Development of natural killer cells: comparison of the maturation rates in different lymphoid compartments.
By means of semisyngeneic bone marrow transplantation, the appearance of donor-type natural killer (NK) cells in different organs (spleen, blood, lungs) of the recipients was studied. Seven days after the transplantation the first donor-type NK cells appeared in all these organs, and adult NK levels were reached simultaneously within a couple of days. The first NK cells to appear in every organ divided rapidly (sensitive to hydroxyurea) and contained a high proportion of Thy-1+ cells. These data suggest that NK cell precursors mature locally and simultaneously in different organs.
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011828:Radiation Chimera; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology