Figure 1. TASK1 and TASK3 mRNA expressions in small and large MNs in the dl-TMN. Aa, Toluidine blue staining of the brainstem slice including the dl-TMN. Ab, Ac, Arrowheads showing small MNs (Ab) and large MNs (Ac). A margin of the large MN depicted with a green line (Ac). Ad, An image of the same section as in Ac after laser microdissection. B, TASK1 and TASK3 mRNA expression in large MNs revealed by standard RT-PCR. Ca, Cb, Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of TASK1 and TASK3 mRNA expression compared with GAPDH mRNA in large MNs (Ca) and small MNs (Cb). The ΔRn was plotted against the number of cycles. The mRNA copy number of TASK3 was slightly higher than that of TASK1 in larger MNs, while the former was apparently larger than the latter in small MNs. D, The mean expression levels of TASK1 and TASK3 mRNAs relative to GAPDH mRNA in 80 large MNs and in 400 small MNs (n = 7 and n = 7 samples, respectively). ‡p < 0.001, paired t test; †p < 0.001, unpaired t test. E, The relationships between cell numbers and CT values of GAPDH mRNA obtained from 10, 50, and 80 large MNs (n = 7, n = 5, and n = 5 samples, respectively) and those obtained from 50, 200, and 400 small MNs (n = 6, n = 6, and n = 5 samples, respectively). F, The expression levels of TASK1 and TASK3 mRNAs in a single large MN and those in a single small MN. The respective mRNA expression levels were normalized to that of TASK1 mRNA in a single large MN. ‡p < 0.001, paired t test; †p < 0.001, unpaired t test.