Figure 1

Deletion of Runx2 using K14-Cre does not overtly alter normal mammary development.

(A) Representative wholemounts (top panel) and histological sections (H&E, bottom panel) of mammary glands extracted from 12 week old virgin K14-Cre:Runx^wt/wt and K14-Cre:Runx2^fl/fl mice. (n ≥ 4 for each genotype). Scale bar represents 1 mm for wholemounts and 50 μm for H&E. (B) Immunofluorescence of CK14 (red) and CK18 (yellow) on mammary glands extracted from K14-Cre:Runx2^wt/wt and K14-Cre:Runx2^fl/fl mice. Glands were counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar represents 20 μm. Cre-mediated GFP expression, as analysed by FACS, on whole mammary epithelial cell preparations (C) and gated on CD24^high/CD29^high basal (D) and CD24^high/CD29^low luminal (E) populations. MMECs were isolated from 12 week K14-Cre:Runx2^wt/wt and K14-Cre:Runx2^fl/fl mice. Data are expressed as % of GFP+ cells over total in the selected population (±SD); n ≥ 5 for each genotype. (F) Bar chart showing the weight of pups in grams from K14-Cre:Runx2^wt/wt and K14-Cre:Runx2^fl/fl dams. Litters (n ≥ 5) were normalized to 6 pups and were weighed 7 days after the start of lactation. Data are expressed as mean (±SD). (G) Representative histological sections of mammary glands from K14-Cre:Runx^wt/wt and K14-Cre:Runx2^fl/fl female mice harvested at selected timepoints. Scale bar represents 50 μm.