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. 2023 Dec 21;186(26):5910–5924.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.013

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© 2023 The Author(s)

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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Figure S6 — Stochastic development of lacrimal glands in human embryos, related to Figure 6

(A–E) All panels are LSFM images of solvent-cleared embryo (A and B) and fetuses (C–E), immunostained for Sox9 (A–E) and Synaptophysin (Syn, C). In each case, the 2 eyes (right and left) are shown, to illustrate the heterogeneity and asynchrony of lacrimal gland development. A mirror image is presented for the left eye to facilitate the comparison with the right eye.

(A–D) At PCW7 (A) and PCW8 (B) a few buds emerge on both sides. In (B) the longest one is colored in red, the two adjacent ones in green and cyan. The color code is conserved starting from the red/longest duct. Note that from the onset, the number and length of the buds differs between eyes. (C) and (D) shows the right and left eyes of 2 fetuses of similar age (PCW10.4 and PCW10.1 respectively). All subglands have been individually segmented and numbered. The number of glands varies between eyes and between cases. Their respective length is also highly variable with one (in red in all cases) always longer than the others. The relative position, along the superomedial to inferolateral axis, of the longest and most branched subgland (red) also varies between eyes and individuals (position 3/7 in B, 11/16 in right C, 8/9 in left C, 10/11 in D, 10/16 in right E, and 11/13 in left E). Branching mostly occurs at the growing tips, but side branches also form all along the individual ducts.

(E) At PCW11.3, the glands have further developed and have more side branches. Variability in size and branching complexity is still high.

Scale bars: all panels are counted from left to right for each row; 500 μm in (A), (C, first panel first row and second row), (D, first panel first row and second row), and (E, second panel second row); 400 μm in (B, first and third panels), (C, second panel first row), and (D, second panel first row); 200 μm in (B, second and fourth panels); 1 mm in (E, first panel second row).