Fig. 4

Conditional inactivation of osterix in epiphyseal chondrocytes reduces osterix expression and bone formation in the epiphyses in mice. a Longitudinal proximal tibial sections of WT mice (Osx^flox/flox; Cre-ERT2⁺ treated with corn oil) and Osx cKO mice (Osx^flox/flox; Cre-ERT2⁺ treated with tamoxifen) at P10 were immuno-stained with anti-OSX antibody (blue staining). Consecutive sections were also stained with Safranin-O and trichrome. b Reduced osterix expression in the epiphyses of cKO mice. RNA was extracted from epiphyses of WT and Osx cKO mice at postnatal day 10 and used for real-time PCR (N = 4 per group).⁴⁰ A Significant difference (P < 0.05) in cKO versus WT mice. c The longitudinal sections of tibial epiphysis at P21 in the Osx cKO and WT control mice were stained with immunofluorescent anti-OSX antibody (green). Consecutive sections were also stained with Safranin-O and trichrome