Figure 7.

WNT signaling blockade prevents taste tissue hyperplasia and lingual epithelium degeneration in RZ dKO mice

(A) Schematic illustration of the experiment design. Rnf43^fl/fl;Znrf3^fl/fl and Rnf43^fl/fl;Znrf3^fl/fl;Krt5-Cre^ERT2 mice were treated with tamoxifen for five continuous days and C59 for seven continuous days, and tongue tissue was harvested at day 7. TMX, tamoxifen.

(B) Representative bright-field images of the tongue (dorsal surface) from RZ dKO mice with or without C59 treatment and from control mice. The dorsal surface of RZ dKO mice that received C59 treatment reverted to a normal, smooth appearance. n = 4 for each group.

(C) Immunofluorescence staining of KRT8 (green) and P2X3 (red) of anterior tongue sections. Ectopic taste bud cells (arrows) are present in dKO mice treated with vehicle but not in dKO mice treated with C59. Cell nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue). n = 4 for each group. Scale bars, 50 μm.

(D) Percentage of KRT8⁺ taste buds that are also positive for P2X3 (i.e., innervated) in fungiform papillae (FuP). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ^∗∗∗p < 0.0001. n.s., not significant. n = 4 for each group. Each point represents a single mouse.

(E) Immunofluorescence staining of KRT8 (green) and P2X3 (red) of circumvallate papilla sections. Ectopic taste bud cells (arrows) are present in the upper cleft and dorsum of the circumvallate papilla in RZ dKO mice treated with vehicle but not in dKO mice treated with C59. Cell nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue). n = 4 for each group. Scale bars, 50 μm.

(F) Number of KRT8⁺ taste buds in the circumvallate papilla in RZ dKO mice with or without C59 treatment and in control mice. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ^∗∗∗p < 0.001. n.s., not significant. n = 4 for each group. Each point represents a single mouse. CvP, circumvallate papilla.

(G) Analysis of the depth of trench of the circumvallate papilla in RZ dKO mice receiving vehicle or C59 or in control mice. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ^∗∗p = 0.0083. n.s., not significant. n = 4 for each group.

See also Figures S5–S7.