Analysis Tools
behavior/neurological
| N |
• homozygous mutant males exhibited normal grooming and mating behavior relative to wild-type
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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• the postnatal branching of the mammary ductal tree was significantly reduced at the onset of sexual maturation and during pregnancy
• the penetrance of reduced ductal branching was variable in mutant females of a mixed genetic background
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reproductive system
| N |
• mutant females reproduced normally, produced a normal litter size, and nursed their pups
• all male sexual organs, including the genitalia, appeared normal relative to wild-type
• histological analyses of the testes and epididymides revealed no obvious morphological or cellular differences
• mutant males had normal numbers of Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa relative to wild-type
• in vitro fertilization analysis indicated that mutant spermatozoa fertilized oocytes as efficiently as wild-type
• mutant males had normal circulating levels of male sex hormones (FSH, LH, and testosterone) relative to wild-type
• mutants displayed normal abdominal pressure-induced erections and normal penile structures
• the corpus cavernosum isolated from mutant males displayed normal relaxation in response to acetylcholine
|
 |
• mutant males failed to produce vaginal plugs in females; no sperm was detectable in the reproductive tracts of females shortly after mating
• the pronucleation rate, assessed by cleavage of isolated oocytes cultured in vitro, was strikingly reduced (<2%) in one-cell embryos obtained from matings of females with mutant males vs matings of females with control males (~80%)
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integument
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• the postnatal branching of the mammary ductal tree was significantly reduced at the onset of sexual maturation and during pregnancy
• the penetrance of reduced ductal branching was variable in mutant females of a mixed genetic background
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