Fig. 2.
Smooth muscle Jagged1 deficiency selectively reduces myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) levels. A: aortas from tamoxifen (TM)-treated (+TM) versus control sunflower oil-treated (−TM) smooth muscle myosin heavy chain-CreERT2 (SMMHC-CreERT2)/Jagged1 flox/flox (Jag1f/f) mice reveal Jagged1 and MLCK loss with preserved myosin phosphatase-targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) content as shown in representative immunoblots. Data represent means ± SE (n = 5) and were analyzed using a t-test, *P < 0.0001. B: representative immunoblots displaying preserved SMMHC and smooth muscle α-actin (SMA) content in Jagged1-deficient vessels. Data are means (SD) (n = 3) normalized to GAPDH and control (−TM) lane and were analyzed using a t-test, P = not significant (−TM vs. +TM). C: representative elastin-stained control and smooth muscle Jagged1-deficient aortic cross sections. Vessels were morphologically indistinguishable with intact elastic lamina; boxes are at ×40 magnification of low-power (×10) views (arrows).