Testicular miRNAs in relation to spermatogenesis, spermatogonial stem cells and cancer/testis genes

Abstract

The process of spermatogenesis in human involves three organized biological processes, through which spermatogonia cells undergo mitosis, meiosis and finally differentiation into mature spermatozoa. Spermatogenesis requires a specifically regulated gene expression patterns. The microRNAs are a novel class of post-transcriptional regulators that have been reported to be involved in so many cellular processes including spermatogenesis, in which microRNAs are expressed in a stage-specific manner. Specific microRNAs are involved in the process of spermatogenesis and they have been identified to regulate and renew spermatogonia stem cell as well as been implicated in cancer biology regarding their effect in regulation of some of the cancer/testis genes. Keywords: miRNA, Spermatogenesis, Cancer/testis genes, Spermatocytes, testicular miRNAs