• PMID: 27861152
• Gene Name: RAD9A
• Condition: Spermatogonia differentiation
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility

Rad9a is required for spermatogonia differentiation in mice

Huang L, Wang ZB, Qi ST, Ma XS, Liang QX, Lei G, Meng TG, Liang LF, Xian YX, Hou Y, Sun XF, Zhao Y, Wang WH, Sun QY.

Spermatogenesis in testes requires precise spermatogonia differentiation. Spermatocytes lacking the Rad9a gene are arrested in pachytene prophase, implying a possible role for RAD9A in spermatogonia differentiation. However, numerous RAD9A-positive pachytene spermatocytes are still observed in mouse testes following Rad9a excision using the Stra8-Cre system, and it is unclear whether Rad9a deletion in spermatogonia interrupts differentiation. Here, we generated a mouse model in which Rad9a was specifically deleted in spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) using Cre recombinase expression driven by the germ cell-specific Vasa promoter. Adult Rad9a-null male mice were infertile as a result of completely blocked spermatogonia differentiation. No early spermatocytes were detected in mutant testicular cords of 9-day-old mice. Mutant spermatogonia were prone to apoptosis, although proliferation rates were unaffected. Rad9a deletion also resulted in malformation of seminiferous tubules, in which cells assembled irregularly into clusters, and malformation led to testicular cord disruption. Our findings suggest that Rad9a is indispensable for spermatogonia differentiation and testicular development in mice. FAU - Huang, Lin AU - Huang L AD - Key Laboratory of Major Obstetrics Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China. AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Wang, Zhen-Bo AU - Wang ZB AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Qi, Shu-Tao AU - Qi ST AD - Key Laboratory of Major Obstetrics Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China. FAU - Ma, Xue-Shan AU - Ma XS AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Liang, Qiu-Xia AU - Liang QX AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. AD - University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Lei, Guo AU - Lei G AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Meng, Tie-Gang AU - Meng TG AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Liang, Li-Feng AU - Liang LF AD - Key Laboratory of Major Obstetrics Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China. FAU - Xian, Ye-Xin AU - Xian YX AD - Key Laboratory of Major Obstetrics Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China. FAU - Hou, Yi AU - Hou Y AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Sun, Xiao-Fang AU - Sun XF AD - Key Laboratory of Major Obstetrics Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China. FAU - Zhao, Yong AU - Zhao Y AD - State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. FAU - Wang, Wei-Hua AU - Wang WH AD - Key Laboratory of Major Obstetrics Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China. AD - Houston Fertility Institute/Houston Fertility Laboratory, Houston, Texas, USA.