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. 2018 Oct 12;7:e40429. doi: 10.7554/eLife.40429

Figure 2. Reduced number of Pomc mRNA-expressing cells in mice lacking Dicer in POMC neurons.

(a) Representative images and quantification of Pomc mRNA-expressing cells in the arcuate nucleus (ARH) of E13 (n = 6 per group), E15 (n = 6 – 8 per group), P10 (n = 4 per group), P21 (n = 4 per group) and 15-week-old (n = 3 – 4 per group) DicerloxP/loxP and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice. (b) Relative expression of Pomc mRNA in the mediobasal hypothalamus of P21 and 15-week-old DicerloxP/loxP and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice (n = 3 – 4 per group). (c) Representative images and quantification of Pomc-Cre cells genetically labeled by tdTomato in the ARH of E15 (n = 5 – 7 per group), P21 (n = 4 per group) and 15-week-old (n = 3 – 4 per group) Pomc-Cre and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice. (d) Representative images and quantification of the density of α-MSH- and β-endorphin-immunopositive fibers (n = 3 – 4 per group) in the posterior magnocellular (pml) and medial parvicellular (mpd) parts of the paraventricular nucleus (PVH) of P21 DicerloxP/loxP and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice. Scale bars, 100 μm (a, b, c). Values are shown as mean ± SEM. *p≤0.05 versus DicerloxP/loxP (a, b, d); **p≤0.01 versus DicerloxP/loxP (a, d); ***p≤0.001 versus DicerloxP/loxP (b), versus Pomc-Cre; tdTomato (c); ****p≤0.0001 versus DicerloxP/loxP (a), versus Pomc-Cre; tdTomato (c). Statistical significance was determined using 2-tailed Student’s t test. V3, third ventricle.

Figure 2.

Figure 2—figure supplement 1. Reduced number of POMC neurons in the arcuate nucleus of Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP mice.

Figure 2—figure supplement 1.

Representative images and quantification of (a) Pomc mRNA-, (b) β-endorphin-, and (c) Npy mRNA-expressing cells of P14 and P21 DicerloxP/loxP and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice (n = 4 per group). (d) Representative images and quantification of Pomc-Cre; tdTomato + cells in the ARH of P14 Pomc-Cre and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice (n = 3 per group). (e) Representative images and quantification of POMC-immunopositive cells in the pituitary of DicerloxP/loxP and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP E15 embryos (n = 5 – 6). (f) Representative images and quantification of Pomc-Cre tdTomato + cells in the NTS of P21 Pomc-Cre and Pomc-Cre; DicerloxP/loxP male mice (n = 4 per group). ARH, arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus; cc, central canal; NTS, solitary nucleus; V3, third ventricle. Scale bars, 100 μm (a–e). Values are shown ± SEM. *p≤0.05 versus DicerloxP/loxP (a, e); **p≤0.01 versus DicerloxP/loxP (b), versus Pomc-Cre; tdTomato (d), ***p≤0.001 versus DicerloxP/loxP (e). Statistical significance was determined using 2-tailed Student’s t test (a–f).