Fig. 3.

Yap/Taz are required for the expansion of Krt5-positive lesions that result from the conditional luminal deletion of Crb3. (A) Tracheal epithelium isolated from mice with the indicated genotypes were examined by IF microscopy for Krt8, Krt5, and Krt14. The images show that codeletion of Yap and Taz in conjunction with Crb3 prevents the formation of Krt5-positive lesions that are normally observed following the conditional deletion of Crb3. (Scale bar, 20 μm.) (B) The number of Krt5-positive cells per 100 μM of tracheal epithelium was quantified from the indicated mice, demonstrating that Yap/Taz are required for the expansion of Krt5-positive cells following conditional Crb3 deletion. Images from control (n = 11), Crb3-cnull (n = 19), Crb3/Yap-cnull (n = 17), Crb3/Taz-cnull (n = 20), and Crb3/Yap/Taz-cnull (n = 24) were obtained from a minimum of six mice per condition and quantified. Shown is the average ± SEM. Significance was determined by the use of a Tukey’s multiple comparisons. ****P < 0.0001, and n.s = not significant. (C) Crb3-cnull and Yap/Taz/Crb3-cnull airway epithelium was examined for Crb3, Yap, and Taz, which confirmed deletion of the proteins in the respective models. (Scale bar, 20 μm.)