Figure 4

Reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression in neural crest cell (NCC)-specific integrin-linked kinase (ILK) knockout (NKO) mutants. (A-F) Significantly reduced expression of laminin and fibronectin at E9.5 and elastin at E13 in NKO mutant OFT. (G) Reduced expression of Lamb1, Col9a3, Col8a2 and Fndc in NKO mutant NCCs revealed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments. (H-K) NCAM expression is significantly reduced in ILK mutant NCCs, but it remains at cell-cell contacts compared to control NCCs. ILK^f/f;Cre⁺ mutant NCCs display excessive filapodia-like protrusions (I). (J,K) Reduced NCAM expression in dorsal neural tube of NKO mutants (brackets).