Reduced fertility in mice deficient for the POU protein sperm-1

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.14.7555
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:31:44Z
• Authors: Richard V. Pearse; Daniel W. Drolet; Kristin A. Kalla; Farideh Hooshmand; John R. Bermingham; Michael G. Rosenfeld
• Keywords: Spermatid; POU domain

Members of the POU-homeodomain gene family encode transcriptional regulatory molecules that play important roles in terminal differentiation many organ systems. Sperm-1 (Sprm-1) is a POU domain factor exclusively expressed differentiating male germ cell. We show here Sprm-1 protein haploid spermatid and 129/Sv ( −/− ) mice are subfertile when compared with wild-type or heterozygous littermates yet exhibit normal testicular morphology produce numbers mobile spermatozoa. Our data suggest plays discrete function spermatid, which required for optimal function, but not differentiation,