Skip to main content
. 2021 Oct 22;6(20):e151078. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.151078

Figure 2. KROX20 protein is required for Meibomian gland development.

Figure 2

(A and C) Lineage tracing in Krox20-Cre; R26-tdTomato (Krox20-Cre; R26-Tom) mice shows absence of KROX20 expression or Krox20-lineage cells in the cornea (white arrows) and the limbus (green arrows). (B) The purple boxed region in A, which displays an image of “P5 eye,” is shown, with a high-magnification view of the cornea. (C) Immunofluorescence staining of eyeballs from Krox20-Cre;R26-Tom mice for limbus marker K15 and tdTomato (Tom). (D) The yellow boxed region in C, which displays an image of “P83 eye,” is shown, with a high-magnification view of the limbus. (E) H&E staining of 2.5-month-old Krox20-cKO mice shows absence of the Meibomian gland. (F) Immunofluorescence staining for K14 costained with PPARγ. (G) Oil Red O staining showing absence of meibum in Krox20-cKO mice. (H–J) Immunofluorescence staining of Meibomian gland with KROX20 and K14 antibodies. Dashed lines (red in E and white in G–J) demarcate the expected location of the Meibomian gland. n = 20 Krox20fl/fl mice, and n = 25 Krox20-cKO mice. Among mice analyzed, 100% of Krox20-cKO mice lack the Meibomian gland. Representative images are shown. Scale bar: 100 μm.