Figure 3. Expression of
mei-2 mRNA and protein. (A) Northern blot analysis of
mei-2 mRNA. Poly A+ RNA was loaded into each lane and probed with a genomic clone containing
mei-2 (see Materials and Methods). RNA was harvested from gravid wild-type hermaphrodites, larval stages L1, L2/L3, L4, as well as
glp-1 hermaphrodites (lacking a germ line),
fem-3 adults (which produce sperm, but not oocytes), and
fem-1 adults (which do not produce sperm, and tend to bloat with unfertilized oocytes). As a loading control, the blot was probed simultaneously with
rp21, a ribosomal protein gene.
fem-1(lf) lane exposure was adjusted until therp21 signal was approximately equal to the signal in other lanes. (B) Western blot analysis of MEI-2. Homogenates prepared from
mei-2 mutant hermaphrodites, wild type,
fem-3, and
fem-1 were probed with anti-MEI-2 serum. Note the slightly retarded migration of MEI-2
(sb31) protein, consistent with the net insertion of four amino acids. As a loading control, the blot was probed simultaneously with anti-alpha-tubulin.