Figure 3: cKO of ACF7 leads to defects in intestinal morphogenesis.

(a) Western blot analysis verified ACF7 deficiency in the intestine of the ACF7 cKO mice. (b) Adult ACF7 cKO mice are smaller in size. (c) ACF7 cKO animals have more frequent loose stools (upper panels) and are more susceptible to rectocele (lower panels) compared with their WT littermates. (d) HE staining in the small intestine and colon reveals that the intestinal epithelial morphogenesis in the ACF7 cKO mice is significantly altered compared with that in the WT mice. Boxed areas in intestine sections are enlarged and shown at the bottom. Scale bar, 200 μm (upper panels) or 50 μm (lower panels). (e) Linear crypt depth measurements in micrometres and cell number per crypt are significantly increased in the ACF7 cKO mice compared with the WT mice (mean±s.d., n=10, ***P<0.001, Student’s t-test). SI, small intestine. Sample size n>3 (three independent tests on different animals). (f) SEM of the small intestine (left panels) demonstrated that there are fewer villi per unit area in the small intestinal epithelium, and the villi are more hypertrophied and irregular in the ACF7 cKO mice compared with the WT mice. SEM of the colon (right panels) shows that there are fewer valvulae conniventes and regularly deep grooves in the colonic epithelium of the ACF7 cKO mice compared with the WT mice (indicated by the white arrow). Boxed areas are enlarged and shown at the right. Scale bar, 50 or 20 μm (enlarged panels).