Androgen receptor binding sites identified in mouse testis

Androgen/androgen receptor （AR） signaling plays decisive roles in testicular spermatogenesis [ 1 ]. However, the under- lying molecular mechanism of androgen and AR regulation （i.e. the genes that are regulated and their functions） remains largely undefined. Microarray analysis combined with an- drogen treatment or AR knockout animal models has iden- tified androgen-dependent genes in mouse testis [2,3]. However, this approach does not distinguish direct and indirect targets of androgen/AR. Until now, only a few AR-binding sites containing androgen responsive elements （AREs） located within the promoter regions of androgen re- sponsive genes in testis have these genes are direct targets been reported,