Université Paris Cité, INSERM, CNRS, Institut Cochin, F-75014 Paris, France.
Homologous Recombination, Embryo Transfer and Cryopreservation Facility, Cochin Institute, University of Paris, F-75006 Paris, France.
Genes (Basel). 2023 Apr 27;14(5):983. doi: 10.3390/genes14050983.
Spermiogenesis is the step during which post-meiotic cells, called spermatids, undergo numerous morphological changes and differentiate into spermatozoa. Thousands of genes have been described to be expressed at this stage and could contribute to spermatid differentiation. Genetically-engineered mouse models using Cre/ or CrispR/Cas9 are the favored approaches to characterize gene function and better understand the genetic basis of male infertility. In the present study, we produced a new spermatid-specific transgenic mouse line, in which the improved recombinase is expressed under the control of the gene promoter (). We show that Cre protein expression is restricted to the testis and only detected in round spermatids of stage V to VIII seminiferous tubules. The line can conditionally knockout a gene during spermiogenesis with a > 95% efficiency. Therefore, it could be useful to unravel the function of genes during the late stage of spermatogenesis, but it can also be used to produce an embryo with a paternally deleted allele without causing early spermatogenesis defects.
精子发生是在后减数分裂细胞（称为精母细胞）经历许多形态变化并分化为精子的过程。已经描述了数千种在这个阶段表达的基因，这些基因可能有助于精母细胞的分化。使用 Cre/或 CrispR/Cas9 的基因工程小鼠模型是用于表征基因功能和更好地理解男性不育症遗传基础的首选方法。在本研究中，我们产生了一种新的精母细胞特异性转基因小鼠品系，其中改良的重组酶在基因启动子（）的控制下表达。我们表明 Cre 蛋白表达仅限于睾丸，并且仅在 V 期到 VIII 期生精小管的圆形精母细胞中检测到。该线可以在精子发生过程中以 >95%的效率条件性敲除一个基因。因此，它可能有助于揭示精子发生后期基因的功能，但也可以用于产生不引起早期精子发生缺陷的具有父本缺失等位基因的胚胎。
