FIGURE 3.

Genetic ablation of TG2 reduces calcium accrual and attenuates mortality of MGP-deficient mice. A, quantitation of total aortic calcium in Mgp^−/− (KO) (n = 5) and Mgp^−/−;Tgm2^−/− (DKO) (n = 4) mice normalized to dry weight of the tissue shows significant reduction in calcium content in DKO aortae. B, Kaplan-Meier survival curve for WT (n = 11), KO (n = 7), and DKO (n = 7) animals showing percentage of animals living each week from birth to 10 weeks old (p < 0.005, log-rank test). C, von Kossa stain for calcified matrix deposition in KO and DKO aortic tissue (upper panels). Scale bar, 50 μm. The lower panels show higher magnification of calcium deposits in the vessel wall.