Fig. 3

Pak2 knockdown affects spindle morphology and chromosomal alignment in early mouse embryos. (A) Early mouse embryos at metaphase were stained with anti-α-tubulin (green) and counterstained with propidium iodide (PI) to visualize chromosomes (red). In contrast to the control group, embryos in the Pak2-KD group showed a variety of defects, including multipolar and nonpolar spindles. Arrows indicate spindle defects and arrowheads indicate chromosome misalignment in zygotes. The chromosomes in embryos of the Pak2-KD group were severely misaligned (bar = 20 μm). (B) A significantly higher proportion of embryos in the Pak2-KD group exhibited spindle defects relative to the control group (37.0 ± 3.89%, n = 64 vs. 17.9 ± 1.24%, n = 56; respectively). (C) The incidence of chromosomal misalignment was also higher in embryos in the Pak2-KD treatment group compared to the control group (38.8 ± 11.77%, n = 67 vs. 19.5 ± 4.62%, n = 73; respectively). Data are expressed as the mean ± SD from three independent experiments. *Significantly different (p < 0.05). Pak2, p21-activated kinase 2; SD, standard deviation; Pak2-KD, Pak2 knockdown