Reduced Fertility in Mice Deficient for the POU Protein Sperm-1

Members of the POU-homeodomain gene family encode transcriptional regulatory molecules that play important roles in terminal differentiation of many organ systems. Sperm-1 (Sprm-1) is a POU domain factor that is exclusively expressed in the differentiating male germ cell. We show here that the Sprm-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1997-07, Vol.94 (14), p.7555-7560
Main Authors: Pearse, Richard V., Drolet, Daniel W., Kalla, Kristin A., Hooshmand, Farideh, Bermingham, John R., Rosenfeld, Michael G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological Sciences
Blotting, Northern
DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics
Female
Fertility
Fertility - genetics
Gene Expression Regulation
Genes
Germ cells
Haploidy
Male
Male animals
Male fertility
Mating behavior
Medical research
Mice
Mutation
POU Domain Factors
Proteins
Rodents
Spermatids
Spermatogenesis - genetics
Spermatozoa
Testes
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Summary:Members of the POU-homeodomain gene family encode transcriptional regulatory molecules that play important roles in terminal differentiation of many organ systems. Sperm-1 (Sprm-1) is a POU domain factor that is exclusively expressed in the differentiating male germ cell. We show here that the Sprm-1 protein is expressed in the haploid spermatid and that 129/Sv Sprm-1(-/-) mice are subfertile when compared with wild-type or heterozygous littermates yet exhibit normal testicular morphology and produce normal numbers of mobile spermatozoa. Our data suggest that the Sprm-1 protein plays a discrete regulatory function in the haploid spermatid, which is required for the optimal function, but not the terminal differentiation, of the male germ cell.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.94.14.7555