DREAM regulates gene expression and Ca2+ mobilization in sperm cells

Calcium influx is a critical event in mammalian fertilization, but the molecular mechanisms that govern the calcium dynamics in spermatozoa in response to physiological stimuli are still poorly understood. In the present work we analyze the role of the Ca2+-dependent transcriptional repressor DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator) in spermatozoa using a transgenic mouse line that express a dominant constitutively active DREAM mutant. Genome-wide expression analysis of transgenic mice showed that DREAM modulates gene expression throughout the maturation process of sperm from spermatogonia to mature spermatozoa. We used Affymetrix microarrays (GeneChip Mouse Genome 430 2.0) to compare global gene expression in wild type (WT) versus transgenic testis cells. For each type of sample three hybridizations were carried-out (independent biological replicates).