Bcl-XL upregulates the expression of genes characteristic to midbrain and hindbrain fates during in vitro differentiation of ES cells. Bcl-XL upregulates the expression of genes characteristic to midbrain and hindbrain fates during in vitro differentiation of ES cells. RT-PCR analyses of the genes specific to midbrain development and endodermal or mesodermal markers were performed at different stages of control-ES versus Bcl-ES cell cultures. A, Ethidium bromide staining of PCR products in control-ES (C) and Bcl-ES (B). These gene expression patterns, consistently obtained in at least two PCR experiments with the series of RNAs, were prepared independently. B, Real-time PCR analyses for identical genes. Each gene expression value was normalized to that of GAPDH and expressed relative to the respective value of the stage 3 control-ES culture. The boxes and bars represent mean and SEM. *p < 0.001 (n = 6). Jae-Won Shim et al. J. Neurosci. 2004;24:843-852 ©2004 by Society for Neuroscience