Fig. 5.
Disruption of the TERB1–TERB2–MAJIN complex results in defective spermatogenesis in mice. a Testes from 6-week-old wild-type, Terb2Y56E, and Terb2F188R mice. Scale bars, 5 mm. b Body weight (top) and testis weight (bottom) of 6-week-old male mice of the indicated genotypes. c Hematoxylin and eosin-stained histological cross-sections of testes. Arrowheads indicate abnormal spermatocyte-like cells in mutant seminiferous tubules. Asterisks show vacuolated seminiferous lacking spermatozoa and spermatids. Scale bars, 100 μm. d Immunofluorescence (IF) staining for SOX9 (green) of testis sections from adult mice. DNA was stained by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI; blue). Asterisks show seminiferous containing a single layer of Sertoli cells and very few spermatogonial cells at the tubule periphery. Scale bars, 100 μm. e TUNEL staining of testis sections from 6-week-old mice. DNA was stained with DAPI (blue) and apoptosis was detected by IF terminal deoxinucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-fluorescein nick end labeling (TUNEL) (green). Many TUNEL-positive cells were observed in both Terb2Y56E and Terb2F188R testes. Scale bars, 1 mm. f Population of TUNEL-positive tubules shown as mean and s.d. n = 3 mice of each indicated genotype. Statistical significances (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001) were assessed by two-tailed t tests. g Representative spermatocyte nuclei from 6-week-old mice at different stages stained with DAPI and antibodies of SYCP3 and SYCP1. Pac-like Pachytene-like. h Quantification of the frequencies of meiotic stages shown in g. Data are from three independent experiments of different mice and error bars indicate s.d. More than 100 nuclei from each mouse were counted. Lep Leptotene, Zyg Zygotene, Pac-like Pachytene-like, Pac Pachytene, Dip Diplotene, Dia Diakinesis. Source data are provided as a Source Data file