Apoptosis in male germ cells in response to cyclin A1-deficiency and cell cycle arrest

• Male mice homozygous for a mutated allele of the cyclin A 1 gene (Ccna 1) are sterile due to a block in cell cycle progression before the first meiotic division. Meiosis arrest in Ccna1(-1-) spermatocytes is associated with desynapsis abnormalities, lowered MPF activity, and apoptosis as evidenced by TUNEL-positive staining. With time, adult testicular tubules exhibit severe degeneration: some tubules in the older animals are almost devoid of germ cells at various stages of spermatogenesis. The mechanisms by which the cells sense the cell cycle arrest and the regulation of the decision to undergo cell death are under investigation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Cell- och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Cell and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

apoptosis

meiosis

cell cycle

cell death

spermatocytes

germ cells

cyclin A

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)