Fig. 2: The trade-off of osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation regulated by gli genes.

a–c HCR of col2a1a (magenta) and sp7 (green) with DAPI staining (cyan). 3D stack lateral visualization of confocal scanning of gli3^+/+ (a), gli3^14ins/14ins (b), and gli2b^17ins/17ins; gli3^14ins/14ins embryos (c). The osteoblasts around the cleithrum at the level of the scapulocoracoid are reduced in gli3^14ins/14ins and gli2b^17ins/17ins; gli3^14ins/14ins embryos (b, c). n = 6 for each genotype. The scales are the same from (a–c). d, e Dissected pectoral fins of gli3^+/+ (d) and gli3^14ins/14ins (e) embryos at 72 hpf after HCR with the same probes used in (a–c). The scapulocoracoid is larger in gli3^14ins/14ins embryos (e) than in gli3^+/+ embryos (d). The scale is the same between (d, e). f The comparison of the osteoblast (sp7-positive) and chondrocyte (col2a1a-positive) numbers in the cleithrum and the scapulocoracoid, respectively, between gli3^+/+ and gli3^14ins/14ins embryos (n = 18 for gli3^+/+ and n = 16 for gli3^14ins/14ins embryos). **; p = 0.0000178 by a two-tailed student t-test. Scale bars are 300 μm in (a) and 50 μm in (d). cl cleithrum, sc scapulocoracoid.