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. 2014 Mar;184(3):592–599. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.11.029

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Mice raised in GF conditions exhibit shorter intestinal crypt length and altered Wnt gene expression levels compared with SPF mice. A: Total crypt length from proximal to distal colon of mice raised in GF conditions compared with SPF mice. B: Axin2 mRNA expression was used as a surrogate marker for active Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction. Axin2 expression (difference, 14.46-fold) was higher in SPF mice than in GF mice. C: Gene expression levels of the Wnt ligands were Wnt5a (difference, −6.41-fold) and Wnt11 (difference, −4.18-fold) compared with WT controls. Conventionalization of GF mice for 4 weeks induces expression of Wnt5a (difference, 4.4-fold) and Wnt11 (difference, 2.36-fold). D: Gene expression of Wnt5a (difference, −1.75-fold) but not Wnt11 is markedly decreased in Myd88 KO mice. E: Detection of EdU-positive cells in crypt-luminal axis in the baseline state (2 hours after flash label) was 44.2 ± 2.2 μm proximal and 63.5 ± 2.6 μm distal in Myd88 KO mice compared with 21.9 ± 0.9 μm proximal and 22.7 ± 0.6 μm distal in WT controls, measured from crypt base. F: IEC migration in Myd88 KO mice, measured as distance from 2-hour baseline position, at 4 hours was 7.1 ± 2 μm proximal and 4.2 ± 1.8 μm distal, at 8 hours was 9.2 ± 1.1 μm proximal and 4.5 ± 1.9 μm distal, and at 12 hours was 9.8 ± 1.5 μm proximal and 6.5 ± 1.8 μm distal after the EdU flash label. Data are expressed as means ± SEM and represent three experiments with three mice per group. CON, conventionalized; h, hour.