Figure 8

Functional assays of Hoxc11-lacZ expression in cell culture. (A/B) Explant cultures. (A) The proportion of β-gal-positve cells derived from explant cultures of lateral marginal veins and femoral arteries from 6 weeks old Hoxc11-lacZ mice is approximately 4.3% (± 1.92%) under culture conditions that include 20% fetal bovine serum; this increases to approximately 3-fold to 13.5% (± 5.34%) under serum-free conditions; P < 0.001. (B) Cell migration/scratch assay indicates a dramatic (71-fold) reduction in transgene expression in the group of migratory cells found in the scratch area, (8.6% ± 2.2 blue cells in normal (unwounded) area compared to 0.11% ± 0.46 in wounded area); difference of approximately 71-fold, P < 0.001.