FIG. 3.

Quantitative real-time qRT–polymerase chain reaction of BMP signaling components in human EGCs, ESCs, PGCs, and gonadal stromal cells (STR) cultured without BMP4. BMP receptors (Bmpr1A, Acvr1, Bmpr2), Smad1, Smad4, and Smad5 were enriched in EGCs compared with PGCs and stromal cells. In contrast, the activin receptor ACVR2A and the nodal receptor ACR2B were differentially expressed in these cells. Id1, a known BMP downstream activator, was also highly expressed in EGCs and undetectable in stromal cells. Samples were tested from 6 biological samples, 3 male and 3 female age-matched specimens, in triplicate. Data are represented as relative quantity log 10 with standard error of the mean; lower-case letters denote statistically significant differences between cell lines for each gene; P < 0.05. ESC, embryonic stem cell. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/scd.