FIGURE 5.

iNKT cell development in the thymus is CCR7 dependent. (A) CCR4/CCR7 expression during PBS57⁺ iNKT cell development in WT mice, where CD24/CD44/NK1.1 were used to identify the following stages: stage (St) 0 (CD24⁺CD44⁻NK1.1⁻), St.1 (CD24⁻CD44⁻NK1.1⁻), St.2 (CD44⁺NK1.1⁻), and St.3 (CD44⁺NK1.1⁺). (B) Representative flow cytometric analysis of total iNKT cells (upper panels) and their distinct developmental stages (lower panels); (C) the percentage and absolute numbers of total PBS57⁺ iNKT cells and their four distinct stages in development, in WT (open bars), Ccr4^−/− (gray bars), Ccr7^−/− (black bars), and Ccr4^−/−xCcr7^−/− (shaded bars) mice. (D) The percentage and absolute cell numbers of total PBS57⁺ iNKT cells in WT and Ccr7^−/− mice injected with soluble IL-15/IL-15Rα complexes (black bars) or PBS (open bars), along with the absolute numbers of Ccr7^−/− iNKT cell subsets at the indicated developmental stages. (C and D) Error bars represent SEM. Data in (A)–(C) represent a minimum of five mice per group in at least two experimental repeats; data in (D) represent four mice per group in two experimental repeats. An unpaired Student two-tailed t test was used: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.