Figure 4

SOX2⁺ cell ablation does not affect pituitary hormonal cell populations. (a) Proportion of hormone⁺ cells as quantified in immunostained AP cell cytospin samples obtained from adult TAM/DT-injected female and male control -/iDTR mice (dark grey) and Sox2/iDTR mice (light grey), analysed 1 day (i.e. at d9; left) and 6 months (right) later. Bars represent mean ± SEM (females: n = 4 and 3, respectively; males: n = 3). No significant differences were observed (see Supplementary Table S1). (b) Proportion of hormone⁺ cells as quantified in immunostained AP cell cytospin samples obtained from 1-week-old TAM/DT-injected female and male control -/iDTR mice (dark grey) and Sox2/iDTR mice (light grey), analysed 1 day later (d9). Bars represent mean ± SEM (females: n = 3; males: n = 3). No significant differences were observed (see Supplementary Table S1). (c) Proportion of hormone⁺ cells as quantified in immunostained AP cell cytospin samples obtained from 1-week-old TAM/DT-injected Sox2/iDTR mice (as compared to control -/iDTR mice, set as 100%), analysed 4–6 months later. Bars represent mean ± SEM (from pooled female and male mice: n = 3). No significant differences were observed (see Supplementary Table S1). (d) Left: Proportion of cells immunoreactive for ACTH and nSOX2 as indicated, quantified in immunostained AP cell cytospin samples obtained from adult TAM/DT-injected -/iDTR mice after ADX (black bars), adult TAM/DT-injected Sox2Cre/iDTR mice after ADX (dark grey bars) and adult TAM/DT-injected Sox2Cre/iDTR mice after SHAM operation (light grey bars) (as compared to control -/iDTR mice after SHAM operation, set as 100%). Bars represent mean ± SEM (from pooled female and male mice, n = 3–5). *p < 0.05 (see Supplementary Table S1). Right: Proportion of cells double-immunoreactive for the factors as indicated, quantified in immunostained AP cell cytospin samples obtained from adult TAM/DT-injected -/iDTR mice after ADX (black bars) and adult TAM/DT-injected Sox2Cre/iDTR mice after ADX (dark grey bars) (as compared to control -/iDTR mice after SHAM operation, set as 100%). Double immunostainings were not performed for adult TAM/DT-injected Sox2Cre/iDTR mice after SHAM operation. Bars represent mean ± SEM (from pooled female and male mice, n = 3–5). *p < 0.05 (see Supplementary Table S1).