Figure 3. Ly49D Suppresses Activation and Cell-Cycle Progression of B10.D2 Ly49H⁺ NK Cells at the Peak of NK Cell Response after MCMV Infection.

B6 mice were infected with 1 × 10⁴ pfu MCMV. B10.D2 mice were depleted of CD8⁺ T cells on the day before infection and then infected with 5 × 10⁴ pfu MCMV.

(A) An activation and differentiation marker Ly6C on Ly49H⁺ NK cell subsets expressing Ly49D and or Ly49A in the spleen on day 7 pi. Data are representative of four experiments (n = 3–4 in each experiment).

(B) Fold change of percentages of Ly6C⁺Ly49H⁺ NK cells was quantified. Data were pooled from two experiments (n = 7 mice in each group).

(C) Ki67 expression by Ly49H⁺ NK cell subsets expressing Ly49D and or Ly49A in the spleen on day 7 pi. Data are representative of two experiments (n = 3 or 4 in each experiment).

(D) Percentages of Ki67⁺Ly49H⁺ NK cells were quantified. Data were pooled from two experiments (n = 7 mice in each group). Bold and thin lines represent Ly49H⁺ NK cells in infected mice and Ly49H⁺ NK cells in uninfected mice, respectively.

*p < 0.005. Error bars show SEM.