Figure 1.

Kindlin-2^fl/fl; Osx^Cremice display multiple striking skeletal abnormalities. (a) Immunofluorescent (20) staining of humeral sections from newborn C57/BL6 mice using antibodies against Osx and Kindlin-2. Scale bar: 50 ​μm. Higher magnification images (right panels) showing the expression of Kindlin-2 in Osx-expressing cells in primary ossification center (POC). HZ: hypertrophic zone. (b) A schematic diagram illustrating the experimental design. (c) Alizarin red & alcian blue double stain of E17.5 skeletons. Red arrow indicates the unmineralized fontanel in cKO embryos. Scale bar, 0.25 ​cm (d-e) Calvariae (d) and forelimbs (e) from E17.5 embryos. Higher magnification images (lower panels) showing the scapula (1), humerus (2) and radius (3). Scale bar, 0.25 ​cm. (f) Representative images of male WT, Het and cKO mice at P13. (g) The growth curve of WT, Het and cKO mice (N ​= ​6 mice per group). Results are expressed as mean ​± ​standard deviation (s.d.). ∗∗∗P ​< ​0.001. E: embryonic; P: postnatal.