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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Biol. 2009 Jul 22;334(1):174–185. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.07.015

Fig. 8.

Fig. 8

Constitutive stabilization of β-catenin in the palatal mesenchyme induced tooth bud-like structures from the palatal epithelium. (A-C) Immunofluorescent detection of β-catenin protein in the palate in E13.5 (A, B) and P0 (C) control (A) and Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant (B, C) mice. Much more β-catenin protein (red color) accumulated in the developing palate mesenchyme in E13.5 Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant (B) than in the control littermate (A). By P0, β-catenin protein was preferentially accumulated in the mesenchymal cells underlying the epithelial invaginations in the mutant palate (C). Arrowheads in A and B point to the palatal epithelium, whereas arrows in C point to the β-catenin positive palatal mesenchyme underlying the invaginated palatal epithelium. (D-F) In situ hybridization detection of Lef1 mRNA expression (blue color) in the palate in E13.5 (D, E) and P0 (F) control (D) and Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant (E, F) mice. Arrow in D points to Lef1-positive tooth mesenchyme, whereas arrows in F point to Lef1 mRNA expression in the palatal mesenchyme underlying the invaginated palatal epithelium in the Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant mouse. (G-I) Expression of Pitx2 (G), Shh (H), and Bmp4 (I) mRNAs indicate that the invaginated epithelial structures in the palate in the Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant mice resemble developing tooth germs. Arrows in G point to Pitx2 mRNA expression in the invaginated palatal epithelium. Arrows in H and I point to the Shh- and Bmp4-positive domain in the distal region of the invaginated palatal epithelium, which resemble primary enamel knot in gene expression pattern. (J, K) The mesenchyme underlying palatal epithelial invaginations (arrows) in Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant mice did not show detectable expression of Msx1 (J) and Pax9 mRNA (K). Black dashed line in each panel mark the boundary between the invaginated epithelium and mesenchyme. (L) Kidney capsule graft of E13.5 Catnblox(ex3)/+;Osr2-CreKI mutant palatal shelf had encapsulated cysts (arrows) but no organized tooth structures.