Figure 2.

Germ cell cysts and primordial follicles are preferentially lost in the Sycp3^−/− ovary. (A) The ratio of Sycp3 ^−/−/wild-type (wt) oocytes indicates no difference in the relative numbers found in wild-type and Sycp3 ^−/− ovaries at E16.5 (n = 4), E18.5 (n = 3), or at birth (1 dpp; n = 5). The oocyte number in Sycp3 ^−/− ovary was reduced by ∼34% at 2 dpp (n = 5), ∼52% at 4 dpp (n = 5), and ∼66% at 8 dpp (n = 7), as compared with wild-type. No further reduction was detected in Sycp3 ^−/− ovary at 8 wk (68%; n = 4). A significant reduction of germ cell cysts and primordial follicles were observed in the Sycp3 ^−/− ovary at 2 (B) and 4 dpp (C), whereas a large fraction of the primordial follicles in Sycp3 ^−/− ovaries were lost at 8 dpp (D). The numbers of the primary and secondary follicles remain the same in both wild-type and mutant ovaries during early follicle development at 2 (B), 4 (C), and 8 dpp (D). Values shown represent the mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way analysis of variance, and significance was shown in p-values.