HSCs are absent in the BM of Vav-Atg7^−/− mice. (A) Total BM cell counts from 6- and 9-wk-old WT (Vav-iCre⁺; Atg7^Flox/WT or Vav-iCre⁻; Atg7^Flox/Flox; n = 4) and Vav-Atg7^−/− (Vav-iCre⁺; Atg7^Flox/Flox; n = 4) mice. Data are presented as means ± SEM (*, P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test). (B) Representative dot plots of WT and Vav-Atg7^−/− LK and LSK compartments, gated on Lin⁻ BM cells. The LK and LSK cell frequencies within the Lin⁻ population are shown. (C) Total BM LSK cell counts from 7-wk-old WT (n = 5) and Vav-Atg7^−/− (n = 6) mice. LSK cells were gated as shown in B (**, P = 0.0043, Mann-Whitney test). (D) Total BM LK cell counts from 7-wk-old WT (n = 5) and Vav-Atg7^−/− (n = 6) mice. LK cells were gated as shown in B (**, P = 0.0087, Mann-Whitney test). Results in A–D are representative of at least six independent experiments. (E) Absolute HSC (LSK CD150⁺CD48⁻) counts in the BM of WT and Vav-Atg7^−/− mice determined by gating as shown in F (**, P = 0.002, Mann-Whitney test). (C–E) Horizontal bars indicate the mean. (F) HSC immunophenotyping in the BM of 7-wk-old WT and Vav-Atg7^−/− mice. Dot plots are representative of n = 6 mice in each genotype and of three independent experiments. For each genotype, left plots are gated on Lin⁻ cells, and right plots are gated on Sca-1⁺c-Kit⁺ (LSK) cells. The numbers in the dot plots indicate the percentage within the corresponding parent population.