Extended Data Fig. 2: Irf4‒/‒ NK cells exhibit a more mature phenotype.
From: IRF4 expression by NK precursors predetermines exhaustion of NK cells during tumor metastasis
(a) Representative flow cytometry plots of CD3‒NK1.1+ cells and bar graphs showing NK cell numbers in the liver and blood (per ml) of naïve WT and Irf4−/− mice. For the liver, n = 6 mice per group, **P = 0.0022; for the blood, n = 5 mice per group, ***P = 0.0001. (b) Representative flow cytometry plots show CD27 and CD11b expression in NK cells. The bar graph shows the percentage of CD27‒CD11b+ cells among total NK cells in the indicated tissues of naïve WT and Irf4−/− mice. n = 6 mice per group; from left to right: ****P < 0.0001, ***P = 0.0009, ***P = 0.0010, * P = 0.0128. (c) Sorted NK cells from naïve WT and Irf4−/− mice were labeled with CTV and stimulated in vitro with IL-12 (10 ng/ml), IL-18 (50 ng/ml), and IL-15 (50 ng/ml) for 3 days to assess proliferation. (d) Sorted NK cells from naïve WT and Irf4−/− mice were stimulated in vitro with IL-12, IL-18, and IL-15 for 3 days, followed by apoptosis assessment. n = 5 biologically independent samples per group; ****P < 0.0001. Data are presented as mean ± SD (a,b,d). Results are representative of two or three independent experiments. Data were analyzed by a two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-test.
