Figure 2.

mRNA expression profile of different β-defensins in the rat Wolffian duct and adult caput epididymidis. Inverted image of an agarose gel of end-point RT-PCR showing the expression of Defb1, Def2, Def12, Defb22, Spag11c and Spag11e in the Wolffian duct (WD) isolated at embryonic ages (E) E17.5 and E20.5 and in the adult caput epididymidis (120 days old, P120). Amplicon expected sizes (in base pairs): Defb1 (222), Def2 (165), Def12 (219), Defb22 (208), Spag11c (123) and Spag11e (224). Housekeeping gene Gapdh (207 bp) was used as an endogenous control. MW indicates a 100 base pair (bp) standard DNA ladder. Left arrows indicate 500 bp. Whole-mount inverted photographs show elongation and coiling of rat WD. Data are representative from analyses of pool of tissues from 3 to 5 rats in each time point. Table summarizes the amplicons detected either in their expected sizes (✓) or not readily detected in the experimental conditions used (-). Results relative to Spag11c transcript in time points E17.5 and E20.5 in panel (a) are representative of previously published data by our group.44