A unique population of LN cells expresses CD49b and CD127 but not mature lymphocyte markers. (A) Freshly isolated LN cells were stained with antibodies to CD3 and CD127, and CD3⁻ cells were gated as shown by rectangles (top). The gated cells were analyzed for the expression of the NK cell markers NKp46 and CD49b (center). CD49b⁺NKp46⁻ cells were further gated as shown by rectangles in contour plots, and the expression of CD127 on CD3⁻NKp46⁻CD49b⁺ cells from wild-type B6 and athymic nude mice was analyzed (bottom). (B) Lin⁻ (CD122, NK1.1, CD3ϵ, CD4, CD8α, TCRβ, TCRγδ, CD11b, CD11c, CD19, B220, Gr-1, Ter-119) CD49b⁺ cells from LN, BM, spleen (SP), and liver were gated, and the expression of CD127 and CD117 (c-Kit) was analyzed. (C) Lin⁻CD49b⁺CD127⁺ cells in the LN were gated and analyzed for the expression of B220, CD27, 2B4, and NKp46. All the FACS profiles are representative of 3 independent experiments, and the numbers show average (± SD) percentages of cells within the indicated gates calculated from ≥ 3 independent experiments.