Figure 6.

Canonical WNT signaling pathway is actively engaged in adrenal cortex regeneration. (A) Heatmap showing selected genes of the canonical WNT signaling pathway signature during regeneration. For each time point, n = 4. (B) Immunofluorescence staining of adrenals from WntGFP mice. After dexamethasone there is an increase in WNT-responsive cells (green nuclear staining). Nuclei in blue (DAPI). For each time point, n = 5 (C) Scheme of experimental design for lineage tracing of AxinCreERT2- R26R^{mTomato/mEGFP} mice. (D) Adrenals of Axin2CreERT2- R26R^{mTomato/mEGFP} mice injected with tamoxifen (Tam) after 3 days of chase show that Axin2 descendants (in red) give rise to CYP11B2+ zG cells (left) and to CYP11B1+ zF cells (right). White arrows indicate labeled cells that coexpress CYP11B2 and GFP (left) and Cyp11B1 and GFP (right). Scale bar: 200 μm. (E) Lineage tracing of Axin2 after dexamethasone treatment. Axin2+ and descendants cells are marked in green, nuclei in blue. Dexamethasone-treated adrenals display a higher number of EGFP+ cells after treatment and during recovery. Nonspecific EGFP+ staining occurring in the inner zF following dexamethasone treatment is consistent with the vacuolization and immune infiltrate observed during glucocorticoid-induced atrophy as previously mentioned (refer to Fig. 1). For each time point n = 5. Scale bars: 200 μm. GFP, green fluorescent protein.