Fig. 5: β-catenin mediates E-cad-regulated NOBOX expression.

a β-catenin expression pattern in neonatal ovaries. β-catenin (green) was ubiquitously expressed in the neonatal ovaries, especially on the cytomembrane of the oocytes in the primordial and growing follicles. b β-catenin (green) and E-cad (red) were colocalized in the oocytes of primordial and growing follicles in 3 dpp mouse ovaries. c, d Inhibiting the transcription activity of β-catenin with ICG001 decreased the number of total oocytes (control, 8459.2 ± 961.0 vs. ICG001, 4855.8 ± 1052.1) and growing follicles (control, 886.7 ± 97.7 vs. ICG001, 182.5 ± 72.0) compared with those in the control. Oocytes were labeled with DDX4 (red). e, f Expression of NOBOX and E-cad was suppressed in ovaries with the β-catenin inhibitor ICG001 compared with that in the control group, and overexpression of E-cad by E-cad-OE transfection in ICG001-treated ovaries could not elevate NOBOX expression, as shown by immunofluorescence staining e and western blot analysis f. NOBOX was stained with green fluorescence and the nuclei were dyed with a Hoechst counter-stain (blue). The experiments were repeated at least three times, and representative images are shown. The data are presented as the means ± S.D. and considered statistically significant at P < 0.05. Scale bars: 50 μm