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Figure 1


Fig. 1. Phenotypic analysis of K5-Cre KO mice. (A-C) Two-day-old K5-Cre KO pups showing severe skin detachments and skin lesions on their upper extremities and in their armpits. (D) Hematoxylin and Eosin (H/E) staining of K5-Cre KO skin, showing epidermal detachment (asterisks) at the level of the basal keratinocyte layer. (E) Size comparison of 2-day-old Plecflox/flox (control) and K5-Cre KO pups. (F) Huge blister (asterisk) detected in the upper palate of a 2-day-old K5-Cre KO pup. Parts of the epithelial tissue (arrowheads) are still attached to the connective tissue, indicating disruption of basal oral keratinocytes. (G-J) H/E stainings of cross sections of proximal esophagus from K5-Cre KO (H,J) and control mice (G,I). I and J show magnifications of the boxed areas in G and H, respectively. No detachment of the epithelium was observed. Arrowheads in I,J denote basement membrane. (K,L) Comparison of stomachs and upper intestines of newborn control and K5-Cre KO pups. Note the translocation of the milk from the stomach to the gut, showing that the K5-Cre KO pup has not been affected by pyloric atresia. The inset in L shows the empty stomach of a 2-day-old KO pup. Arrows point to the pyloric regions. (M,N) Toluidine Blue dye penetration assay. Note localized breaches in skin barrier of K5-Cre KO pups allowing penetration of dye. (O,P) Representative H/E stainings of Toluidine-Blue-stained spots, revealing microlesions. In O, note the newly formed acanthotic epidermis under a crust (asterisk) that is covered by pieces of the old (dead) epidermis (arrowheads). The inset in O shows a photograph of a microlesion (arrow). The lesion in P is in the process of re-epithelialization (dashed line). (Q-T) Induction of microlesions by mild trauma. Flank skins of newborn mice were tape-stripped 10 times and subsequently stained with Toluidine Blue (Q,R). Note blue-stained microlesions (arrowheads) in stripped skin of K5-Cre KO (R). Tape stripping caused epidermal detachment (S, asterisks) and blister formation (T) in K5-Cre KO skin.