Fig. 7.

Epithelial CD103⁺NKp44⁺lin⁻ cells are the major ILC population in adults. a Frequencies as well as absolute cell numbers per cm² of epithelial (EP) and lamina propria-derived (LP) NKp44⁺ NK cells in infant (white circles) and adult (dark circles) intestines (infant NK cell frequencies and absolute counts EP (N = 7) and LP (N = 5), adult NK cell frequencies (N = 9) and absolute counts (N = 8)). b Frequencies of NKp44⁺ cells within CD103⁺, CD49a⁺, or CD69⁺ NK cells in infants (white circles) and adults (dark circles). NKp44 expression by infant epithelial CD103⁺ (N = 7), CD49a⁺ (N = 7), and CD69⁺ (N = 6) NK cells. NKp44 expression by adult epithelial NK cell subsets (N = 9). Heatmap of median frequencies of NKG2A⁺, Eomes⁺, perforin⁺, granzyme B⁺, and NKp44⁺ cells within CD103⁺, CD49a⁺, or CD69⁺ NK cells as well as CD127⁺ ILCs in infant intestines. c SPADE tree of viable EP CD45⁺lin⁻ lymphocytes. CD127⁺ ILCs (yellow outline), NK cells (red outline), including CD127⁻NKp44⁺CD103⁺lin⁻ cells (blue outline) within NK cell population. Expression of NKp44 is shown by color coding in relative intensity. Node sizes represent the size of populations. SPADE analysis was computed by using the same signature parameters as in Fig. 1 (infant samples N = 4, adult samples N = 5, target number of nodes: 200, down sampled events target: 30%). Median frequencies indicated by red lines. Error bars define interquartile ranges between 75th and 25th percentiles. Statistical comparisons are Mann-Whitney U comparisons (a) and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank tests (b). Asterisks represent the following p-values: *p < 0.05 and ***p < 0.001