ALKBH4 Depletion in Mice Leads to Spermatogenic Defects
Figure 1
Loss of Alkbh4 reduces the size of testes and the diameter of seminiferious tubuli.
The phenotype of testis of tamoxifen-treated mice with genotypes Alkbh4L/L (Control), CreEsr (Control) and Alkbh4 Δ/Δ. A Left panel, representative testes from control and Alkbh4 Δ/Δ mice after tamoxifen treatment for one week or without treatment (0–1 week), and after deletion of Alkbh4 with treatment for 2 weeks. Scale bar, 0.5 cm. Right panel, average testis/body weight ratio of 4–5 weeks old mice before and after 1 week of treatment with tamoxifen (0–1 week), and 6 weeks old mice treated with tamoxifen for 2 weeks (0–1 week: Alkbh4L/L, n = 3; CreEsr, n = 1; Alkbh4Δ/Δ, n = 3. 2 weeks: Alkbh4L/L, n = 5; CreEsr, n = 6; Alkbh4 Δ/Δ, n = 6). Data are expressed as means ± SEM. B Left panel, histological overview of representative control and Alkbh4 Δ/Δ testis after 2 weeks of tamoxifen induction (HE stain, scale bar, 20 µm). Right panel, decreased diameter of seminiferous tubuli in Alkbh4 Δ/Δ mice after 2 weeks tamoxifen treatment compared to control mice (n = 100 tubuli/animal, 2 animals/genotype/time point. 0–1 week CreEsr N/A). Data are expressed as means ± SEM. C High magnification view (scale bar, 20 µm) of testis section in B. Statistical analysis was performed using a non-paired, two-tailed Student's test: *p<0.05.