A Wt1-Dmrt1 transgene restores DMRT1 to Sertoli cells of Dmrt1−/− testes: a novel model of DMRT1deficient germ cells

DMRT1 is an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional factor expressed only in the postnatal testis, where it is produced in Sertoli cells and germ cells. While deletion of Dmrt1 in mice demonstrated it is required for postnatal testis development and fertility, much is still unknown about its temporal- and cell-specific functions. This study characterized a novel mouse model of DMRT1-deficient germ cells that was generated by breeding Dmrt1-null (Dmrt1/) mice with Wt1-Dmrt1 transgenic (Dmrt1+/;tg) mice, which express a rat Dmrt1 cDNA in gonadal supporting cells by directing it from the Wilms tumor 1 locus in a yeast artificial chromosome transgene. Like Dmrt1/ mice, male Dmrt1/ transgenic mice (Dmrt1/;tg) were infertile, while female mice were fertile. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed transgenic DMRT1 expressed in supportin