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. 2015 Mar 16;125(4):1557–1568. doi: 10.1172/JCI78850

Figure 1. BMP signaling activity in the stratified squamous epithelium of the adult mouse esophagus.

Figure 1

(A and B) BMP signaling is active in differentiated suprabasal cells, but not in basal progenitor cells, as shown by the BMP reporter allele BRE-lacZ. The undifferentiated basal progenitor cells are labeled with p63. Note that some mesenchymal cells in the lamina propria were also positive for X-gal staining. Nuclei were counterstained with nuclear fast red. (C) BMP4 is expressed in subpopulations (arrows) of basal progenitor cells, as shown by the Bmp4-lacZ allele. Basal progenitor cells are labeled with the SOX2 transcription factor. (D) BMP7 was expressed in all of the epithelium, including in basal and suprabasal cells, as demonstrated by the Bmp7-lacZ allele. (E) The BMP inhibitor follistatin was enriched in basal progenitor cells. The boxed region is shown enlarged at right (original magnification, ×40). (F) The BMP inhibitor gremlin 2 was expressed in the muscularis mucosa beneath the lamina propria layer. The boxed region is shown enlarged at right (original magnification, ×40). Dotted line in A, B, D, and E indicates the basement membrane. Ep, epithelium; Me, mesenchyme. Scale bars: 50 μm.