Figure 3
Gestational exposure to CD affects meiotic synapsing in F1 and F3 CD-derived males. Surface spreads were prepared from F3 generation testes obtained from control (A) or CD-derived males (B–D) males as described in the Methods section. The spreads were immunostained for a major protein of the lateral element of the synaptonemal complex (SC), SYCP3 (red, left panel), and for a protein expressed in the SC central element, SYCP1 (green, middle panel); the overlap between the two is also shown (right panel). (A) Representative images of a control testis spread. Normally, SYCP3 is detected along the length of every chromosome, while SYCP1 is expressed on all autosomal chromosomes and is visible as a punctate signal or absent immunostaining pattern in sex chromosomes (dashed circle, right panel). (B,C) In CD-derived males, meiotic cells with telomere connections and ring-like structure of sex chromosomes are notable. (D) The formation of “ring” like structures in sex chromosomes. X and Y sex chromosomes (sex bodies) are shown (dashed circle). The arrows point to chromosomes where telomeres are completely closed or fused.
