Fig. 2: DMP1 transforms active type H vessels into quiescent type L in the OF and in subchondral bone.

a EMCN and MMP9 immunostaining of femur. Dashed line shows the OF-GP border. White arrows point at type H vessels. Scale bar 50 µm. b Quantification of the contribution of the central and peripheral parts to the total EMCN intensity. At 4- and 5-weeks n = 7, 5.5–6 weeks n = 12, 8 weeks n = 6, 12–15 weeks n = 6. Pooled data from six independent experiments. P value shows the significance between the intensity in the centre versus periphery for every mouse (two-tailed paired t-test). Mean ± SD. c Experimental scheme to induce Dmp1 deletion by Tamoxifen injection. d Quantification of DMP1 amount in the OF centre of control and osteoblast-specific inducible Dmp1-deleted (Dmp1^i∆OB) mice. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. e EMCN and MMP9 immunostaining of 6-week-old control and Dmp1^i∆OB femurs. Scale bar 500 µm. f Quantification of ossification front length to femur length ratio in control and Dmp1^i∆OB mice. d, f Control n = 14, Dmp1^i∆OB n = 13. g Quantification of bulges by measuring the total EMCN intensity in the central GP in control and Dmp1^i∆OB mice. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. h EMCN and MMP9 immunostaining of femur in 6-week-old control and Dmp1^i∆OB mice. Dashed line shows the OF-GP border. Scale bar 50 µm. i Quantification of the central to peripheral intensity ratio of EMCN in control and Dmp1^i∆OB OF. j Quantification of the total central EMCN intensity in control and Dmp1^i∆OB group. k Quantification of MMP9 at the OF-GP border in control and Dmp1^i∆OB femurs. i–k Two-tailed paired t-test. l Quantification of the total central MMP9 amount at the OF-GP border in control and Dmp1^i∆OB group. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. g–l Pooled data from three independent experiments. Control n = 11, Dmp1^i∆OB n = 13. Age: 6 weeks. Mean ± SD. m EMCN and MMP9 immunostaining of 6-week-old control, Dmp1^i∆OB and 4-week-old WT subchondral bone (SB) with articular cartilage (AC). Dashed line indicates the SB-AC border. Scale bar 50 µm. n Quantification of the total EMCN intensity at the SB-AC border. o Quantification of the total MMP9 intensity around the vessels at the SB-AC border. m–o Pooled data from two independent experiments. Control n = 11, Dmp1^i∆OB n = 9, 4-week-old WT n = 4. Mean ± SD. b, d, f, g, j–l, n, o Source data are provided in Source Data file.