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Reduced fertility in gracile axonal dystrophy (gad) mice
K Yamazaki1, N Wakasugi, A Sakakibara
1Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Japan.
Jikken Dobutsu. Experimental Animals
|April 1, 1988
Summary
Gad/gad females exhibit significantly reduced litter sizes compared to normal females. This infertility is primarily due to post-implantation embryonic and fetal mortality, indicating impaired uterine function in these mice.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Mammalian genetics
- Developmental biology
Background:
- Reduced litter size is a common issue in mouse models, impacting research reproducibility.
- Understanding the genetic basis of fertility is crucial for reproductive health studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reproductive performance of gad/gad mutant mice.
- To determine the cause of reduced litter size in gad/gad females.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of litter size in gad/gad versus wild-type (+/+) and heterozygous (gad/+) females.
- Intra- and inter-strain crosses were performed.
- Quantification of corpora lutea, implants, and live fetuses at 14 days post-copulation.
Main Results:
- Gad/gad females showed significantly lower mean litter sizes in all crosses.
- Male genotype did not influence litter size, implicating female-specific factors.
- A significant reduction in live fetuses, despite only a slight decrease in corpora lutea and implants, points to post-implantation loss.
Conclusions:
- The gad mutation impairs uterine function, leading to increased embryonic and fetal death.
- This study identifies impaired uterine function as the primary cause of reduced litter size in gad/gad females.
- Gad/gad mice serve as a model for studying uterine-related infertility.