Figure 7.

DINE deficiency alters differentiation status of immature Schwann cells, but not proliferation. A, The number of DAPI-stained nuclei per 10⁴ μm² in cervical spinal ventral root sections of WT and KO mice at E13.5 and E16.5 are shown. There is no significant difference in the number of stained nuclei between WT and KO mice. B, BrdU was intraperitoneally injected into pregnant mice and was incorporated in proliferating cells of E13.5 and E16.5 embryos. Longitudinal sections of spinal ventral root at the cervical level were immunostained by anti-BrdU antibody (green) and DAPI (blue). C, The percentages of BrdU-positive nuclei in DAPI-stained nuclei of WT and KO mice. There is no significant difference between WT and KO mice with regard to the number of BrdU-positive proliferating cells in the spinal nerve. D, Expression of cell cycle-related genes in sciatic nerves of WT and KO mice at E18.5. Actin expression is served as a reference. Data are shown as a fold induction compared with mRNA expression in WT mice. All genes show no significant difference in mRNA expression between WT and KO mice. E, Quantified expression levels of genes associated with differentiation of immature Schwann cells in embryonic sciatic nerve of WT and KO at E18.5. Data are shown as a fold induction compared with expression in WT mice. Expression of Oct-6 is significantly decreased in the sciatic nerve of KO embryos. **p < 0.01. F, In situ hybridization using DIG-labeled RNA probe confirms increased expression of Oct-6 mRNA in WT mice compared with KO mice (top); immunohistochemistry using anti-Oct-6 antibody (red) and DAPI (blue) confirms considerably induced Oct-6 expression in WT mice at E17 compared with KO mice (bottom). Scale bars: B, 20 μm; F, 100 μm. n.s., Not significant. Error bars indicate SD.