Differentiation defects of <i>Ascl2</i>^{<i>lacZ/+</i>} trophoblast stem cells.

(A) Wild-type (Ascl2+/+) and mutant (Ascl2lacZ/+) TSCs were differentiated by FGF4 and conditioned medium withdrawal for 8 days and RNA samples were collected at the time points shown. Expression levels for Ascl2, Cdx2, Pcdh12, Tpbpa, Car2, and Prl3d1 were analyzed by RT-qPCR and expressed as levels relative to those of the house-keeping gene Ppia. The graphs show the average ± SD for technical triplicates. (B) Flow cytometric analysis of ploidy during TSC differentiation, performed by DNA staining with propidium iodide. Cells of higher ploidy (8n and 16n) are seen in differentiated cells of both genotypes starting at day 6 of differentiation. FACS profiles are shown in S7 Fig.