Figure 1

STMN1 mRNA levels in GCs in women with or without PCOS and its localization within ovaries.

(a) A total of 38 unrelated Han Chinese women with PCOS and 36 normal women under IVF-ET therapy were recruited. The expression level of housekeeping gene, Actb, was used to normalize gene expression. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR demonstrated that STMN1 expression level in GCs of PCOS was nearly two folds higher than normal women. **P < 0.01. (b) Immunohistochemistry of rhesus monkey and mouse ovary using anti-STMN1 antibody (Abcam) showed that STMN1 was expressed exclusively in GCs of follicles at various stages, including primary, secondary and mature follicles and expressed little in oocytes, which stained positive (yellow). Scale bar = 100 μm. (c) Immunofluorescence assay of primary GCs in mouse using anti-STMN1 antibody (Abcam). STMN1 expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Scale bar = 20 μm.