Figure 7. Deleting Pten restores pAKT and pERK1/2 in FGFR2-deficient lenses.

E15.5 Cre-negative control, Pten^Δ/Δ , Fgfr2^Δ/Δ , and (Pten/R2)^Δ/Δ lenses were analyzed by western blot analysis to determine the impact of deleting Pten, Fgfr2, or both Pten and Fgfr2 on activation of ERK1/2 and AKT. Levels of pAKT were significantly reduced in Fgfr2^Δ/Δ lenses (A, B). Additionally deleting Pten with the Fgfr2 deletion raised the level of pAKT well beyond the levels of control lenses (A, B). As expected, Pten^Δ/Δ lenses experienced very high levels of pAKT (A, B). Interestingly, the total amount of AKT was reduced in both Pten^Δ/Δ lenses and (Pten/R2)^Δ/Δ lenses (A, C). Fgfr2^Δ/Δ lenses experienced a significant reduction in p-ERK (A, D), and additionally deleting Pten raised the level of pERK1/2 above that of control lenses (A, D). Pten^Δ/Δ lenses experienced modestly elevated levels of pERK1/2 (A, D). Total ERK levels remained unaltered in all of the examined genotypes (A, E). Total ERK1/2 and AKT were standardized to GAPDH while pERK1/2 and pAKT were normalized to total ERK1/2 and total AKT, respectively. Errors bars on the graphs represent s.e.m, with significance levels indicated above the relevant genotypes.