Figure 7. Loss of Qa-1 Negatively Impacts the Non-classical CD8⁺ T Cell Response and Their Protective Capabilities.

(A and B) Frequency (A) and absolute number (B) of non-classical CD8⁺ T cells in the spleen, liver, and blood of K^bD^b−/−Qa-1^+/+, K^bD^b−/−Qa-1^+/−, and K^bD^b−/−Qa-1^−/− mice on day 7 post-MCMV infection (n = 9–11).

(C–G) KLRG1⁺CD127⁻ (C), KLRG1⁺CX3CR1⁺ (D), and NKG2A/C/E⁺ (E) non-classical CD8⁺ T cells and KLRG1⁺ (F) and NKG2A/C/E⁺ NK (G) cells on day 7 post-MCMV infection from indicated organs of K^bD^b−/−Qa1^+/+, K^bD^b−/−Qa1^+/−, and K^bD^b−/−Qa1^−/− mice (n = 9–11).

(H and I) Frequency (H) and absolute number (I) of CD8⁺ T cells from the spleen and liver of long-term infected K^bD^b−/−Qa1^+/+ (DKO) and K^bD^b−/−Qa1^−/− (TKO) mice (n = 5–7).

(J) Survival of RAG1^−/−K^bD^b−/− mice with (—, n = 5) or without (- -, n = 6) adoptive transfer of 5 × 10⁴ sorted CD8⁺ T_M cells (KLRG1CD27⁺) from long-term infected K^bD^b−/−Qa-1^−/− mice. Statistical analysis determined by Mantel-Cox test.

Data are pooled from two (H and I) or three independent experiments (A–G) or representative of three independent experiments (J). Data represent mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, ^**p < 0.01, ^***p < 0.001, and ^****p < 0.0001.

See also Figure S4.