Figure 3. Axin2-expressing interfollicular epidermal stem cells require β-catenin to proliferate and maintain normal epidermal homeostasis.
(A,C,E) Representative images of DAPI, Ki67 and K10 immunostaining of control Axin2-CreERT2/β-cateninΔex2-6-fl/+ or -del/+ and mutant Axin2-CreERT2/β-cateninΔex2-6-fl/fl or -fl/del plantar epidermis. Arrows in (E) indicate basal epidermal cells staining positive for K10. Dashed lines denote approximate location of epidermis/dermis boundary. (B,D,F) Changes in cellularity, proliferative index, and differentiation between control and mutant plantar epidermises as determined by counting and plotting (B) DAPI+, (D) Ki67+ nuclei and (F) K10+ basal cells (error bars = SEM). All counts were derived from n>=3 independent experiments and subject to pairwise Student t-tests. Scale bars, 10 μm.