Paternal environmental exposures and gene expression during spermatogenesis: research review to research framework.

The primary objective is to review Dioxin toxicity, the potential impact on spermatogenesis, what is known and unknown about paternal exposures, and the potential mechanisms whereby paternal preconception exposures result in neural tube defects (NTD). The secondary goal is to suggest a versatile research framework utilizing gene expression microarray to evaluate the impact of acute, intermittent, and chronic paternal exposures to environmental agents on gene expression during the stages of spermatogenesis. There are multiple barriers to establishing a paradigm whereby paternal environmental exposures result in adverse birth outcomes. Microarray expression studies are unique in their ability to detect transcription dysregulation, thereby facilitating the identification of molecular and developmental pathways through hierarchical and pathway analysis. To date there are no studies of gene expression during spermatogenesis following exposure to environmental agents.