Figure 4
Mammary gland development in Sox10 macko mice with late adolescent Sox10 deletion. (a) Mammary glands (schematically shown on the upper left including lymph node, LN) of MMTV::Cre(F) Rosa26stopfloxYFP mice underwent Cre-dependent recombination between P35 and P38 as evident from YFP signals (upper right panels, corresponding to boxed area). By P56, efficient Cre-dependent recombination had occurred as evident from YFP immunohistochemistry of epithelial duct cross-sections (left lower panel) as well as quantification of YFP-positive cells ± SEM in the mammary epithelium (n = 3). DAPI was used to counterstain nuclei. (b,c) Co-immunohistochemistry was performed on mammary ducts of control and Sox10 macko mice at 8 weeks of age using antibodies against Sox10 (red) and K14 (green). (d,e) Morphology of mammary ducts was compared in control and Sox10 macko mice at 8 weeks by hematoxylin/eosin staining. (f–k) Carmine-alum staining was performed at P28 (f,g), P42 (h,i) and P56 (j,k) on mammary glands of control (f,h,j) and Sox10 macko (g,i,k) mice. Scale bars: 2 mm (a, upper panel; g), 100 µm (a, lower panel), 50 µm (c,e). (l,m) The number of terminal end buds (TEB in l) and ductal tips (m) was quantified in mammary gland sections of control (white bars) and Sox10 macko (black bars) mice at P28, P42 and P56 (n = 4–7). Presentations are as absolute TEB and ductal tip numbers ± SEM. No statistical significance was observed between age-matched control and Sox10 macko mice by Student’s t-test.
