Fig. 7.

Arrest of LFC differentiation following Pax6 loss is not mediated by upregulation of Sox2. (A) Sox2^lox targeting vector and somatic deletion allele. The neo selection cassette is flanked by frt sites (blue triangles). The single Sox2 exon is flanked by loxP sites (green triangles). (B-M′) Cre-mediated deletion results in the Sox2^Δ allele. Sox2^lox/lox;Pax6^lox/lox control (B-G) and Sox2^lox/lox;Pax6^lox/lox;Mlr10 E14.5 double somatic mutant (H-M′) mouse lenses analyzed by H&E staining (B,H) and antibody labeling for Sox2 and Ap2α (C,I, green and red, respectively), phosphohistone H3 (PH3, red in D,J,J′), αA-crystallin (E,K), β-crystallin (F,L) and cleaved caspase 3 (cCas, red in G,M,M′). Counterstaining was with DAPI (D,F,G,J,L,M). Arrows indicate the lens equator, arrowheads to the aberrant cells in the lens posterior. LE, lens epithelium; re, retina. Scale bar: 100 μm.