Hematopoietic cell–specific Gdf11 deletion does not alter adult erythropoiesis, RBC parameters, or HSPC frequency or hematopoiesis following adult BM transplantation. (A) RBC counts, (B) hematocrit, and (C) hemoglobin levels in 2- to 4-month-old mice (n = 10-12 mice per genotype; males and females pooled). (D-F) Frequency of BM (D) EPCs, (E) HSCs, and (F) myeloid progenitor cells within 2- to 4-month-old mice (n = 10-12 mice per genotype; males and females pooled). (G) Experimental design. BM was harvested from 2- to 4-month-old or 7- to 10-month-old Gdf11 cKO, cHet, and cre⁺ control mice. Cells from sex- and genotype-matched donors were pooled and 1 × 10⁶ BM cells were injected IV into lethally irradiated sex-matched C57BL/6J recipients. Recipients were monitored for blood parameters and donor cell chimerism as indicated. (H) RBC counts, (I) hematocrit, and (J) hemoglobin levels within recipient mice at 0 (baseline), 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks posttransplant (n = 16-20 recipients per donor genotype; males and females pooled). (K-N) tdTomato⁺ donor-derived peripheral blood cell chimerism levels determined monthly for (K) CD3⁺ T cells, (L) B220⁺ B cells, (M) CD11b⁺ Ly6G⁻ monocytes, and (N) CD11b⁺ Ly6G⁺ neutrophils in transplant recipients (n = 16-20 recipients per donor genotype; males and females pooled). (O-P) tdTomato⁺ donor-derived BM cell chimerism levels for BM (O) Lin⁻Sca-1⁺c-Kit⁺ and (P) Lin⁻Sca-1⁺c-Kit⁺CD48⁻CD150⁺ cells in transplant recipients (n = 16-20 recipients per donor genotype; males and females pooled). Data are plotted as (H-N) mean ± SD or as (A-F, O-P) individual data points overlaid with mean ± SD. Statistics for panels H-N were calculated using a repeated-measures ANOVA. Statistics for panels A-F, O-P were calculated using a 1-way ANOVA with Bonferroni posttest correction. For all panels, no differences with P < .05 were detected. (A-F; O-P) Circles: males; triangles: females.