FIGURE 6.

E4BP4-independent NK cell development is not restricted to the thymus. (A) The wt or nude recipient mice were lethally irradiated and reconstituted with donor E4BP4/Rag-1 DKO BM cells (7 × 10⁶) by i.v. injection. Chimeric mice were maintained for 8 wk or 8 mo and analyzed by FACS for the presence of NK cells (CD3⁻NK1.1⁺NKp46⁺122⁺). Absolute numbers of NK cells in the spleen and liver (A) were determined. (B) FACS quantification of numbers of CD3⁻NK1.1⁺NKp46⁺122⁺ NK cells in thymus, spleen, and liver of E4BP4/Rag-1 (DKO) and E4BP4/IL-7/Rag-1 (TKO) mice. (C) Flow cytometric plots show the characterization of the CD3⁻NK1.1⁺NKp46⁺122⁺ in the spleen of DKO and TKO animals. Numbers indicate the percentage of cells in the gates depicted.