Fig 2: Analyses of biomarker expression in serum exosomes of pregnant women. a Scatter diagram of ELISA for DNM2 expression in serum exosomes during gestational weeks 12–40, including 19 normal samples and 19 NTD samples. b ROC curves for DNM2 are shown. c Scatter diagram of ELISA for DNM2 and expression in serum exosomes during gestational weeks 12–18, including 7 normal samples and 7 NTD samples. d ROC curves for DNM2 are shown. e Scatter diagram of ELISA for DNM2 expression in serum exosomes during gestational weeks 19–40, including 12 normal samples and 12 NTD samples. Scatter diagram of ELISA in serum exosomes among f 13 normal samples and 13 SBA samples for DNM2 and g 6 normal samples and 6 anencephalus and exencephalus samples for DNM2. h Scatter diagram of ELISA for CORO1A expression in serum exosomes during gestational weeks 12–40, including 19 normal samples and 19 NTD samples. i ROC curves for CORO1A are shown. j Scatter diagram of ELISA for CORO1A and expression in serum exosomes during gestational weeks 12–18, including seven normal samples and seven NTD samples. k ROC curves for CORO1A are shown. l Scatter diagram of ELISA for CORO1A expression in serum exosomes during gestational weeks 19–40, including 12 normal samples and 12 NTD samples. Scatter diagram of ELISA in serum exosomes among m 13 normal samples and 13 SBA samples for CORO1A and n 6 normal samples and 6 anencephalus and exencephalus samples for CORO1A. Combined ROC curves for CORO1A and DNM2 expressions in NTD samples during o gestational weeks 12–40, p gestational weeks 12–18, and q gestational weeks 19–40 and in SBA samples during r gestational weeks 12–40

Fig 3: Analyses of ACTR2, CORO1A, and DNM2 expressions in spinal cords, neural tubes, and FNEs. a Western blot analysis of protein expression in spinal cords at E18 (complete bands are shown in Online Resource 4. Fig. 9); bar chart of relative protein expression at E18 in the normal (n = 6) and SBA (n = 6) groups. b Western blot analysis of protein in neural tubes at E12 (complete bands are shown in Online Resource 4. Fig. 10); bar chart of relative protein expression at E12 in the normal (n = 6) and SBA (n = 6) groups. c Figures above: expression of ACTR2 in the spinal cord of normal embryos, localized to the neuroepithelium (NE), neural cells (NCs), and neural fibers (NFs) (black arrow), expression of CORO1A in the spinal cord of normal embryos, localized to NFs and NCs (black arrow), expression of DNM2 in the spinal cord of normal embryos, localized to the NE and NCs (black arrow); figures below: expression of ACTR2, CORO1A, and DNM2 in the spinal cord of SBA embryos. d Western blot analysis of ACTR2, CORO1A, and DNM2 expressions in FNEs at E18 in the normal and SBA groups; bar chart of relative protein expression in FNEs at E18 in the normal (n = 3) and SBA (n = 3) groups, as determined by western blotting

Fig 4: Bioinformatics and comparative analyses in serum exosomes of pregnant rats at E18. a Bar chart of gene ontology (GO) biological process, cellular component, and molecular function categories. b Protein network of ACTR2, CORO1A, and DNM2. c Western blot analysis of ACTR2, CORO1A, and DNM2 expressions in serum exosomes at E18 among normal group (treated with oil, n = 3), without SBA group (treated with 140 mg/mL atRA, n = 3), SBA group 1 (treated with 140 mg/mL atRA, n = 3), and SBA group 2 (treated with 110 mg/mL atRA, n = 3). d Bar chart of the relative expression of ACTR2, CORO1A, and DNM2 among the four groups in serum exosomes at E18, as determined by western blotting