Figure 4.
Absence of SYCP3 affects the turnover of DMC1/RAD51 and RPA foci during meiosis. (A and B) The number of RAD51/DMC1 and RPA foci was presented as the mean ± SEM of analyzed oocytes from five meiotic stages (n a, counted wild-type oocytes; n b, counted Sycp3 −/− oocytes). (A) The number of RAD51/DMC1 foci (green) shows no difference between wild-type and Sycp3 −/− oocytes at the early zygotene (n ab = 11) and the zygotene stages (C and D; n a = 12; nb = 19). Excessive RAD51/DMC1 foci were retained in late zygotene to late diplotene Sycp3 −/− oocytes, whereas this number rapidly decreased in wild-type oocytes (G and H and K and L; LZ, n a = 30 and n b = 38; LP/ED, n a = 16 and n b = 20; LD, n a = 14 and n b = 38). However, a subset of the Sycp3 −/− oocytes displays fewer foci than the rest (a late diplotene stage oocytes is shown as an example in O). (B) The number of RPA foci (green) is similar in wild-type and Sycp3 −/− oocytes at the early zygotene (n a = 11; n b = 13), zygotene (E and F; n a = 11; n b = 12), and late zygotene stages (n ab = 14). The RPA foci number remained high in Sycp3 −/− oocytes from pachytene until the late diplotene stage, whereas this number sharply decreased in wild-type oocytes (I and J and M and N; LP/ED, n a = 43 and n b = 30; LD, n a = 13 and n b = 32). Synapsed regions were labeled by SYCP1 antibodies (red) and centromeres were visualized by CREST (white). Bars, 10 μm.