Figure 15.

Sox9^EGFPexpression labels BECs and peribiliary hepatocytes in cholestatic injury after BDL. Immunofluorescence 7 days after BDL demonstrates that all (A) EPCAM⁺ and (B) K19⁺ BECs associated with typical ductular reactions co-express EGFP. (C) Consistent with results in uninjured livers, HNF4A is found in a subpopulation of Sox9^EGFP+ peribiliary hepatocytes after BDL (yellow arrowheads indicate EGFP⁺/HNF4A⁺). BDL does not result in Sox9^EGFP activation in (D) SMA⁺ or (E) VIM⁺ cells. (F) Although some Sox9^EGFP+ cells do not express SOX9 after BDL (white arrowhead), those with ductal morphology appear SOX9+ (yellow arrowhead). (G) Independent co-localization of SOX9+ with EPCAM indicates that all BECs co-express SOX9 7 days after BDL (n = 100 cells from left lobes of each of 3 biological replicates per co-localization study; scale bars = 50 μm).