Huang Zhen-Yu, Zhang Xian-Sheng
Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China.
Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2018 Jun;24(6):558-561.
Nanos2, a member of the Nanos2 gene family, is a specific gene in male germ cells and encodes an evolutionarily conserved RNA binding protein expressed in male primordial germ cells (PGCs) during the embryonic period as well as in the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) of the testis. In the embryonic period, Nanos2 promotes the development of male PGCs and inhibits them from meiosis. In the process of spermatogenesis, Nanos2 suppresses the differentiation of SSCs in the testis and maintains the stability of the SSC pool. The knockout of Nanos2 may cause the disappearance of germ cells and sterility in male mice while its overexpression in the testis may lead to accumulation of SSCs in seminiferous tubules. Besides, Nanos2 is involved in the degradation of specific RNAs and possibly associated with some diseases of the male reproductive system. This review focuses on the recent progress in the studies of Nanos2 in the male reproductive system.
Nanos2是Nanos2基因家族的成员之一，是雄性生殖细胞中的一种特异性基因，编码一种在进化上保守的RNA结合蛋白，该蛋白在胚胎期的雄性原始生殖细胞（PGCs）以及睾丸的精原干细胞（SSCs）中表达。在胚胎期，Nanos2促进雄性PGCs的发育并抑制它们进行减数分裂。在精子发生过程中，Nanos2抑制睾丸中SSCs的分化并维持SSC池的稳定性。敲除Nanos2可能导致雄性小鼠生殖细胞消失和不育，而其在睾丸中的过表达可能导致精曲小管中SSCs的积累。此外，Nanos2参与特定RNA的降解，可能与男性生殖系统的某些疾病有关。本文综述了Nanos2在男性生殖系统研究中的最新进展。
