Figure 4: Further molecular characterization of the cartilage remnant.

Tamoxifen was injected at 3 days of age and growth plates were analysed 1 month later. (a) Mef2C protein was detected immunohistochemically in prehypertrophic and hypertrophic chondrocytes in control mice; a few positive cells were also detected in the cartilage remnant of Gsα cKO mice. (b) phospho-SMAD1/5 was detected immunohistochemically in prehypertrophic and columnar chondrocytes in control mice but not in the remnant. (c) In control mice, Sox9 protein was detected throughout the growth plate. The most intense signal was found in prehypertrophic chondrocytes, whereas only a few cells were positive for Sox9 in the remnant. Scale bars, 100 μm.