HNF-1β expression was increased in both single KO models at E16.5 (Figs. 6A, 7B,C), suggesting possible compensation from the alternate parallel arm of either HNF-6 or Notch signaling. Within our model, hepatoblast-specific

deletion of RBP-J alone results in an increase in Sox9 expression at E16.5 (Fig. 6B). This may be related to an observed six-fold to seven-fold increase in HNF-6 mRNA and protein expression at E16.5 in RBP KO embryos (Fig. 1A; Supporting Fig. 4B). With Notch signaling loss, this increase in HNF-6 is likely compensatory Selleckchem LDK378 and may contribute to the observed increase in Sox9 expression. An alternate possibility would be an epistatic model in which Notch signaling occurs upstream of HNF-6, acting as an attenuator of HNF-6. However, previous experimental models have shown that constitutive Notch activation does not down-regulate expression of HNF-6.12, 15 The possibility of HNF-6 occurring upstream of Notch signaling is also unlikely, given that Sox9 is a Notch target12 and isolated hepatoblast-specific loss of HNF-6 did not result in any changes in Sox9 at ages E16.5 and P3 (Fig.

selleck screening library 6B,D). The etiology of the decrease in Sox9 expression and increase in HNF-1β expression in HNF-6 KO mice compared to control at age P60 (Fig. 6E,F) is unknown. However, taken together, these data suggest that control of factors essential for early IHBD development occurs along parallel mechanisms through HNF-6 and Notch signaling. The pattern of HNF-1β and Sox9 expression in our model of conditional BHPC-specific loss of HNF-6 does not necessarily contradict previously published data describing a decrease in both Sox9 and HNF-1β expression with global HNF-6 loss. Initial regulation of both HNF-1β and Sox9 by HNF-6 appears to occur during early embryonic time points, with expression of both factors approaching or equaling control mice by E17.5 in a HNF-6 global loss model.14, 18 Given that HNF-6 protein expression is decreased

compared to control by E18.5 (Fig. 1E,F), conditional deletion of HNF-6 by Alb-Cre may not occur early enough to affect the initial control of HNF-1β and Sox9 expression. However, our results do indicate a role for HNF-6, uncovered by the loss Notch signaling, in the continued Alectinib molecular weight control of downstream factor expression. We hypothesize that this role occurs in parallel with Notch signaling. Interestingly, although Sox9 expression remains decreased in DKO animals at P60, the expression of HNF-1β is not decreased significantly compared to control mice at P60 (Figs. 6E,F, 7I,L). A ductular proliferative response is seen as well at this age, with multiple disorganized CK19+ BECs seen throughout the peripheral periportal regions of DKO livers (Figs. 4H, 5A,C). The etiology of this ductular response, as well as the restoration of HNF-1β during this adult time period, is unknown.