Effect of MK2 and MK3 genotypes on proteinuria in response to the AMC serum.

<p>(A) Scatter plots show the urinary protein/creatinine ratios from samples collected from all mice at day 0 prior to AMC serum injection and at days 4, 8, and 12 following AMC serum injection. Horizontal bars indicate the means and error bars represent S.D. Asterisks indicate significant (<i>P</i><0.05) differences between means, as compared to the wild-type group at the same day. At days 8 and 12, all means were significantly greater than baseline proteinuria values at day 0 of the same genotypic group, with exception of the MK2/MK3 double knock-out (<i>MK2^−/−MK3^−/−</i>) mice at day 8. Given the high degree of variability within each experimental group, potential differences in mean proteinuria values among all other groups failed to reach statistical significance. Urine samples of mice selected for electrophoretic protein analysis as shown in (B) are labeled by numbers in the panels of days 4, 8, and 12. Note that in some instances the amount of collected urine was not sufficient for protein determination (i.e. the number of dots is less than the number of surviving mice as shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0054239#pone-0054239-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a>). (B) Urinary serum albumin excretion of selected mice (numbered 1 - 20) from the different <i>MK2</i> and <i>MK3</i> genotypes as visualized on Coomassie-stained SDS gels. Some of the selected mice survived throughout the entire experiment, while others died after day 4. The mouse numbers correspond to the numbered proteinuria values as indicated in (A). Consistent with the protein/creatinine ratios shown in (A), at day 0 mice of all genotypes had negligible albuminuria. Following AMC serum treatment, massive albuminuria was detected in most of the mice, with some variation in its extent and onset.