Fig. 3.

Deletion of epithelial Gpr177 disrupts mesenchymal morphogenesis. (A) The density of blood vessels (Pecam1⁺) is reduced in the E14.5 mutant lung. (B) Gpr177 deletion leads to reduced numbers of vascular and airway smooth muscle cells. (C) Representative section to show decreased proliferating cells (pH3⁺) in the mesenchyme of the mutant lung. Dotted lines indicate the basement membrane. (D) Quantification of proliferating cells in the epithelium and mesenchyme of the control and mutant lung. (E) Loss of Gpr177 results in reduced expression of the matrix protein laminin. Asterisks indicate bronchiolar airways. (F) Gpr177 deletion leads to the reduced expression of tenascin-C (TnC). (G) The expression of Klf2 is reduced in the mesenchyme of the Gpr177 mutant lung. (H) Deletion of Gpr177 leads to decreased protein levels of Klf2 in the E16.5 and E18.5 lung, as shown by western blot analysis. Scale bars: 50 μm.