Fig 1.

Generation of Pn^−/− and Pn^tTA inducible transgenic mice. (A) Schematic of the targeting strategy that deletes 7 exons in the Postn gene. (B) Western blot for Pn protein from 1 day-old neonatal C57 wildtype (Wt) and Pn^−/− mice from the developing bones of foot and heart. (C) Schematic of the cardiac-specific Pn expressing “responder” transgene that permits inducible expression in conjunction with the tTA “driver” transgene. (D) Western blot for Pn protein from adult hearts of the indicated genotypes in the constitutively induced state. Pn^tTA mice contain both the responder and driver transgenes required for expression. (E) Body weight of the indicated genotype of mice at 8 weeks of age. *P<0.05 vs. C57 Wt. (F,G) Assessment of ventricular weights (VW) normalized to body weights (BW) in Pn^−/−, Pn^tTA and Wt (FVB) mice at 8 or 32 weeks of age. *P<0.05 vs. Wt. The number of mice analyzed is shown in the bar.