Chen Xiaoxu, Li Xueliang, Guo Jiayin, Zhang Pengfei, Zeng Wenxian
College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 China.
J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2017 May 1;8:35. doi: 10.1186/s40104-017-0166-4. eCollection 2017.
Mammalian spermatogenesis contains three continuous and organized processes, by which spermatogonia undergo mitosis and differentiate to spermatocytes, follow on meiosis to form haploid spermatids and ultimately transform into spermatozoa. These processes require an accurately, spatially and temporally regulated gene expression patterns. The microRNAs are a novel class of post-transcriptional regulators. Cumulating evidences have demonstrated that microRNAs are expressed in a cell-specific or stage-specific manner during spermatogenesis. In this review, we focus on the roles of microRNAs in spermatogenesis. We highlight that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is involved in the biogenesis of microRNAs and miRNA regulates the m6A modification on mRNA, and that specific miRNAs have been exploited as potential biomarkers for the male factor infertility, which will provide insightful understanding of microRNA roles in spermatogenesis.
哺乳动物的精子发生包含三个连续且有序的过程，通过这些过程，精原细胞进行有丝分裂并分化为精母细胞，接着进行减数分裂形成单倍体精子细胞，最终转变为精子。这些过程需要精确的、时空调控的基因表达模式。微小RNA是一类新型的转录后调节因子。越来越多的证据表明，微小RNA在精子发生过程中以细胞特异性或阶段特异性的方式表达。在本综述中，我们聚焦于微小RNA在精子发生中的作用。我们强调N6-甲基腺苷（m6A）参与微小RNA的生物合成，且微小RNA调节mRNA上的m6A修饰，以及特定的微小RNA已被用作男性因素不孕症的潜在生物标志物，这将为深入理解微小RNA在精子发生中的作用提供帮助。
