Figure 5: Histologic analysis of melanomas that develop in WT background versus ECE2b or EDN3b-deficient backgrounds.
From: Microenvironment-derived factors driving metastatic plasticity in melanoma
(a–c) H&E staining demonstrates areas of central necrosis (red arrows) in the ECE2b and EDN3b-deficient background when compared with WT (WT=0/4, ECE2b=4/4, EDN3b=4/4 with central necrosis). (d–f) A significant decrease in proliferation, as assessed by phospho-H3 staining, is seen in the EDN3b-deficient tumours, which is quantified in the (s) panel below (*P<0.05, ANOVA). (g–i) A significant increase in apoptosis as measured by cleaved caspase expression is seen in both ECE2b and EDN3b-deficient backgrounds, quantified in panel (t) below (*,+, P<0.05, ANOVA). (j–l) A significant decrease in melanin content, as measured by Fontana-Masson staining, is seen in the ECE2b and EDN3b backgrounds as compared with WT and quantified in panel (u) below (*,+, P<0.05, ANOVA). (m–o) Staining for human BRAFV600E was uniform across all three genotypes, as was GFP expression (p–r), indicating that expression of those transgenes from the mitfa promoter was not affected. Error bars are s.e.m.
