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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
A Seminiferous Tubule Squash Technique for the Cytological Analysis of Spermatogenesis Using the Mouse Model
Published on: February 6, 2018
Rnf138 deficiency promotes apoptosis of spermatogonia in juvenile male mice
Longchang Xu1, Yalan Lu1, Deqiang Han1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
Abstract:
Spermatogenesis, the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced from a diploid precursor cell, is essential for sexual reproduction. Here, we report that RING-finger protein 138 (Rnf138) is highly expressed in testes, especially in spermatogonia and spermatocytes. The role of Rnf138 in spermatogenesis was examined using a Rnf138-knockout mouse model. Rnf138 deficiency resulted in increased apoptosis in spermatogenic cells, loss of proliferative spermatogonia, delayed development of spermatozoa and impaired fertility. The proportion of PLZF+Ki67+ cells within the PLZF+ population decreased in the knockout mice. The phenotype was further assessed by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), which determined that the expression levels of many genes involved in spermatogenesis were altered in the testis of Rnf138-knockout mice. Thus, Rnf138 deficiency promotes the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, which may have been caused by the aberrant proliferation of spermatogonia in mouse testis development.
