Table 2 Effects of QTL genotype on placental and embryonic gene expression and weight, birth weight and litter size

Placental gene expression

N = 9

N = 17

   PAPPA2 mRNA

2.8 ± 0.2

1.1 ± 0.2

< 0.0001

   PAPPA2 protein^a

1.5 ± 0.2

0.6 ± 0.2

0.003

   PAPPA mRNA

2.3 ± 0.6

1.8 ± 0.5

0.46

   IGFBP-5 mRNA

1.5 ± 0.4

1.6 ± 0.3

0.78

Embryonic gene expression

N = 9

N = 17

   Embryonic PAPPA2 mRNA

0.8 ± 0.1

0.8 ± 0.1

0.69

Phenotypic outcomes

N = 10

N = 16

   Placental mass at E12.5 (g)

0.084 ± 0.007

0.087 ± 0.005

0.72

   Embryonic mass at E12.5 (g)

0.091 ± 0.004

0.083 ± 0.003

0.16

   Number of embryos at E12.5

3.8 ± 0.5

4.1 ± 0.4

0.71

   Number of spontaneous abortions at E12.5

1.5 ± 0.3

0.9 ± 0.3

0.21

   Birth weight (g)^b

1.38 ± 0.03

1.31 ± 0.04

0.32

   Litter size^b

3.2 ± 0.5

3.8 ± 0.7

0.55