Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a highly complex process involved in the transmission of genetic information from one generation to next generation. The process takes place in the seminiferous tubules of the testis and is regulated by genes that control cell division, cell-cell interaction and morphogenetic changes in both the somatic and germ cell lineages in a highly orchestrated pattern. The first wave of spermatogenesis in mouse is typically characterized by the differential expression of genes involved in spermatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the differential expression of genes involved in Spermatogonial Stem Cells (SSCs) self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation using microarray approach in the testes of 35 vs. 5 Days Post Partum (dpp) mice. Our results demonstrate that genes involved in SSC self-renewal and proliferation were significantly down-regulated while genes involved in SSC differentiation were significantly up-regulated in the testes of 35 vs. 5 dpp mice. There was up-regulation in the expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation. Pro-apoptotic genes were found to be upregulated on the contrary anti-apoptotic genes were down-regulated in the testes of 35 vs. 5 dpp mice. Thus, our study helps in understanding the differential expression profile of genes involved in early stages of spermatogenesis in mice.
Highlights
Spermatogenesis is a complex and well-orchestrated process, in which Spermatogonial Stem Cells (SSCs) divide and differentiate to produce unlimited numbers of mature spermatozoa
To characterize the genes that are associated with spermatogenesis and the genes that are differentially regulated, we examined the gene expression profiles in the testes of 35 vs. 5 dpp mice
Our current study revealed the differential gene expression profile during the early stages of spermatogenesis in the testes of 35 vs. 5 dpp mice
Summary
Spermatogenesis is a complex and well-orchestrated process, in which Spermatogonial Stem Cells (SSCs) divide and differentiate to produce unlimited numbers of mature spermatozoa. These spermatids undergo spermiogenesis to form mature spermatozoa [3] This complex process is orchestrated through expression of thousands of genes encoding proteins which are developmentally regulated during spermatogenesis and play essential roles during specific phases of germ cell development. Both transcriptional and translational control mechanisms are responsible for temporal and stage-specific expression pattern of genes [4,5]
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