Dicer1 depletion in male germ cells leads to infertility due to cumulative meiotic and spermiogenic defects.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Spermatogenesis is a complex biological process that requires a highly specialized control of gene expression. In the past decade, small non-coding RNAs have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression both at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. DICER1, an RNAse III endonuclease, is essential for the biogenesis of several classes of small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs), but is also critical for the degradation of toxic transposable elements. In this study, we investigated to which extent DICER1 is required for germ cell development and the progress of spermatogenesis in mice.

Principal findings

We show that the selective ablation of Dicer1 at the early onset of male germ cell development

SUBMITTER: Romero Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3187767 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature