Effect of the W mutation, for white belly spot, on testicular germ cell differentiation in mice.
The effect of the mutation for white belly spot controlled by the dominant gene W on spermatogenesis in mice was examined by experimental cryptorchidism and its surgical reversal. The course of spermatogenesis from spermatogonia to spermatid was normal in intact testes of W/+ mice. In cryptorchid testes, there was no difference in the number and activity of Type A spermatogonia between the testes of W/+ and +/+ mice, in mitotic and labelling indices. Although surgical reversal of the cryptorchid testis resulted in regenerative differentiation of germ cells in both genotypes, the recovery of cell differentiation in the W/+ testis was slower than in the +/+ testis. There were fewer germ cells, such as intermediate-Type B spermatogonia or more advanced ones, in W/+ testes. On Day 17 after surgical reversal, cell associations in W/+ testes were abnormal and the numbers of intermediate-Type B spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids were approximately 70, 50 and 15%, respectively, of those in +/+ testes. These results indicate that the W gene affects spermatogenic cell differentiation in adult mice.
Sawada
K
K
Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University Yamada-oka, Japan.
Sakamaki
K
K
Nishimune
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000473:pathology; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000502:physiology*; D009919:Orchiectomy; D013076:Sperm Count; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology