Behr R, Weinbauer G F
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, Clinical Research Building, Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, USA.
Int J Androl. 2001 Jun;24(3):126-35. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2605.2001.00277.x.
CREM is a cAMP-related transcription factor and alternate promotor usage and splicing generate repressor and activator transcripts of CREM within the testis. CREM activators are highly expressed in post-meiotic haploid germ cells and are essential for spermatid maturation in the mouse model as revealed by gene-targeting studies. Analysis of testicular CREM expression in rodent and monkey species, and in men yielded a highly comparable pattern thus suggesting that CREM is of general importance for spermatid development in the mammalian testis. Also, many CREM target genes have been identified in haploid germ cells. Studies in men with spermatogenic disturbance and spermatid maturation arrest demonstrated abnormal CREM expression and altered splicing events. Collectively, the data strongly argue for an essential role of CREM during spermatid maturation in primates.
CREM是一种与环磷酸腺苷（cAMP）相关的转录因子，睾丸内启动子的交替使用和剪接产生了CREM的阻遏物和激活物转录本。基因靶向研究表明，CREM激活物在减数分裂后的单倍体生殖细胞中高度表达，对小鼠模型中的精子细胞成熟至关重要。对啮齿动物、猴子和人类睾丸中CREM表达的分析产生了高度可比的模式，这表明CREM对哺乳动物睾丸中精子细胞的发育具有普遍重要性。此外，在单倍体生殖细胞中已经鉴定出许多CREM靶基因。对患有生精障碍和精子细胞成熟停滞的男性的研究表明，CREM表达异常且剪接事件改变。总体而言，这些数据有力地证明了CREM在灵长类动物精子细胞成熟过程中的重要作用。
