Figure 7: Rad51 RNAi treatment induced mitochondrial malfunction and mitophagy and subsequently incomplete cytokinesis during oocyte meiosis.

Rad51 silencing-induced mitochondrial malfunction led the decreased ATP production and reduced ΔΨm in oocytes. Rad51-silenced oocytes had markedly fewer mitochondria as a result of the activation of mitophagy. In addition, abnormal spindle aggregation and chromosomal misalignment caused by low mitochondrial quality and quantity resulted in cytokinesis failure; as a result, Rad51-silenced oocytes were mainly arrested at MI.