Fig. 2.

Sox9-expressing cells are essential for the regeneration of the lung after radiation. A The experimental design for Sox9-knockout and the control group lineage tracing after treatment with radiation (n = 4 per group). Before treatment, the mice were injected with tamoxifen (Tam). Mice were sacrificed 3, 7, 14 and 30 days after radiation treatment. n = 3. B Representative images of H&E staining of lung tissue section in Sox9-knockout and control mice. n = 3. Scale bar, 100 μm. C, D Immunostaining images of Sox9⁺ cell-driven lineage tracing in the alveoli and bronchus of Sox9-knockout and control mice. n = 3. Scale bar, 50 μm. E–G Representative IHC staining images of ki67, Caspase-3 and CD45 after radiation damage in Sox9^CreER; Rosa^DTA mice and control mice (left). IHC staining scores of ki67, CD45 and Caspase-3 were assessed (right), respectively. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 as determined by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 3. Scale bar, 50 μm. H Immunostaining of a-SMA in Sox9^CreER; Rosa^DTA mice and control mice. n = 3. Scale bar, 100 μm. I Representative images of Masson’s trichrome staining in Sox9^CreER; Rosa^DTA mice and control mice. n = 3. Scale bar, 100 μm