Abstract: There are about 1%-2% genomic DNAs encoding proteins in the human genome, and the coding products of the remaining 98% genomic DNAs are called noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). NcRNAs play roles in many life activities including spermatogenesis. NcRNAs can regulate the gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, in which ncRNAs participate in physiological and pathological processes such as gene imprinting, apoptosis, tumorigenesis and epigenetic modification. Spermatogenesis undergoes a long and complex change, from spermatogonial stem cells(SSC) to spermatozoa, which is regulated by multiple hormones and transcription factors. It has been found that ncRNAs also play some roles in spermatogenesis. NcRNAs can regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of SSC and participate in meiosis and other processes. NcRNAs are also expressed in spermatozoa. In this review, three kinds of ncRNAs and their effects in different stages of spermatogenesis were summarized.

Key words: Spermatogenisis, RNA, RNA, untranslated, MicroRNAs, Long noncoding RNA, PiRNA