Fig. 5

Defective elongation of round spermatids in the Spindoc-null mice. (A) Immunofluorescence staining of testicular sections from WT and KO mice at 5 months of age demonstrating no significant loss of germ cells in the KO mice. Scale bar, 20 μm. Quantification of germ cells was performed in each seminiferous tubule of WT(n = 20) and KO(n = 23) at 5 months of age (right panel). Data were presented as the mean ± SD, p > 0.1. (B) HE staining of seminiferous tubules from the WT and KO mice at the age of 2 months, indicating interrupted transition from round spermatids to elongated spermatids. Between stages IX- XII, round spermatid-like (RSL) cells were present in the KO testes; Pl, pre-leptotene; L, leptotene; Z, zygotene; P, pachytene; RS, round spermatids; RSL, round spermatid-like; CS, condensed spermatids; ES, elongated spermatids; M, metaphase. Scale bar, 20 μm. (C) HE staining of seminiferous tubules from the WT and KO mice at the age of 5 months, indicating defective elongation of round spermatids (stages IX-XII) in the KO mice. Scale bar, 20 μm