Fig. 11. Gene expression during the repair process. Expression levels of genes encoding key players during wound healing were determined by RNase protection assay on 20 µg RNA samples from non-wounded back skin from 10 and 20 d.p.p. mice plus 1, 5 and 10 day wounds from control and K5ß1-null mice. 1000 cpm of the hybridisation probes were loaded in the lanes labelled ‘probe’ and used as size markers. tRNA (20 µg) was used as a negative control. RNA (1 µg of each) was loaded on a 1% agarose gel and stained with Ethidium Bromide to control for sample integrity and concentration (bottom panel). The intensity of the signals as determined by phosphorimaging is shown schematically on the right-hand side. All protection assays were repeated with a separate pool of RNA samples from an independent skin/wound series.