Figure 4.

Schematic of ILC development in coordination with thymocyte specification and maturation. As early T-cell progenitors are known to be multipotent, we propose that the branchpoint in which ILC differentiation occurs is at the DN1/ETP and DN2-DN3 transition stage. Depending on the status of the TCR loci, strength of Notch signaling and activities of E-Id proteins and Bcl11b, developing thymocytes may acquire innate-like properties and give rise to one of three ILC subsets. Furthermore, we suggest that tissue-resident ILC progenitors, including the BM, originate from failed T-cell development and locally maintain the mature ILC pool.