Figure 2

Co-detection of ghrelin and insulin, iAPP, PC1/3 or Pdx1 in pancreata of wild type, Nkx2.2^-/- and Pax6^-/- mice at E17.5. (A-D) Wild type ghrelin⁺ cells do not express insulin, PC1/3 or Pdx1. However, scattered ghrelin⁺ cells express iAPP (Arrow). (E-H) No insulin reactive cells are detectable in Nkx2.2-deficient pancreata. The majority of ghrelin⁺ cells express iAPP and low levels of Pdx1. Scattered iAPP⁺/ghrelin^- (F) and Pdx1⁺/ghrelin^- cells (H, Arrows) are detectable. (G) PC1/3 is associated with a subpopulation of ghrelin-expressing cells in Nkx2.2-deficient pancreata. (I-L) In pancreata deficient for Pax6 the population of ghrelin⁺ cells does not express insulin or iAPP except in very rare instances (Arrows in I+J). Almost all Pax6-deficient ghrelin⁺ cells express PC1/3 but none produce Pdx1. Counterstaining with DAPI. (M-P) The percentages of insulin⁺/ghrelin⁺, iAPP⁺/ghrelin⁺, PC1/3⁺/ghrelin⁺ and Pdx1⁺/ghrelin⁺ cells in wild type (WT), Nkx2.2^-/- (N2.2) and Pax6^-/- (P6) mice within the total ghrelin⁺ cell population are depicted. Pictures were taken using confocal microscopy.