Fig. 3.

Mild acceleration of bone development in Mir140-null mice. Whole-mount skeletal staining (A to C) shows an advanced mineralization of the talus (arrow) in newborn Mir140-null hind limbs (A). The sizes of Alizarin red-stained mineralized areas of the talus (B) and forearms (C) are greater in Mir140-null mice than in wild-type or heterozygous littermates. Arrows indicate mineralization of the ulna. (D, E) The size of the hypertrophic region marked by Col10a1 (brackets) is greater in the talus at P0.5 (D) and the tibia at E14.5 (E) than in control animals, suggesting accelerated hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes. Brackets and black lines indicate the hypertrophic region. H/E, hematoxylin and eosin stain. (F) Growth plates of the Mir140-null tibia at P5.5 exhibit no significant proliferation defects in proliferating columnar chondrocytes.