Abstract:
miRNA plays important regulatory roles in various normal and malignant biological processes, however, its function in male germ cell development remains poorly elucidated. In this study we explored temporal expression pattern of mouse testis-specific miR-471 in mouse testes. Furthermore, we investigated the function of miR-471 using established mouse spermatogonial stem cell in vitro transgenic model. We discovered that 3T3 stable cell line overexpressing miR-471 proliferate more actively than control cell line. Similarly, overexpressing miR-471 in cultured mouse spermatogonial stem cells also promotes cell proliferation. These results suggest that miR-471 may trigger cell proliferation during mouse testis development.