Research Paper Volume 12, Issue 17 pp 17099—17113

Sirt6 is required for spermatogenesis in mice

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Figure 3. Sirt6 deficiency leads to spermatogenic arrest at the elongated spermatid stage. (A) Paraffin-embedded sections of seminiferous tubules and testes from Sirt6+/+ and Sirt6-/- were stained with PAS-hematoxylin. B, B type spermatogonial stem cells; L, leptotene spermatocytes; D, diplotene spermatocytes; P, pachytene spermatocytes; rST, round spermatids; eST, elongated spermatids; M, meiotic divisions. 8-week mice, n=4. (B) Different developmental steps of single round spermatid and elongated spermatids from Sirt6+/+ and Sirt6-/- testes. 8-week mice, n=4. (C) Quantification of the proportion of round spermatids in the Sirt6+/+ and Sirt6-/- mice. Sirt6+/+, 27.91±1.03%; Sirt6-/-, 25.27±1.96%. 8-week mice, n=4; 96 seminiferous tubules were used for each group. (D) Quantification of the proportion of elongated spermatids in the Sirt6+/+ and Sirt6-/- mice. Sirt6+/+, 26.67±0.48%; Sirt6-/-, 2.64±0.12%. 8-week mice, n=4; 96 seminiferous tubules were used for each group. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ***P < 0.001.