Fig. 6 Increased germ cell apoptosis in fancl mutants at 25 dpf.
Immunodetection of apoptosis by anti-active Caspase-3 in paraffin sections of gonads of wild-type sibling controls (WT) and fancl homozygous mutants (fancl-/-) at 25 dpf (A,B). Presence of Caspase-3-positive cells (shown in red) was lower in gonads of WT (A) than in fancl mutants (B). Gonads outlined by a dashed line (A,B). Bar graph representing the average number of Caspase-3-positive germ cells in each genotype: wild-type sibling controls (WT; n = 6) and fancl homozygous mutants (fancl-/-; n = 6) at 25 dpf (C). Results showed that the average number of apoptotic germ cells in fancl mutants (x- = 99±43) was about three fold higher than in wild-type sibling controls (x- = 35±14), revealing an abnormal increase of germ cell apoptosis in fancl mutants at 25 dpf, a critical period for sex determination (C).