Splicing factor SRSF1 is essential for homing of precursor spermatogonial stem cells in mice
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) provide a continuous spermatogenesis and male fertility. However, the underlying mechanisms of alternative splicing (AS) in mouse SSCs are still largely unclear. We demonstrated that SRSF1 is essential for gene expression and splicing in mouse SSCs. Specific deletion of Srsf1 in mouse germ cells impairs self-renewal and homing of SSCs leading to male infertility. Whole-mount staining data showed the absence of germ cells in the testes of adult cKO mice, which indicates severe non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in cKO mice. Expression of SSC-related genes (Gfra1, Pou5f1, Plzf, Dnd1, Stra8, and Taf4b) was significantly reduced in the testes of conditional knockout (cKO) mice. CLIP-seq data found that SSC-related genes (Plzf, Id4, Setdb1, Stra8, Tial1, Bcas2, Ddx5, Srsf10, Uhrf1, and Bud31) were bound by SRSF1 in the mouse testes. Moreover, multi-omics analysis suggests that SRSF1 directly binds and regulates the expression of Tial1 via AS to implement SSCs self-renewal and differentiation. Collectively, our data reveal the critical role of an SRSF1-mediated AS in SSCs self-renewal and differentiation, which may provide a framework to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the post-transcriptional network underlying SSCs. Overall design: Testes were isolated and prepared from 5 dpp mouse. Total RNA was extracted from 5 dpp mouse testes