Adoptive transfers of sorted NK-cell subsets. (A) The 4 NK-cell subsets were sorted by flow cytometry from the spleen of NDE mice using the sorting gates. Cells were then individually transferred into unirradiated recipient mice. Fourteen days later, the progeny of transferred cells was tracked in the spleen of recipient mice thanks to EGFP expression. (B) Their expression of CD27 and CD11b was measured, and the frequency of each subset was calculated for each adoptive transfer, as indicated. Mean ± SD of 3 independent experiments. We used a one-way analysis of variance test with posttest of linear trend to test whether there was a trend such that values increase as one moves from left to right (ie, from DN to CD27^low). This test gave significant results for all comparisons except for the transfer of DN NK cells, as predicted if DN NK cells were precursors of the other subsets. n.s. indicates not significant. *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001.