FIG. 5.

Airway α6 integrin^high cells demonstrate increased expression of p63, Sca-1, and KDR, and decreased expression of differentiation markers. To study expression of differentiated and progenitor cell-specific markers, mRNA was collected from FACS isolated EpCAM^pos integrin α6^high and EpCAM^pos integrin α6^low cells. Relative quantification of mRNA expression was performed by real-time RT-PCR. Ct values of each sample were normalized to TBP Ct values (endogenous control). To determine fold change, mRNA expression in each sample was compared to the level of expression of corresponding gene in the whole lung. Results are plotted as fold change in expression compared to that in whole lung mRNA extract and represent mean±SD of triplicate samples from one of two independent experiments. In the graphs, gene expression in EpCAM^pos integrin α6^high cells is reflected by the dark gray bars and that in the EpCAM^pos integrin α6^low cells by light gray bars.