Transcriptional regulation in the testis: a role for transcription factor AP-1 complexes at various stages of spermatogenesis.

The products of two proto-oncogenes, c-fos and c-jun, have been implicated in signal transduction pathways as regulators of gene expression. Both proto-oncogenes are members of gene families encoding closely related proteins that together make up transcription factor AP-1. The expression of members of this transcription factor has been associated with cellular pathways that result in both mitosis and differentiation. We have been studying the process of spermatogenesis, which is a complex, continual cycle of cell renewal, proliferation and differentiation. Using a seasonal breeder, the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes), as our model, we have examined the expression of five AP-1 family members (c-fos, fra-1, fra-2, c-jun and junB) with a view to elucidating their role in the regulation of spermatogenesis. Unique patterns of expression, falling into three broad categories, were observed for the five genes: (i) continuous expression throughout the spermatogenic cycle (c-fos); (ii) expression only at times corresponding to the onset and shutdown of spermatogenesis (fra-1, fra-2 and c-jun); and (iii) expression only at the onset of the cycle (junB). Furthermore, the proteins were expressed in both premeiotic and post-meiotic cell types, suggesting a role in haploid, as well as diploid, gene expression in this tissue. The data suggest distinct, although not necessarily unrelated, roles for the different components of transcription factor AP-1 in the regulation of spermatogenesis.