Research Paper Volume 12, Issue 17 pp 17099—17113

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.