Figure 2

The Treg depletion associated boosting effect on NK cells under homeostatic conditions is neutralized upon MCMV infection. (A) Frequency of NK cells and (B) number of NK cells gated on NK1.1⁺CD3^- cells among live splenocytes and (C) their expression of CD69 as MFI 40 h p.i. (D) Proportion and (E) absolute number of splenic NK cells 3 days p.i. (F) MFI of activation marker CD69 and (G) maturation marker KLRG-1⁺ cells, stratified according to Ly49H expression, on day 3 p.i. (H) NK cells among live cells on day 7 p.i and (I) their expression of KLRG-1 again stratified according to Ly49H expression. Data shown are from one representative experiment out of three in case of day 3 p.i. analysis (D), (E), (F) and (G) and out of at least two with regard to 40 h and 7 days p.i. (A), (B), (C), (H) and (I) using 3-5 mice per group. Significance of differences between means of groups was calculated by two tailed, unpaired Student’s t-test. (*) p < 0,05, (**) p < 0,01, (***) p < 0,001, (ns) not significantly different.