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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 May 14.
Published in final edited form as: Development. 2008 Oct 16;135(22):3745–3753. doi: 10.1242/dev.024786

Fig. 7. Testis cord formation and germ cell survival are affected by gain or loss of Notch signaling in gonadal somatic cells.

Fig. 7

The coelomic domain of the gonad is upwards, anterior is leftwards and posterior is rightwards. (A–F) Immunofluorescent staining for SOX9 (A,B,E,F) and Laminin (C,D, box inserts show 40× images of a confocal section) were used to evaluate mouse testis cord structure. At 13.5 dpc abnormal cord formation was detected in both, RosaNotch; Sf1-cre gonads (B,D) and Hes1−/− gonads (F). (G,H) At postnatal day (P) 1, fewer germ cells were detected inside testis cords based on Hematoxylin and Eosin staining (green arrows), although Sertoli cells appeared normal. (I,J) A significant decrease in the number of GCNA-positive cells (red; n=3, P<0.001) reflects germ cell loss in RosaNotch; Sf1-cre gonad at P1 (Syto13 stains DNA, blue). (K,L) C57BL/6 Hes1−/− gonads showed a significant germ cell loss at 13.5 dpc based on PECAM1 fluorescent immunostaining (P<0.001, n=3). Scale bars: 50 μm.