Roles of Androgen Receptor in Male and Female Reproduction: Lessons From Global and Cell-Specific Androgen Receptor Knockout (ARKO) Mice

The androgen receptor (AR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a ligand-dependent transcription factor involved in regulating expression of an array of androgen-responsive genes. AR-mediated androgen actions play the important roles in male and female reproductive development and function. AR mutations can cause a diverse range of diseases, such as testicular feminization mutation (Tfm) syndrome, prostate cancer, and Kennedy's disease. However, because of a lack of genetic models, the molecular mechanisms involved in the physiological and pathological effects of androgen AR function in male and female reproductive health remains largely unknown. To get a better insight into the molecular working mechanisms of the AR, a global and several cell-specific conditional knockout mouse models have been developed. These models are reviewed here, and the phenotypes of the different cell-specific androgen receptor knockout (ARKO) mice are compared with those of the global ARKO mice.