Fig. 4. Ctnnb1 is dispensable for mature retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).

(A) Structures of P60 mouse eyes, which express wild-type and functional variants of Ctnnb1 in BEST1-Cre affected mature RPE, are visualized by H&E staining (top row). Ctnnb1 expression was examined by immunostaining of the mouse eye sections (second and third row). Intercellular junctions and the nuclei of RPE in the whole-mount mouse eye cups were visualized by immunostaining against the antibodies against Ctnnb1 and Otx2, respectively (fourth row). (B) Numbers of Otx2-positive RPE cells in the indicated areas of whole-mount eye cups were counted and shown in the graph. Values in the y-axis are averages and error bard denote SEM. n ≥ 22 from 6 mouse eyes (3 independent litters). (C) Distribution of the microvilli and AJ in P60 mouse RPE were investigated by immunostaining of Ezrin and P/E-cadherin, respectively. Images in the second and fourth rows show magnified version of RPE in first and third rows, respectively. Scale bars = 50 μm (A and C).