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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.02.24.639874

NOR1 and Mitophagy: An Insight into Sertoli Cell Function Regulating Spermatogenesis

PRADHAN, B. S.·Das, D.·Sarkar, H.·Bhattacharya, I.·Majumdar, S. S.
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Abstract

The development and differentiation of germ cell (Gc) is supported by the Sertoli cel (Sc). We previously reported that a developmental switch in Sc around 12 days of age onwards in rats. During the process of differentiation of Sc, the differential expression of mitophagy-related genes and its role in male fertility is poorly understood. To address this gap, we evaluated the microarray dataset GSE48795 to identify 12 mitophagy-related hub genes - Egfr, Bcl2, Ccl2, Mmp2, Igf1, Fgf7, Apoe, Fos, Cxcl12, Ocln, Dcn, and Snca. We identify NOR1 as a potential mitophagy-related gene of interest due to its strong regulatory association with two hub genes Bcl2 and Fos. To determine the importance of our analysis of finding key mitophagy-related genes, we generated a transgenic rat model with Sc-specific knockdown of NOR1 during puberty. Adult male transgenic rats were found to be infertile due to impaired spermatogenesis, indicating a critical role for NOR1 in Sc function. These findings suggest that mitophagy-related genes may play an important role in the differentiation of Sc and thereby, regulate male fertility.

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PRADHAN, B. S., Das, D., Sarkar, H., Bhattacharya, I., Majumdar, S. S.. 2025-02-26. NOR1 and Mitophagy: An Insight into Sertoli Cell Function Regulating Spermatogenesis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.24.639874

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