| First Author | Xu L | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Cell Death Dis | Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | e2795 |
| PubMed ID | 28518149 | Mgi Jnum | J:315603 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6829357 | Doi | 10.1038/cddis.2017.110 |
| Citation | Xu L, et al. (2017) Rnf138 deficiency promotes apoptosis of spermatogonia in juvenile male mice. Cell Death Dis 8(5):e2795 |
| abstractText | Spermatogenesis, the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced from a diploid precursor cell, is essential for sexual reproduction. Here, we report that RING-finger protein 138 (Rnf138) is highly expressed in testes, especially in spermatogonia and spermatocytes. The role of Rnf138 in spermatogenesis was examined using a Rnf138-knockout mouse model. Rnf138 deficiency resulted in increased apoptosis in spermatogenic cells, loss of proliferative spermatogonia, delayed development of spermatozoa and impaired fertility. The proportion of PLZF+Ki67+ cells within the PLZF+ population decreased in the knockout mice. The phenotype was further assessed by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), which determined that the expression levels of many genes involved in spermatogenesis were altered in the testis of Rnf138-knockout mice. Thus, Rnf138 deficiency promotes the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, which may have been caused by the aberrant proliferation of spermatogonia in mouse testis development. |
