Figure 4: Naïve Dock2^hsd/hsd T cells undergo spontaneous conversion into virtual memory T cells.

(A) Naive T cells from CD45.2⁺ Thy1.2⁺ Dock2^hsd/hsd and CD45.2⁺ Thy1.1⁺ WT mice were co--transferred into irradiated CD45.1⁺ Thy1.2⁺ lymphopenic mice and assessed for CFSE dilution and CD44 upregulation after 1 week.

(B) Naive T cells from CD45.2⁺ Thy1.2⁺ Dock2^hsd/hsd and CD45.2⁺ Thy1.1⁺ WT mice were co-transferred into unmanipulated lymphoreplete CD45.1⁺ Thy1.2⁺ mice and assessed for upregulation of memory markers after 3 weeks.

(C) Surface levels of CD5 and TCR on naive CD8⁺ T cells from Dock2^hsd/hsd and WT mice as assessed by flow cytometry.

Statistical significance was assessed using unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test.