Alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays important roles in co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression functioned during many developmental processes, such as spermatogenesis. The studies focusing on alternative splicing on spermatogenesis supported the notion that the development of testis is regulated by a higher level of alternative splicing than other tissues. Here, we aim to review the mechanisms underlying alternative splicing, particularly the splicing variants functioned in the process of spermatogenesis and the male infertility. There are five points regarding the alternative splicing including ⅰ) a brief introduction of alternative pre-mRNA splicing; ⅱ) the alternative splicing events in spermatogenesis-associated genes enriched in different stages of spermatogenesis; ⅲ) the mechanisms of alternative splicing regulation, such as splicing factors and m6A demethylation; ⅳ) the splice site recognition and alternative splicing, including the production and degradation of abnormal transcripts caused by gene variations and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, respectively; ⅴ) abnormal alternative splicing correlated with male infertility. Taking together, this review highlights the impacts of alternative splicing and splicing variants in mammal spermatogenesis and provides new insights of the potential application of the alternative splicing into the therapy of male infertility.

中文翻译：

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前mRNA选择性剪接在哺乳动物精子发生中的功能。

替代性的mRNA前剪接在许多发育过程（例如精子发生）中起作用的基因表达的共转录和转录后调节中起着重要作用。侧重于精子发生的选择性剪接的研究支持以下观点：睾丸的发育受比其他组织更高水平的选择性剪接所调节。在这里，我们旨在审查替代剪接的机制，特别是在精子发生和男性不育过程中起作用的剪接变体。关于替代剪接有五个要点，包括：ⅰ）替代性前mRNA剪接的简要介绍；ⅱ）在精子发生不同阶段富集的与精子发生相关的基因中的选择性剪接事件；ⅲ）选择性剪接调控的机制，例如剪接因子和m6A去甲基化；ⅳ）剪接位点识别和选择性剪接，包括分别由基因变异和无义介导的mRNA衰变引起的异常转录产物的产生和降解；ⅴ）异常的选择性剪接与男性不育有关。综上所述，本综述重点介绍了选择性剪接和剪接变异体在哺乳动物精子发生中的作用，并为替代剪接在男性不育症治疗中的潜在应用提供了新的见解。分别; ⅴ）异常的选择性剪接与男性不育有关。综上所述，本综述重点介绍了选择性剪接和剪接变异体在哺乳动物精子发生中的作用，并为替代剪接在男性不育症治疗中的潜在应用提供了新的见解。分别; ⅴ）异常的选择性剪接与男性不育有关。综上所述，本综述着重介绍了选择性剪接和剪接变异体在哺乳动物精子发生中的作用，并为替代剪接在男性不育症治疗中的潜在应用提供了新见解。