Fig. 2: Luminal Rank loss results in lactation failure that is restored during successive pregnancies through the emergence of Rank-positive cells.
From: Luminal Rank loss decreases cell fitness leading to basal cell bipotency in parous mammary glands
a Experimental protocol used to establish the role of basal and luminal Rank during successive pregnancies in K14 and K8 transgenic models. b Whole mount MG staining from K14imTmG and K14iΔRank mice at L1 of pregnancy one (P1) and three (P3). c Whole mount MG staining from K8imTmG and K8iRank at L1 of P1 and P3. Black arrow indicates dilated ducts. d IF analysis of K8+ (magenta) and GFP+ (green) in MGs from K8imTmG and K8iΔRank mice, Dapi (blue) stains nuclei. Quantification of the number of GFP+ cells within the luminal (K8+) population at L1 from P1 (p = 0.98), P2 (p = 0.0003) and P3 (p < 0.0001) in K8imTmG and K8iΔRank (n = 3) is shown. e Rank immunohistochemistry at L1 from P1, P2 and P3 in K8imTmG and K8iΔRank mice. f Quantification of the percentage of pStat5+ cells in the luminal population at P1 (p < 0.0001), P2 (p = 0.002) and P3 (p = 0.08) at L1 in K8imTmG and K8iΔRank (n = 3). Data are represented as mean +/− SEM. Scale bars and significant P values are indicated in the graphs. P-values were calculated using Two-Way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons (d, f) and were reported as the exact value when they were significant. Staining was quantified in 5 independent images from two tissue sections collected 100 µm apart (d, f). Source data are provided as a Source Data file. ns not significant.
