Fig. 4.

Melanophage accumulation in CD47^−/−mice is associated with RPE dysmorphia. Representative micrographs of phalloidin (red fluorescence staining), IBA1 (green fluorescence staining) double-labeled RPE/choroidal flatmounts of 12-month-old WT- and Cd47^−/−-mice (A). Green asterixis in indicate melanophages, yellow asterixis indicate dysmorphic RPE cells with less than five or more than six neighbors/sides. Quantification on RPE/choroidal flatmounts of the indicated mouse strains at the indicated ages of RPE cell density (B), percentage of hexagonal (C), and dysmorphic RPE cells (D), and density of trinucleated RPE cells (n = replicates represent quantifications of eyes from different mice of at least three different experiments and cages; one-way Anova/Kruskal–Wallis test C *p = 0,036 and 0,0004, D *p = 0,0041 and 0,0033, and E *p < 0.0001 and = 0,9214 12-month-old Cd47^−/−- versus WT- and Thbs1^−/−-mice, respectively). Thbs1 thrombospondin 1 gene, IBA1 ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1; Scale bar = 50 µm