Analysis Tools
cellular
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• homozygotes display abortive cumulus expansion, indicating defects in cumulus cell function, and consequently oocyte maturation
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mortality/aging
| N |
• homozygotes develop normally, gain weight at a normal rate, and have lifespans of >1 year
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homeostasis/metabolism
| N |
• homozygotes exhibit a normal febrile response to i.c.v. administration of 1 nmol PGE2 and to i.v. injection of IL-1-beta relative to wild-type mice
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reproductive system
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• homozygotes display abortive cumulus expansion, indicating defects in cumulus cell function, and consequently oocyte maturation
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• following superovulation with exogenous gonadotropins, pregnant females show a slight reduction in the number of corpora lutea
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• in vivo, ovulated cumulus-oocyte complexes recovered from mutant oviducts before fertilization show abnormal aggregation, and cumulus cells appear less expanded
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• in vitro, cumuli oophori isolated from mutant mice fail to exhibit PGE2- or butaprost-elicicted cumulus expansion
• in contrast, normal expansion is observed upon treatment with FSH or dibutyryl cAMP
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• female homozygotes display a slight reduction in ovulation in the absence of a pituitary gonadotropin deficiency
• in contrast to reduced ovulation, both implantation and decidualization appear unaffected
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• female homozygotes produce small litter sizes irrespective of the genotype of mating males; very few pups (~1.0 per pregnancy, on average) are born alive and grow normally
• a similar reduction in litter size is noted with live fetuses studied in utero on E19
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• female homozygotes exhibit severely impaired fertilization, with only 8.5% of recovered eggs being fertilized versus 55% in wild-type females
• however, no difference in the fertilization rate is detected in in vitro studies using cumulus-free oocytes
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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• following superovulation with exogenous gonadotropins, pregnant females show a slight reduction in the number of corpora lutea
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• in vivo, ovulated cumulus-oocyte complexes recovered from mutant oviducts before fertilization show abnormal aggregation, and cumulus cells appear less expanded
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• in vitro, cumuli oophori isolated from mutant mice fail to exhibit PGE2- or butaprost-elicicted cumulus expansion
• in contrast, normal expansion is observed upon treatment with FSH or dibutyryl cAMP
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