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. 2016 Dec 19;6:38574. doi: 10.1038/srep38574

Figure 4. Depletion of Kif2a causes abnormal spindles and misaligned chromosomes in mouse oocytes.

Figure 4

(A) Western blotting results for Kif2a after siRNA injection were cropped gels. After microinjection of Kif2a or control siRNA, oocytes were incubated in M2 medium containing 100 μm IBMX for 24 h, then washed 5 times and placed in IBMX-free M2 medium for 8 h, followed by Western blotting. Relative expression of Kif2a after siRNA injection. The intensity of Kif2a/β-actin was assessed by gray level analysis. Data are presented as Means ± SEM of 3 independent experiments (*P < 0.05). Full-length gels are presented in Supplementary Figure 2. (B) Confocal images showing knockdown of Kif2a in the siRNA-injection group after 24 h inhibition in 100 μm IBMX and 8 h of culture in M2 medium. A total of 53 oocytes were assessed in the Kif2a siRNA-group and 56 oocytes were assessed in the control siRNA-group. Green, Kif2a; red, chromatin. Bar = 20 μm. (C) Oocytes microinjected with Kif2a or control siRNA were collected at 12 h in IBMX-free M2 medium. Kif2a -depleted oocytes exhibited various kinds of deformed spindles and chromosome misalignment. Green, α-tubulin; red, chromatin; Bar = 20 μm. (D) The rate of oocytes with abnormal spindles in the Kif2a siRNA-injection group and control siRNA-injection group. Data are presented as Means ± SEM of 3 independent experiments (**P < 0.01). (E) Percentage of oocytes with chromosome misalignment in the Kif2a knockdown group and in the control group. Data are presented as mean ± SEM of 3 independent experiments (***P < 0.001).