| Title: | Arrest of spermatogenesis at the early meiotic stage in the small testis mutant (Smt) mice |
| Author(s): | Bolor H; Zhao WD; Ishikawa A; Wakasugi N; |
| Address: | "Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Division of Applied Genetics and Physiology, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1341-1357 (Print) 0007-5124 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "A spontaneous mutant having small testes was found in a laboratory mouse strain of mixed origins. The testis size was 1/3-1/2 of normal size, but no significant difference was seen in body mass and weight of organs such as kidney and seminal vesicle, which are influenced by androgen. Small testis males were found to be infertile by the mating test, although formation of a vaginal plug was normally observed in their female partners. Histological and air-dried specimens revealed degeneration of zygotene or early pachytene spermatocytes and very few numbers of pachytene and diplotene spermatocytes, round and elongate spermatids and mature spermatozoa in the mutant testis. Therefore, it was concluded that spermatogenesis is disrupted at the zygotene to early pachytene stages of meiosis in the mutant males. Segregation ratios of normal and mutant males were in accord with the assumption that the small testis character is caused by an autosomal recessive mutation. This mutant may be useful for research that would contribute to the elucidation of genetic mechanisms controlling the process of spermatogenesis and as a model animal for male infertility in humans" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Breeding Copulation Epididymis/pathology Female Infertility, Male/*genetics/pathology Male Meiosis Mice Mice, Mutant Strains/*genetics Organ Size Seminiferous Tubules/pathology Spermatogenesis/*genetics *Spermatozoa/pathology Testis/*abnormalities;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBolor, Hasbaira Zhao, Wei Dong Ishikawa, Akira Wakasugi, Noboru eng Japan 2005/08/12 Exp Anim. 2005 Jul; 54(4):327-37. doi: 10.1538/expanim.54.327" |
