Figure 2.

 Germ cells from caspase-2-deficient mice are resistant to developmental and doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. (A) Number of follicles in the neonatal females. Ovaries from 4-day-old females were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin–pycric methyl blue and the number of follicles determined (mean ± s.e.m., n = 4 mice for each group; [(*) P < 0.05 vs. wild-type)]. (B) Morphological changes in wild-type oocytes treated with doxorubicin. Nomarski photomicroscopy of oocytes (magnification, 400×), untreated and treated with 200 nm doxorubicin. (C) Apoptosis in normal and caspase-2-deficient oocytes treated with doxorubicin. Oocytes were collected and cultured without (control) or with 200 nm doxorubicin for 24 hr. Oocytes with an apoptotic morphology were counted. The number of oocytes analyzed in each group were 76 (control +/+); 101 (control −/−); 108 (doxorubicin +/+); 152 (doxorubicin −/−). Both mutant mouse lines were used with the same outcome and results were pooled. The graph indicates the mean  ± s.e.m. (*) P < 0.0001 vs. all other group).