Figure 3. Prepubescent Axin2-expressing cells require β-catenin to expand luminal cell lineages.

(A): A scheme of conditional expression of stabilized β-catenin or deletion of β-catenin in compound mouse models. (B): Experimental strategy for analyzing Axin2^CreERT2/+;Ctnnb1^+/+ (control), Axin2^CreERT2/+;Ctnnb1^(ex3)fl/+ (Activated β-cat), and Axin2^CreERT2/+;Ctnnb1^(ex2-6)fl/fl (β-cat KO) mice. (C–N): H&E staining of AP and DLP isolated from the above mice. (O–T): Co-immunofluorescence staining of prostate tissues isolated from the control, Activated β-cat, and β-cat KO mice. (U): Ratio of luminal (K8+) versus basal (K5+) cells in control, Activated β-cat, and β-cat KO mice. (V): Percentages of Ki67 positive epithelial cells in the prostate of the above different mice. Error bars indicate standard deviation. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01 by Student’s t tests. Scale bars, 50 µm.