cellular
• piRNAs are poorly expressed in developing spermatocytes
|
• during development, severe delays occur at the beginning of the meiotic prophase
• at P12, testes mostly contain spermatogonia with only 25% of tubes containing preleptotene spermatocytes
• at P14, testes display early pachytene germ cell loss with the most advanced germ cells being zygotene spermatocytes
|
• significant hypomethylation of germ cell-derived Line L1 and IAP sequences are found in testes compared to controls
|
• spermatocytes have greatly increased levels of retrotransposon expression and activity that contribute to genomic instability
|
reproductive system
• piRNAs are poorly expressed in developing spermatocytes
|
• during development, severe delays occur at the beginning of the meiotic prophase
• at P12, testes mostly contain spermatogonia with only 25% of tubes containing preleptotene spermatocytes
• at P14, testes display early pachytene germ cell loss with the most advanced germ cells being zygotene spermatocytes
|
• significant hypomethylation of germ cell-derived Line L1 and IAP sequences are found in testes compared to controls
|
• testis are 20% the weight of controls
|
• the seminiferous tubules of 6-week-old mice have markedly reduced spermatocytes and no post-meiotic spermatids or spermatozoa
• male sterility is due to a zygotene:pachytene block during prophase-I
|
• male mice are sterile
|
endocrine/exocrine glands
• testis are 20% the weight of controls
|