Accelerated in vitro expansion of Lin⁻Sca-1⁺ cells from Slug^−/− mice. (A) A representation of flow cytometric analysis of Lin⁻Sca-1⁺ cells during cell culture in vitro. Total BM cells were prepared from Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice that carried the Bcl-2 transgene at 5 days after 5-FU treatment, and then were cultured in the SFEM medium containing SCF and TPO (1 ng/mL). Lin⁻Sca-1⁺ cells were identified by flow cytometric analysis during cell culture. (B) The ratio (left panel) and total number (right panel) of Lin⁻Sca-1⁺ cells before and at 2 and 4 days of in vitro cell culture. All data are expressed as mean ± SD. **P < .01 for Slug^+/+ vs Slug^−/−.