Figure 5.

Label-retaining cells in the H2B-GFP/K5tTA mouse conjunctiva were localized to the fornix region and are most likely responsible for the renewal of palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva epithelium. (A) After 56 days doxycycline chase, GFP⁺ LRCs in the cornea were localized to the limbus (red arrow) whereas conjunctival LRCs were localized to the fornix (blue arrow). The daughter cells from LRCs in the fornix conjunctiva are likely to repopulate the bulbar (white arrow) and palpebral (yellow arrow) conjunctiva with epithelial cells. No LRCs were observed at the eyelid margin (green arrow). (B) Sox9 immunostaining shows LRCs and dividing cells of the fornix conjunctiva are sox9⁺ or sox9⁻.