Fig. 5.

Local keratin deficiency in the colon is accompanied by increased cell proliferation and increase in goblet cells. A Representative distal and proximal K8^flox/flox and K8^flox/flox; Villin-Cre colon images stained with PAS. Scale bar = 50 µm. B Number of goblet cells per crypt and C per millimeter of crypt in distal and proximal colon from PAS-stained K8^flox/flox, K8^flox/flox; Villin-Cre and K8^flox/–; Villin-Cre mice (n = 3). D, E Representative Ki67-stained K8^flox/flox and K8^flox/flox; Villin-Cre colon images and the difference of Ki67-positive mitotic bodies per mm² between genotypes (n = 6). Arrows indicate mitotic bodies in C; boxes extend from 25 to 75th percentiles and line represents median and whiskers min and max values in D. Scale bar = µm. F Lysates of crudely isolated colon epithelium from K8^flox/flox (lane 1–3), K8^flox/flox; Villin-Cre (lane 4–6) and K8^flox/–; Villin-Cre (lane 7–9) mice (n = 3) were immunoblotted for Muc2, Villin, p-pRb, pRb, p-STAT3, STAT3, IL22BP and K8. Hsc70 was used as a loading control. G IL-22BP, p-STAT3 and p-pRb immunoblots were quantified and normalized to Hsc70 (IL-22BP), STAT3 (p-STAT3) or pRb (p-pRb). Boxes extend from the 25th to 75th percentiles and the line represents median expression value, whiskers represent min and max values and individual mice values are represented as dots. P values represent the difference between genotypes and were determined after one-way ANOVA, followed by post hoc Tukey multiple comparison test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001