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Figure 2. Detection of BDNF transcripts in the Xenopus cement gland. (A) RT-PCR shows that BDNF, NT3 and NT4 were detected throughout all stages of embryonic development. Expression of these genes increases during neurulation (St. 18). The BDNF transcript was particularly enriched in the cement gland compared to the other neurotrophin transcripts at tailbud stage (St. 24). The amount of input cDNA was confirmed with primers generated against the housekeeping gene, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) to ensure equal loading. (B) Whole mount in situ hybridisation shows that BDNF mRNA are initially detected in the neural plate at St. 18. (C) At St. 24, BDNF is detected at the posterior region of the cement gland (arrowhead), which corresponds to the time of trigeminal nerve innervation. (D) At St. 29, BDNF expression remains in the cement gland and can also be detected in the eye and otic vesicles. (E) Inset from (C) shows the detection of BDNF mRNA in the cement gland at St. 24. we = whole embryo, cg = cement gland, we-cg = whole embryo without cement gland. |
