Figure 1. Reduced fertility in Magel2-null mice.

(A) Fertility rate was measured by pairing mice and monitoring the cages for births, with pairs split when the female mouse was visibly pregnant. The fertility rate is the percentage of pairings that resulted in a litter, for each age group. The control littermate fertility rate includes mice aged 7–35 weeks. The fertility rate for Magel2-null mice is split into three age categories as marked. All mice tested were paired with C57BL/6 mice that were 6–10 weeks old. Declining fertility in the Magel2-null mice of both sexes is evident by 19 weeks of age, with infertility beyond 24 weeks of age. (B) Breeding interval was determined by subtracting gestational length from the number of days between pairing and birth. Extended breeding intervals are seen in both male and female Magel2-null mice. *p<0.001; **p<0.01 for Magel2-null versus control, error bars represent SEM.