New study sheds light on how an autoimmune disorder may underlie male infertility (IMAGE)
Caption
Sperm from Aire-deficient males are unable to produce viable embryos in vitro. The left image (A) shows wild-type oocytes that were fertilized with wild-type sperm about 4 days previously. Four embryos can be seen; three of them have progressed nicely to the 4-8 cell or blastocyst (Bl) stages, and one remains undeveloped (Un). In contrast, (B) shows that when sperm from Aire-deficient males are used to fertilize wild-type oocytes, all remain undeveloped and show signs of deterioration. In this image, the oocytes, which are encapsulated inside the zona pelucida, are misshapen and highly granular, suggesting that they are no longer viable.
Credit
Bryce D. Warren
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