FIG. 8.

Sox2+ cells at the site of digit amputation are not derived from the bone marrow or circulation. Sox2 eGFP/+ transgenic mice and genetically matched, wild-type C57/BL6 transplanted with Sox2 eGFP/+ bone marrow were subjected to mid-second phalanx digit amputation and treatment with ECM degradation products. At day 14 postamputation, cells at the site of amputation were microdissected and dissociated for flow cytometric analysis for GFP expression. (A) GFP+ cells were found in cells isolated from Sox2 eGFP/+ transgenic mice. (B) A GFP+ population of cells was not found in cells isolated from bone marrow chimeric wild-type mice. (C) Cells isolated from Sox2 eGFP/+ mice showed a population of cells by flow cytometric analysis that was not present in bone marrow chimeric wild-type mice. (D) After sorting and cytospinning GFP+ and GFP– cell populations, immunolabeling confirmed that the GFP+ cells expressed Sox2 and GFP, whereas GFP– cells did not express Sox2 or GFP. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tea