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Spermiogenesis deficiency and germ-cell apoptosis in CREM-mutant mice

Nature volume 380, pages 159–162 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

SPERMIOGENESIS is a complex process by which postmeiotic male germ cells differentiate into mature spermatozoa. This process involves remarkable structural and biochemical changes including nuclear DNA compaction and acrosome formation1,2. Tran-scriptional activator CREM (cyclic AMP-responsive element modulator) is highly expressed in postmeiotic cells3–5, and CREM may be responsible for the activation of several haploid germ cell-specific genes involved in the structuring of the spermatozoon5–7. The specific role of CREM in spermiogenesis was addressed using CREM-mutant mice generated by homologous recombination. Analysis of the seminiferous epithelium in mutant male mice reveals postmeiotic arrest at the first step of spermiogenesis. Late spermatids are completely absent, and there is a significant increase in apoptotic germ cells. We show that CREM deficiency results in the lack of postmeiotic cell-specific gene expression. The complete lack of spermatozoa in the mutant mice is reminiscent of cases of human infertility.

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Author notes

  1. Kenth Henriksén and Martti Parvinen: Department of Anatomy, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS-INSERM, B.P. 163, 67404, Illkirch, Strasbourg, France

    François Nantel, Lucia Monaco, Nicholas S. Foulkes, Denis Masquilier, Marianne LeMeur, Kenth Henriksén, Andrée Dierich, Martti Parvinen & Paolo Sassone-Corsi

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  1. François Nantel
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  2. Lucia Monaco
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  3. Nicholas S. Foulkes
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Nantel, F., Monaco, L., Foulkes, N. et al. Spermiogenesis deficiency and germ-cell apoptosis in CREM-mutant mice. Nature 380, 159–162 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/380159a0

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