Roles of androgen receptor in male and female reproduction: lessons from global and cell-specific androgen receptor knockout (ARKO) mice.
The androgen receptor (AR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a ligand-dependent transcription factor involved in regulating expression of an array of androgen-responsive genes. AR-mediated androgen actions play the important roles in male and female reproductive development and function. AR mutations can cause a diverse range of diseases, such as testicular feminization mutation (Tfm) syndrome, prostate cancer, and Kennedy's disease. However, because of a lack of genetic models, the molecular mechanisms involved in the physiological and pathological effects of androgen-AR function in male and female reproductive health remains largely unknown. To get a better insight into the molecular working mechanisms of the AR, a global and several cell-specific conditional knockout mouse models have been developed. These models are reviewed here, and the phenotypes of the different cell-specific androgen receptor knockout (ARKO) mice are compared with those of the global ARKO mice.
Zhou
Xinchang
X
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Iowa, 5270 CBRB, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. xinchang-zhou@uiowa.edu
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010641:Phenotype; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000502:physiology*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000502:physiology
D011944:Receptors, Androgen