Depletion of SMC5/6 sensitizes male germ cells to DNA damage

The structural maintenance of chromosomes complex SMC5/6 is thought to be essential for DNA repair and chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. To determine the requirements of the SMC5/6 complex during mouse spermatogenesis we combined a conditional knockout allele for , with four germ cell-specific Cre-recombinase transgenes, , , , and , to mutate in spermatogonia, in spermatocytes before meiotic entry, during early meiotic stages, and during midmeiotic stages, respectively. Conditional mutation of resulted in destabilization of the SMC5/6 complex. Despite this, we observed only mild defects in spermatogenesis. Mutation of mediated by and resulted in partial loss of preleptotene spermatocytes; however, spermatogenesis progresses and mice are fertile. Mutation of via or did not result in detectable defects of spermatogenesis. Upon exposure to gamma irradiation or etoposide treatment, each conditional mutant demonstrated an increase in the number of enlarged round spermatids with multiple acrosomes and supernumerary chromosome content. We propose that the SMC5/6 complex is not acutely required for premeiotic DNA replication and meiotic progression during mouse spermatogenesis; however, when germ cells are challenged by exogenous DNA damage, the SMC5/6 complex ensures genome integrity, and thus, fertility.