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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Jun 8.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Biol. 2007 Aug 31;311(2):396–407. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.08.046

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Pituitary dysmorphology is evident by e10.5 in Tcf4−/− mice. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to determine the onset of pituitary dysmorphology in Tcf4−/− mice compared to Tcf4+/+ controls. Rathke’s pouch is thickened and expanded rostrally beginning at e10.5 (panel A, B, arrow). Thinning of the oral ectoderm and the separation of Rathke’s pouch (panel C, bracket) is evident in Tcf4+/+ mice at e11.5 (panel C, E) but is typically delayed in Tcf4−/− mice (panel D). One example of the separation of the pouch from the oral ectoderm has been identified in a Tcf4−/− mouse at e11.5 (panel F). The thickened and expanded Rathke’s pouch is separated from the oral ectoderm by e12.5 in Tcf4−/− mice and the additional cells are incorporated into the anterior pituitary (panel H, arrowhead). Sagittal sections from fetuses at e10.5 through e16.5 (panels A–L) are oriented with rostral on the left and e18.5 (panels M, N) are coronal sections. Panels from e10.5 through e14.5 are the same magnification; e16.5 and e18.5 are at a lower magnification. The scale bars in panels A and K represent 100μm.