Figure 1

WT mice express Verge, while knockouts lack the gene and protein (A). Typical results from Verge genotyping PCR. The WT allele is 390 bp, while the Verge KO allele is 210 bp. Het = heterozygote control. (B). Western blot of total brain protein from Verge KO and WT mice. Basal Verge protein (27 kDa) levels were low in WT sham mice, but were up-regulated in stroke mice. Verge was undetectable in KO mice. β-actin served as loading control. (C). The optical density of samples was expressed as the ratio of Verge bands to control bands (β-actin). *P < 0.05 vs. sham mice. n = 3/per group. (D). Immunohistochemistry in the ischemic cortex at 20X (A, B, C) of CD31 (red) and Verge (Green) 30 minutes after a 1.5 hour stroke. Arrows show that Verge was selectively expressed selectively in the vasculature (n = 4). Scale bar = 30 μm. Verge antibody specificity was confirmed by the lack of Verge staining in Verge KO mice