1700102P08Rik, also named male pachynema-specific (MAPS) protein, is a testis-specific gene conserved in human and mouse. It is essential for spermatogenesis, playing a crucial role in the pachynema progression of spermatocytes [1,3]. It is likely involved in pathways related to meiosis and male fertility, and its study via genetic models like knockout mice can reveal its functions.

Knockout mouse models generated by CRISPR-Cas9 showed that 1700102P08Rik knockout male mice were infertile with smaller testis and epididymis, while female knockout mice had normal fertility. Spermatogenesis in male knockout mice was arrested at the spermatocyte stage, with no sperm in the epididymis due to apoptosis in the testis. Serum hormone levels and homologous chromosome synapsis and recombination were not affected. Also, four genes including 1700102P08Rik were validated as meiosis-essential genes by knockout mouse models, and in another study, Maps-/-(lacking 1700102P08Rik) male mice had pachytene arrest, spermatocyte death, and male infertility, with pubertal and adult spermatocytes showing different meiotic defects and transcriptional dysregulation [1,2,3].

In conclusion, 1700102P08Rik is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. Gene-knockout mouse models have significantly contributed to understanding its role in male infertility, highlighting its importance in male reproductive biology [1,2,3].

References:

1. Wu, Xiao-Long, Yun, Da-Min, Gao, Sheng, Wang, Gui-Shuan, Sun, Fei. 2020. The testis-specific gene 1700102P08Rik is essential for male fertility. In Molecular reproduction and development, 87, 231-240. doi:10.1002/mrd.23314. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31930642/

2. Fang, Kailun, Li, Qidan, Wei, Yu, Liu, Siqi, Chen, Charlie Degui. 2021. Prediction and Validation of Mouse Meiosis-Essential Genes Based on Spermatogenesis Proteome Dynamics. In Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP, 20, 100014. doi:10.1074/mcp.RA120.002081. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33257503/

3. Li, Miao, Zheng, Jiahuan, Li, Gaopeng, Wang, Hengbin, Liu, Kui. . The male germline-specific protein MAPS is indispensable for pachynema progression and fertility. In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118, . doi:10.1073/pnas.2025421118. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33602822/