Fig. 2

Fig. 2 Activation of the mTORC1 pathway in the neural crest cells of mice results in thickening of the nasal cartilage, mesenchymal condensations, and the formation of bulky clonal clusters.

A–D The mTORC1 pathway in Sox10^CreERT2;Tsc1^fl/fl;R26R^Confetti mice was activated by ablation of Tsc1 through exposure to tamoxifen on E8.5. 3D reconstruction of the entire chondrocranium on the basis of µCT with enhancement by PTA allowed comparison of the thickness of various structures in control A, C and Tsc1cKOB, D mice. The surface of the skeletal structures as revealed by these reconstructions in control and Tsc1cKO mice are shown in C, D. The arrow in D points toward the curved nasal septum. E Overlay of 3D-reconstructions revealed differences in the size and shape of the chondrocranium in control and Tsc1cKO mice. F Quantification of thickness of the cartilage in the three major nasal compartments. n = 12 animals. G–H Representative images of chondrogenic condensations (revealed by SOX9 staining on E12.5) in control G and Tsc1 cKO H mice. I Quantification of the condensation thickness of the three major nasal compartments. n = 12 animals. J–O Clonal arrangements in facial cartilage on E17.5 in the presence of one (J-L, control) or no M–O copy of theTsc1 gene (Tsc1cKO) are depicted. The images shown are representative for the three major types of nasal cartilage—the septum J, M, prominence K, N, and capsule L, O. P–S Clones within cartilage were characterized with respect to the number of cells per clone P, volume occupied by each clone Q, average distance between cells within each clone R, and dispersion of the clones as reflected in the standard deviation of distances between cells S. Between 30 and 249 clones obtained from 3 animals were quantified P–S. Means ± SD are presented for all quantification graphs. Two-sided student’s unpaired t-test was applied to the values in F, I, P, Q, R, S. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.