Reduced spermatogonial proliferation and decreased fertility in mice overexpressing cyclin E in spermatogonia

Cyclin E is a key component of the cell cycle regulatory machinery, contributing to the activation of Cdk2 and the control of cell cycle progression at several stages. Cyclin E expression is tightly regulated, by periodic transcription and ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Overexpression of cyclin E has been associated with tumor development and poor prognosis in several tumor types, including germ cell tumors, and both cyclin E and its partner Cdk2 are required for normal spermatogenesis. Here we have generated and characterized transgenic mice overexpressing a cyclin E mutant protein, resistant to ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, in testicular germ cells, under the control of the human EF-1 alpha promoter. The transgenic mice develop normally and live a normal life span, with no signs of testicular tumor development. The transgenic mice display however reduced fertility and testicular atrophy, due to reduced spermatogonial proliferation as a consequence of deregulated cyclin E levels. Overall our results show that deregulation of cyclin E expression contribute to infertility, due to inability of the spermatogonial cells to start the mitotic cycles prior to entering meiosis.