Fig. 6: Exoc1 deletion during adult stage impairs the subcellular ___location of growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF9).
Tamoxifen was injected into eight-week-old Exoc1-D-cKO (Exoc1flox/flox::Ddx4+/CreERT2) and Exoc1-D-ctrl (Exoc1flox/+::Ddx4+/CreERT2) mice. A Oocyte count in ovaries in 16-week-old mice. No growing follicles were observed in the Exoc1-D-cKO mice. N = 3, Student’s t test. B Representative immunofluorescence images of 16-week-old Exoc1-D-cKO and control mice ovaries. The c-KIT signals were observed mainly on the plasma membrane of oocytes in the primary follicles of control mice, whereas exclusive c-KIT signals were observed in the cytoplasm of oocytes in primary follicles of Exoc1-D-cKO mice. Scale bar = 20 μm C Area ratio of plasma membrane c-KIT (c-KIT co-localised with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), WGA + ::KIT + ) to cytoplasmic c-KIT (c-KIT not co-localised with WGA, WGA-::KIT+). D Intensity ratio of plasma membrane to cytoplasmic c-KIT. E Intensity of the total KIT signal in each oocyte. N = 3, Student’s t test. F Representative immunofluorescence images of 16-week-old Exoc1-D-cKO and control mice ovaries. Most GDF9 signals were found in the extra-oocyte region of the Exoc1-D-ctrl mice primary follicles. However, GDF9 signals were mostly localised in ooplasm of the primary follicles of Exoc1-D-cKO mice. Blue dashes: Follicle area. White dashes: oocyte areas in primary follicles. Scale bar = 20 μm G Plot of the sum of the GDF9 signal intensities in each follicle. No significant differences were observed among the two groups. H Plot of the GDF9 signal intensity in the oocytes in primary follicles only. Oocyte GDF9 levels in Exoc1-D-cKO mice were significantly higher than those in the control. I The ratio of GDF9 signal intensity between the extra-oocyte and follicle area. GDF9 signals were found mainly in oocyte cytoplasm of Exoc1-D-cKO primary follicles. N = 3, Student’s t test.
