Immunostained proteins SYCP3 (green) and DAZL (red) in embryonic ovaries of a control mouse (left); a mouse with mutant null Aldh1a1, Aldh1a2, and Aldh1a3 alleles (centre); and a mouse with mutant null retinoic acid receptor gene alleles (right). In all three situations, germ cells (red) have entered meiosis, as evidenced by the presence of SYCP3 on meiotic chromosomes (green).
Immunostained proteins SYCP3 ( green ) and DAZL ( red ) in embryonic ovaries of a control mouse ( left ); a mouse with mutant null Aldh1a1, Aldh1a2, and Aldh1a3 alleles ( centre ); and a mouse with mutant null retinoic acid receptor gene alleles ( right ). In all three situations, germ cells ( red ) have entered meiosis, as evidenced by the presence of SYCP3 on meiotic chromosomes ( green ). Anne-Amandine Chassot and Norbert B. Ghyselinck - Meiosis is essential to sexual reproduction. For almost 15 years, it has been commonly held that retinoic acid, a molecule derived from vitamin A, triggers meiosis in mammalian germ cells. Yet, in joint articles published in Science Advances ( 22 May 2020 ), researchers from the Institut de Biologie Valrose (CNRS / INSERM / Université Côte d'Azur) and the IGBMC (CNRS / INSERM / University of Strasbourg), with their colleagues, demonstrate that meiosis in mice begins and proceeds normally even in the absence of retinoic acid. These findings set the stage for new research in the field of reproductive biology. Meiosis is an essential process that results in novel assortments of chromosomes for the transmission of unique sets of genes to offspring.
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