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. 2016 Dec 23;6:39318. doi: 10.1038/srep39318

Figure 6. Analysis of Mkrn2 knockout mouse ectoplasmic specialization (ES) structure.

Figure 6

(a) TEM analysis of ES structure. Arrows indicate the boundary of the acrosome, and arrowheads indicate the improper arrangement of ES. Nu, nucleus; Ac, acrosome; ER, endoplasmic reticulum. Data are represented as means ± SE. From six different testis tissues for each phenotype. Error bars represent SE. **P < 0.01 (two-tailed Student’s t test). Scale bar = 1 μm. (b) Espin expression levels in the testes were analyzed by immunoblotting. β-Tubulin was used as the internal control. (c) The Espin mRNA levels in the testes were analyzed by RT-qPCR and normalized to that of β-Tubulin. Data are represented as means ± SE. From six different testis tissues for each phenotype. Error bars represent SE. **P < 0.01 (two-tailed Student’s t test). (d) Immunohistochemical staining of Espin in the testes shows co-localization of Espin at the apical ES and in the heads of elongated spermatids in wild-type testes (left), but no obvious staining can be observed in the tubules of the Mkrn2 knockout testes. Scale bar: Upper panel, 50 μm; Bottom panel, 20 μm.