PMC

ISH for Reg3β mRNA in the jejunum of WT and Muc2^−/− mice at P14 (A & B) and P28 (C & D) (arrowheads in insert in panel D indicate Reg3βmRNA-positive cells at the bottom of the crypts in Muc2^−/− at P28). Bar represents 50 µm.

Localization of Ang4 in the jejunum of WT and Muc2^−/− mice at P14 (A & B) and P28 (C & D). Arrowheads indicate Ang4-positive Paneth cells, and the insert in panel B shows enterocyte-specific Ang4 expression at P14. Bar represents 50 µm.

Localization of Ang4 mRNA in goblet cells of WT mice by ISH (A) at P28. Localization of Ang4 protein by immunohistochemistry in WT (B) and Muc2^−/− (C) mice at P28. Arrows indicate Ang4 mRNA in goblet cells. Bar represents 50 µm.

Immunohistochemical staining of Reg3β in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of WT (A, C, E, G, I, K) and Muc2^−/− mice (B, D, F, H, J, L) at P14 (A–F) and P28 (G–L). Bar represents 75 µm. Arrowheads indicate Reg3β-positive Paneth cells.

Immunohistochemical staining of Reg3γ in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of WT (A, C, E, G, I, K) and Muc2^−/− mice (B, D, F, H, J, L) at P14 (A–F) and P28 (G–L). Bar represents 75 µm. Arrowheads indicate Reg3γ-positive Paneth cells.

Reg3β (A, B, E, F) and Reg3γ (C, D, G, H) expression in the proximal colon at P14 (A–D) and P28 (E–H). Note, in WT mice Reg3β and Reg3γ were only expressed by enterocytes, whereas in Muc2^−/− mice these proteins were expressed by enterocytes and putative ‘goblet’ cells. Bar represents 50 µm.

Small intestinal expression of Reg3β (A), Reg3γ (B), Ang4 (C) and lysozyme-P (D) mRNA expression. The relative mRNA expression levels were normalized to Actb and expressed as median. P values are indicated when expression levels between groups differ statistically. Groups are depicted as: WT, P14 ♦; Muc2^−/−, P14 ◊; WT, P28 •; and Muc2^−/−, P28 ○.

Body weights (A) and crypt lengths in the distal colon (B) of WT and Muc2^−/− mice at P14 and P28. Crypth length values are depicted as box-and-whiskers diagrams (maximum value, upper quartile, median, lower quartile and minimal value, respectively) P values are indicated when body weights/ crypt lengths differ statistically between groups. (C) H&E staining of distal colonic tissue of Muc2^−/− mice at P28.

Expression of Reg3β (A,B), Reg3γ (C,D), Ang4 (E,F) mRNA in colonic tissue of WT and Muc2^−/−. Proximal and distal colonic expression levels are shown in the left and right panels, respectively. The relative mRNA expression levels were normalized to Actb and expressed as median. P values are indicated when expression levels between groups differ statistically. Groups are depicted as: WT, P14 ♦; Muc2^−/−, P14 ◊; WT, P28 •; and Muc2^−/−, P28 ○.