNK cells | Activated NK cells | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIFFERENTIATION | |||||
| Id-2 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| IL-15 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| γc Cytokines | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Flt3L | + | +++ | ++ | ||
| PU.1 | No | Yes | No | No | |
| RelB | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| IRF8 | Partially | Yes | No | No | |
| FUNCTION | |||||
| IFN-γ production | +++ | − | + | +++ | |
| IL-12 production | + | ++ | − | − | |
| IFN-α production | − | +++ | − | − | |
| Killing mechanism | TRAIL and NKG2D-dependent | No | Perforin/granzyme-dependent | Perforin/granzyme-dependent | |
| Cytotoxic activity | +++ | − | + | +++ | |
| Antigen presentation | + | + | − | + | |
| ANTIGENIC PHENOTYPE | In vivo | In vitro | |||
| CD11c | Low | Low | No/low | No/low | Low |
| B220 | High | High | − | − | High |
| CD49b | + | − | + | + | + |
| CD122 | + | − | + | + | + |
| NK1.1 | + | − | + | + | + |
| CD43 | + | −/+ | +++ | +++ | +++ |
| Ly108 | +++ | −/+ | − | − | − |
| CD27 | High | − | Low/high | Low/high | Low/high |
| CD11b | Low/high | − | Low/high | Low/high | Low/high |
| MHC II | + (in LNs)/−(in spleen) | + | − | + | + |
| CD69 | + | − | − | + | + |
| CD86/CD80 | + (in LNs)/−(in spleen) | + | − | − | − |
| CHARACTERISTICS | |||||
| Proliferation | ++++ | + | + | ++ | |