Fig. 3. Lfng^–/– females ovulate in response to exogenous hormones, but oocytes are not at meiotic metaphase II. (A) After hormone administration, OCC were collected from the oviduct. Oocytes were stained with anti--tubulin-FITC and Hoechst 33258, and visualized using confocal microscopy at 800 x final magnification. Genotypes are as indicated. In Lfng^+/+ and Lfng^+/– oocytes, note the presence of the polar bodies (white arrowhead) and chromosomes aligned on a metaphase spindle. Many Lfng^–/– oocytes contained one or more bodies with scattered chromatin (white arrowheads). Some Lfng^–/– oocytes were at anaphase/telophase I; note the lack of a polar body. (B) Representative kinase assays analyzed on 15% SDS-PAGE and visualized using a phosphorimager. Lanes are as marked. MBP, myelin basic protein. (C) Lfng^+/– and Lfng^–/– mice were induced to ovulate and OCC were collected from the oviducts. OCC demonstrated normal cumulus expansion in Lfng null mutant females, under light microscopy at 70 x magnification. (D) Graphs show relative kinase activity of MPF and CSF, the kinase assays were quantified and expressed as fold activity over control (n=9/genotype) ±s.d.