Spermatogenesis is a process which includes the following phases: spermatogonial stem cell proliferation and differentiation, spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatid and mature sperm. Spermatogenic failure is the important factor resulting in male infertility. Recent studies showed that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) have been found to be involved in the regulation of male reproduction. However, lncRNA associated with spermatogenesis and their mechanisms of action are unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the role and molecular mechanism of lncRNA in spermatogenesis. LncRNA microarray of germ cells and bioinformatic analysis showed lncRNA Gm2044 may play potential roles in spermatogenesis. The expression level of RNA and protein were analyzed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. The interaction of lncRNA with mRNA was detected by RNA pull down and cellular proliferation was measured using CCK-8 reagent. Testis-enriched lncRNA Gm2044 is abundant in mouse spermatocytes. Gm2044 can suppress the translation of adjacent spermatogenesis-related gene Utf1 by interacting with Utf1 mRNA. Furthermore, the proliferation of mouse spermatogonia GC-1 cell line and spermatocyte GC-2 cell line was inhibited by Gm2044.
Conclusion: LncRNA Gm2044 was identified to inhibit Utf1 mRNA translation and play important roles in spermatogenesis.
Keywords: GC-1; GC-2; Gm2044; LncRNA; Spermatocyte; UTF1.