Characterization of the sorted CD11c⁺ splenic DCs. Conventional CD11c⁺ cells were FACS sorted from the spleen of 5-week-old C57BL/6 normal mice. (A) Flow cytometric analysis revealed that they are pure (100%) and coexpress CD11c and the MHC-II protein IA^b. (B) Phenotypic analysis of the sorted CD11c⁺ cells by flow cytometric analysis. Percentage of cells with fluorescence intensity over the dashed vertical lines, corresponding to the upper limit of control background staining, is indicated. (C) May-Grunwald-Giemsa staining of the sorted cells after cytospin revealed the typical phenotype of splenic cDCs.