Morphogenetic investigation of metaphase-specific cell death in meiotic spermatocytes in mice.
An MRL/MpJ strain of mice, including Ipr mutants, reveals the complex pathological manifestations of collagen disease, such as systemic vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, arthritis and sialoadenitis, in association with several autoimmune factors. Studies involving this mouse strain have shown that it exhibits a much-enhanced healing response compared with other mouse strains, together with reduced scarring in the periphery. Recently, unique characteristics were found in the testis of the MRL/MpJ mouse: metaphase-specific apoptosis (MSA) of meiotic spermatocytes, heat stress resistance in spermatocytes and the appearance of oocyte-like cells. The present review describes the morphological and genetic analysis of MSA, culminating in the conclusion that inherent mutation of exonuclease 1 induces checkpoint activity during meiotic division in MRL mice.
Kon
Yasuhiro
Y
Laboratory of Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan. y-kon@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000235:genetics; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008677:Metaphase; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D009154:Mutation; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; C028450:exodeoxyribonuclease I