Fig. 2

Premature ovarian failure appeared in later stage of SENP1-smKO mice ovulating life. a Stromal deletion of SENP1 with SM22α-Cre. SENP1^lox/lox mice were generated based on homologous recombination. SENP1^lox/lox mice were mated with SM22α-Cre to obtain stromal-specific SENP1-deficient (SENP1-smKO) mice. 5′ and 3′ probes were used for Southern blot. Primers WT1/2 and KO1/2 were used for genotyping. b SM22α cells are in ovarian stroma. The SM22α-Cre deleter mice were mated with mice expressing a genetic Cre reporter (ROSA-26Sor^{tm4(ACTB−tdTomato, EGFP)Luo}/J). Stromal cells show GFP-positive, suggesting these cells are SM22α lineage. c, d SENP1 deletion in SM22α stromal cells. SM22α-positive stromal cells were isolated from ovaries of SENP1^lox/lox (WT) and SENP1-smKO female mice. SENP1 expression was detected by qRT-PCR (b) and Western blotting (c). Normalized mRNA and protein levels (with GADPH) are presented as fold changes by taking WT group as 1.0. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, n = 3, female. e Stromal SENP1 deletion reduces follicle numbers. Number of total follicle in ovaries of WT and SENP1-smKO mice at ages of 3, 6 weeks and 8 months. Data are presented as mean ± SEM, n = 5, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. f Premature ovarian failure in aged SENP1-smKO mice. Representative Hematoxylin and Eosin staining of ovaries from 9-month-old WT and SENP1-smKO (n = 5). Scale bars 160 μm. OV ovary, ScF secondary follicle, AnF antral follicle, CL corpus lutuem