Figure 5.

Multiple Developmental Abnormalities in Smg9^−/− Mouse Embryos

(A–D) Mutant embryos at E15.5 display multiple developmental defects, including exencephaly (C) and sporadic hemorrhage and edema (D), versus wild-type (A) or heterozygous (B) littermates.

(E–J) Volume slices of iodine-contrast microCT images of the mutant in (D) show multiple defects, including abnormal brain development (arrow, H), microphthalmia (arrow, I), and an atrioventricular septal defect and thin myocardium (arrow, J). Clear edema in the mutant images is indicated by the arrowheads (H–J). Control E15.5 sections from similar planes are shown in (E)–(G).

(K–S) Some embryos survived or were recovered dead at E18.5 (L and M versus K). As with earlier stages, both mutants were developmentally delayed and showed a variable degree of edema. One mutant had anophthalmia of one eye (arrow in M and R). MicroCT images of the mutant in (M) show edema (arrowheads in R and S), a severely malformed brain (Q), and abnormally thin myocardium in (S). Control sections through similar planes are shown in (N)–(P).

Scale bars for (E)–(J) are 0.5 mm (E and H) and 1.0 mm (F, G, I, and J) and for (N)–(S) are 1.0 mm (N, O, Q, and R) and 2.0 mm (P and S).