Analysis Tools
cellular
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• increased percentage of abnormal spermatozoa in smears from epididymal fluid in mutant males (37% of spermatozoa with bent tails and necks versus 16% in control males)
• spermatozoa mitochondria appeared normal
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• many acrosomes (about 70%) were partially detached from the nuclear envelope, suggesting impaired attachment of the acrosomal membrane to the nucleus in mutant spermatozoa
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• degenerating, TUNEL-positive elongate spermatids were seen at the periphery of some mutant seminiferous tubules
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reproductive system
| N |
• the average yield of oocytes collected in the oviduct of superovulated female mice is similar in mutants and controls
• estrogen treatment of ovariectomized mutant and control females resulted in similar increases in uterine weight
• mammary glands from virgin, pregnant, and nursing mutant female mice are histologically and functionally similar to controls
• in males, other than the testis, the size and histology of testosterone-sensitive organs, such as seminal vesicles and prostate are similar to controls
• in males at 3 months of age, no evidence of testicular degeneration is seen and no decrease in the production spermatozoa is observed
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• increased percentage of abnormal spermatozoa in smears from epididymal fluid in mutant males (37% of spermatozoa with bent tails and necks versus 16% in control males)
• spermatozoa mitochondria appeared normal
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• many acrosomes (about 70%) were partially detached from the nuclear envelope, suggesting impaired attachment of the acrosomal membrane to the nucleus in mutant spermatozoa
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• degenerating, TUNEL-positive elongate spermatids were seen at the periphery of some mutant seminiferous tubules
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• by 9 months of age, the histological appearance of the testis is markedly altered in all mutant males, with some mutant mice exhibiting defects at 3 and 6 months of age; the appearance of degeneration has a highly variable onset
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• in the rete testis of mutant mice, the number of immature germ cells is markedly increased; eventually, the mutant genital ducts contain only degenerating round spermatids and symplasts instead of spermatozoa
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• at 9 months of age, the diameter of the seminiferous tubules is decreased, some of these tubules are devoid of a lumen, and frequently display large intercellular vacuoles and absence of spermatids
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• testes from 6-, 9-, and 12-month-old mutants all show enlarged Sertoli cell lipid droplets where the size and number of the droplets vary greatly
(J:78075)
• Sertoli cell mitochondria do not exhibit any obvious electron microscopy abnormality
(J:78075)
• lipid (cholesteryl esters) accumulation in Sertoli cells
(J:101966)
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• at 3 months of age, the testis weight of mutant mice was decreased by ~30% relative to that of control animals
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• in the epididymis of mutant mice, the number of immature germ cells is markedly increased; eventually, the mutant genital ducts contain only degenerating round spermatids and symplasts instead of spermatozoa
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• described as hypofertile
• an increase of in utero embryonic resorptions is seen between E12.5 and E18.5 during pregnancies of mutant dams
• all embryos from pregnancies obtained by mating homozygous males with homozygous females, analyzed macroscopically and histologically at E10.5, and compared to those from crosses with heterozygous females, appeared smaller and developmentally delayed, irrespective of the embryo genotype
• the placentas of all E10.5 embryos obtained from crosses with homozygous dams often displayed hypoplasia with decreased numbers of trophoblastic trabeculae and embryonic capillaries in the labyrinthine region; this placental hypoplasia occurred irrespective of embryo genotype
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• females produced reduced numbers of litters and pups per litter despite normal sexual activity
• male mice mated to wild-type females produced normal numbers of litters, but fewer pups per litter compared to controls
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• described as hypofertile
• oocyte fertilization assays carried out in vivo with mutant males showed that only 10% of the oocytes were fertilized, compared to 50% with control males
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growth/size/body
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• P5 animals are smaller than controls
• the body size deficit disappeared progressively after weaning, and by 3 months of age mutant animals were similar to controls
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• P5 animals weigh ~30% less than control littermates
• the weight deficit disappeared progressively after weaning, and by 3 months of age mutant animals were similar to controls
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behavior/neurological
| N |
• mutant female mice presented normal copulatory plugs, indicating a normal sexual activity
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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• by 9 months of age, the histological appearance of the testis is markedly altered in all mutant males, with some mutant mice exhibiting defects at 3 and 6 months of age; the appearance of degeneration has a highly variable onset
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• in the rete testis of mutant mice, the number of immature germ cells is markedly increased; eventually, the mutant genital ducts contain only degenerating round spermatids and symplasts instead of spermatozoa
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• at 9 months of age, the diameter of the seminiferous tubules is decreased, some of these tubules are devoid of a lumen, and frequently display large intercellular vacuoles and absence of spermatids
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• testes from 6-, 9-, and 12-month-old mutants all show enlarged Sertoli cell lipid droplets where the size and number of the droplets vary greatly
(J:78075)
• Sertoli cell mitochondria do not exhibit any obvious electron microscopy abnormality
(J:78075)
• lipid (cholesteryl esters) accumulation in Sertoli cells
(J:101966)
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• at 3 months of age, the testis weight of mutant mice was decreased by ~30% relative to that of control animals
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