Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway on Polarity Formation of Utricle Hair Cells

Figure 2

Knockout (KO) β-catenin in Sox2 positive cells influenced the orientation and number of vestibular hair cells. (a) Compared to the controls (left), Sox2^CreER/+ and β-catenin^fl/fl (tamoxifen given at E11.5 and E12.5) utricles (right) showed a significant decrease in sensory epithelium area and HC number and a different extent of hair bundle orientation irregularity in fields 1–3. The schematic diagram in the middle black box defining regions of the utricle and illustrating the hair bundle polarity pattern. (b) Quantification of the sensory epithelium area of control and β-catenin KO utricles (controls, ; mutants, ). (c) Quantification of HC density on the lateral and medial sides of the LPR and the whole sensory epithelium, from control and β-catenin KO utricles (controls, ; mutants, ). (d) Circular histograms of the hair bundle orientation in field 1, field 2, and field 3 for control and β-catenin KO utricles (controls, ; mutants, ). LPR: line of polarity reversal; L: lateral; M: medial; A: anterior; P: posterior. , .

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