Fig. 2: Mammary gland development in Adamts18^−/− mice.

a Representative fluorescent stereo-micrographs of inguinal glands from 14-day-old prepubertal WT.EGFP⁺ and Adamts18^−/−.EGFP females; n = 5 and n = 3. Scale bar, 500 μm. b, c Dot plots indicating the percentage of fat pad filling and fold change of branching points on day 14 mammary glands from 5 WT.EGFP⁺ and 3 Adamts18^−/−.EGFP vs mice. Data represent mean ± SD unpaired Student t-test, two-tailed. d Representative fluorescent stereo-micrographs of inguinal glands from 4-week-old pubertal WT.EGFP⁺ and Adamts18^−/−.EGFP mice; n = 13 for each genotype. LN: subiliac lymph node. Arrows indicate TEBs; scale bar, 500 μm. e–g Dot plots indicating percentage of fat pad filling, relative number of branching points and TEBs quantified at 4–6 weeks of age. Data represent mean ± SD from 13 WT.EGFP⁺ and 13 Adamts18^−/−.EGFP mice. Unpaired Student t-test, two-tailed. h Representative stereo micrographs of whole mounted inguinal glands from 7 WT and 7 Adamts18^−/− 14-week-old virgin mice. Arrows point to side branches; scale bars, 500 μm. i Dot plot showing relative number of branching points. Data represent mean ± SD from 7 WT and 7 Adamts18^−/− 14-week-old virgin mice. Unpaired Student t-test, two-tailed. j Representative micrographs of H&E-stained histological sections of mammary glands from 5-week-old WT and Adamts18^−/− littermates, n = 4; scale bar, 50 μm. k Dot plot showing percentage of cleaved caspase 3+ cells in TEBs of WT and Adamts18^−/− females. Data represent mean ± SD from 3 WT and 3 Adamts18^−/− mice. Unpaired Student t-test, two-tailed. l Representative pHH3 (brown) IHC on mammary glands from 6-week-old WT and Adamts18^−/− females; hematoxylin counterstain; scale bar, 50 μm. m Dot plot showing the percentage of pHH3+ positive cells in TEBs of 3 WT and 3 Adamts18^−/− females. Data represent mean ± SD, unpaired Student t-test, two-tailed. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ****p < 0.0001, n.s. not significant.