Three gene sets were enriched in the control embryos compared to the combined alcohol-treated embryos (i.e., down-regulated in the alcohol-treated group): TGF-Beta activin-responsive genes (important for maintenance of pluripotency and embryonic stem cells [40]), extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and ECM protease inhibitors (Table 5). Three gene sets were down-regulated in the ALC-NTC subgroup (i.e., enriched in the control group): other related growth factors (Neural specification), other regulators of cell differentiation, and ECM protease inhibitors (Table 5). Two gene sets were down-regulated in the ALC-NTO group (enriched in the control group): other related growth factor and other ECM molecules (Table 5). There were no significant gene sets in comparisons between ALC-NTC and ALC-NTO. No gene set was enriched in any alcohol-treated group.
