Fig. 1

Ablation of Dnmt3b in periosteum stem cells reduced cartilaginous callus formation and bony callus ossification during fracture repair. A Experimental time node and mouse gene identification diagram. B Representative 3D Micro-CT reconstructions images of bone callus at 7, 10, 14, 21 and 28 days after fracture (dpf). Scale bar = 500 μm. C Quantitative analyses of the callus bone volume/total callus volume (callus bone volume%) in Dnmt3bGli1ER mice and control mice 7, 10 and 14dpf. D Quantitative analyses of callus bone volume (BV) in Dnmt3bGli1ER mice and control mice 7,10, 14, 21 and 28dpf. E Alcian blue/Hematoxylin/Orange G (ABH/OG) staining of fracture callus sections of Dnmt3bGli1ER mice and control mice at the indicated times. Scale bar = 200 μm. F Histomorphometry quantification of the cartilage tissues% in ABH/OG staining at 7, 10, 14dpf. G Histomorphometry quantification of the bone areas in ABH/OG staining at 21, 28dpf. Data were presented as means± SEM. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001; n ≥ 4 in each group