a, Immunofluorescence microscopy of MelLec-expressing versus control NIH3T3 cells labelled with anti-MelLec antibody (green). Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). Experiments were repeated at least three times independently, with similar results. b, Exemplar flow-cytometric gating strategy for identification of live cells from tissue. c, Flow-cytometric analysis of MelLec expression on live CD45⁻CD31⁺ EpCAM⁻ and EpCAM⁺ populations in the liver. d–j, Flow cytometric analysis of MelLec expression on live CD45⁻CD31⁺ cells in the heart (d), kidney (e) and small intestine (f), and on live CD45⁻EpCAM⁺ cells in the heart (g), kidney (h), small intestine (i) and epidermis (j). In b–j, experiments were repeated at least twice independently, with similar results. Black lines, isotype controls. k, Schematic of the wild-type Clec1a locus, gene targeting vector, PCR primer sites and correctly targeted recombinant allele. l, PCR analysis of gene-targeted mice (for gel source data, see Supplementary Fig. 1). +/+, wild-type, +/− heterozygous and −/− homozygous for the targeted allele. m, Immunofluorescence microscopy of naive lung tissue from Clec1a^−/− mice (labelling of wild-type lung is shown in Fig. 3b). n, Analysis of MelLec expression in disaggregated lung tissue from wild-type (wt) or Clec1a^−/− mice by flow cytometry. In l–n, experiments were repeated at least three times independently, with similar results.