BRG1 Is Dispensable for Sertoli Cell Development and Functions in Mice

Sertoli cells are somatic supporting cells in spermatogenic niche and play critical roles in germ cell development, but it is yet to be understood how epigenetic modifiers regulate Sertoli cell development and contribution to spermatogenesis. BRG1 (Brahma related gene 1) is a catalytic subunit of the mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and participates in transcriptional regulation. The present study aimed to define the functions of BRG1 in mouse Sertoli cells during mouse spermatogenesis. We found that BRG1 protein was localized in the nuclei of both Sertoli cells and germ cells in seminiferous tubules. We further examined the requirement of BRG1 in Sertoli cell development using aBrg1conditional knockout mouse model and twoAmh-Cremouse strains to specifically deleteBrg1gene from Sertoli cells. We found that theAmh-Cremice from Jackson Laboratory had inefficient recombinase activities in Sertoli cells, while the otherAmh-Crestrain from the European Mouse Mutant Archive achieved completeBrg1deletion in Sertoli cells. Nevertheless, the conditional knockout ofBrg1from Sertoli cells by neither ofAmh-Crestrains led to any detectable abnormalities in the development of either Sertoli cells or germ cells, suggesting that BRG1-SWI/SNF complex is dispensable to the functions of Sertoli cells in spermatogenesis.