Differential expression of sex-linked and autosomal germ-cell-specific genes during spermatogenesis in the mouse

Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation

X chromosome inactivation is most commonly studied in the context of female mammalian development, where it performs an essential role in dosage compensation. However, another form of X-inactivation takes place in the male, during spermatogenesis, as germ cells enter meiosis. This second form of X-inactivation, called meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) has emerged as a novel paradigm for studying the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. New studies have revealed that MSCI is a special example of a more general mechanism called meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin (MSUC), which silences chromosomes that fail to pair with their homologous partners and, in doing so, may protect against aneuploidy in subsequent generations. Furthermore, failure in MSCI is emerging as an important etiological factor in meiotic sterility.

Abnormal sperm in mice lacking the Taf7l gene

TFIID is a general transcription factor required for transcription of most protein-coding genes by RNA polymerase II. TAF7L is an X-linked germ cell-specific paralogue of TAF7, which is a generally expressed component of TFIID. Here, we report the generation of Taf7l mutant mice by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells by using the Cre-loxP strategy. While spermatogenesis was completed in Taf7l(-/Y) mice, the weight of Taf7l(-/Y) testis decreased and the amount of sperm in the epididymides was sharply reduced. Mutant epididymal sperm exhibited abnormal morphology, including folded tails. Sperm motility was significantly reduced, and Taf7l(-/Y) males were fertile with reduced litter size. Microarray profiling revealed that the abundance of six gene transcripts (including Fscn1) in Taf7l(-/Y) testes decreased more than twofold. In particular, FSCN1 is an F-action-bundling protein and thus may be critical for normal sperm morphology and sperm motility. Although deficiency of Taf7l may be compensated in part by Taf7, Taf7l has apparently evolved new specialized functions in the gene-selective transcription in male germ cell differentiation. Our mouse studies suggest that mutations in the human TAF7L gene might be implicated in X-linked oligozoospermia in men.

Utp14b: a unique retrogene within a gene that has acquired multiple promoters and a specific function in spermatogenesis

The mouse retrogene Utp14b is essential for male fertility, and a mutation in its sequence results in the sterile juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd) phenotype. It is a retrotransposed copy of the Utp14a gene, which is located on the X chromosome, and is inserted within an intron of the autosomal acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3 (Acsl3) gene. To elucidate the roles of the Utp14 genes in normal spermatogenic cell development as a basis for understanding the defects that result in the jsd phenotype, we analyzed the various mRNAs produced from the Utp14b retrogene and their expression in different cell types. Two classes of transcripts were identified: variant 1, a transcript driven by the host gene promoter, that is predominantly found in germ cells but is ubiquitously expressed at low levels; and variants 2-5, a group of alternatively spliced transcripts containing some unique untranslated exons that are transcribed from a novel promoter that is germ-cell-specific. Utp14b (predominantly variant 1) is expressed at moderately high levels in pachytene spermatocytes, the developmental stage at which the expression of the X-linked Utp14a is suppressed. The levels of both classes of Utp14b transcripts were highest in round spermatids despite the transcription of Utp14a in these cells. We propose that when Utp14b initially inserted into Acsl3, it utilized the Acsl3 promoter to drive expression in pachytene spermatocytes to compensate for inactivation of Utp14a expression. The novel cell-type-specific promoter for Utp14b likely evolved later, as the protein may have acquired a germ cell-specific function in spermatid development.

Alterations of the USP26 gene in Caucasian men

The Ubiquitin Specific Protease 26 gene is a testis-specific gene that is located on the X chromosome. Sequence variants of this gene were previously reported in men with azoospermia caused by defects at the level of spermatogenesis. Especially a cluster of three changes (c.370_371insACA, c.494T>C and c.1423C>T) was frequently observed. To further define the role of this cluster of sequence variants in the USP26 gene, we have now analysed 202 control samples and 146 patients of Caucasian origin with cryptozoospermia or oligozoospermia. The detection method was based on a restriction reaction, by which the change c.494T>C can be detected. In none of the patients, the change c.494T>C was observed. Only in one man with normal spermatogenesis this sequence variant was detected. Sequencing can confirm the presence of the three changes of the USP26 gene. These data indicate that the cluster of changes is not restricted to men with severe testicular dysfunction.

Male Fertility and Sex Ratio at Birth in Red Deer

Efforts to test sex ratio theory have focused mostly on females. However, when males possess traits that could enhance the reproductive success of sons, males would also benefit from the manipulation of the offspring sex ratio. We tested the prediction that more-fertile red deer males produce more sons. Our findings reveal that male fertility is positively related to the proportion of male offspring. We also show that there is a positive correlation between the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa (a main determinant of male fertility) and the proportion of male offspring. Thus, males may contribute significantly to biases in sex ratio at birth among mammals, creating the potential for conflicts of interest between males and females.

Retrogene movement within- and between-chromosomes in the evolution of Drosophila genomes

Recent genomic analyses in Drosophila and mammals of inter-chromosomal retroposition have revealed that during evolution the retroposed genes that show male-biased expression tend to leave the X chromosome and opt for autosomal positions. Such a phenomenon may be a process of general, genomic and evolutionary relevance. It contributed to the unexpected overrepresentation of male-biased genes on the autosomes recently observed in microarray expression experiments. In this paper, we report our genomic analysis of within-chromosomal retroposition in Drosophila melanogaster, and compare it with the previously identified pattern of the between-chromosomal retroposition. We find that a surfeit of autosomal retroposed genes originated from parental genes located on the same chromosome, in contrast to the X chromosome in which only few genes retroposed in cis. Such an autosomal proximity effect implicates a role of the mutation process for retroposition in determining chromosomal locations of autosome-derived retroposed genes. Furthermore, this phenomenon supports the hypothesis that natural selection favors the retroposition of genes out of the X chromosome. Analyses of a large expression database for D. melanogaster genes revealed that the vast majority of the X-derived autosomal retroposed genes had evolved testis expression functions, consistent with other previous genomic analyses.

Dosage compensation in mammals: fine-tuning the expression of the X chromosome

Mammalian females have two X chromosomes and males have only one. This has led to the evolution of special mechanisms of dosage compensation. The inactivation of one X chromosome in females equalizes gene expression between the sexes. This process of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) is a remarkable example of long-range, monoallelic gene silencing and facultative heterochromatin formation, and the questions surrounding it have fascinated biologists for decades. How does the inactivation of more than a thousand genes on one X chromosome take place while the other X chromosome, present in the same nucleus, remains genetically active? What are the underlying mechanisms that trigger the initial differential treatment of the two X chromosomes? How is this differential treatment maintained once it has been established, and how are some genes able to escape the process? Does the mechanism of X inactivation vary between species and even between lineages? In this review, X inactivation is considered in evolutionary terms, and we discuss recent insights into the epigenetic changes and developmental timing of this process. We also review the discovery and possible implications of a second form of dosage compensation in mammals that deals with the unique, potentially haploinsufficient, status of the X chromosome with respect to autosomal gene expression.

Male-biased expression of X-chromosomal DM domain-less Dmrt8 genes in the mouse

The vertebrate DMRT gene family encodes putative transcription factors related to the sexual regulators Doublesex (Drosophila melanogaster) and MAB-3 (Caenorhabditis elegans). They share a highly conserved DNA binding motif, the DM domain. In human and mouse seven DMRT genes (DMRT1-DMRT7) have been analyzed. DMRT8, a gene related to DMRT7, is located on the X chromosome in placental mammals. While DMRT8 is single copy in most mammals, three copies are present in mouse, rat, and rabbit. Despite the loss of the DM domain, DMRT8 genes have been maintained in the mammalian lineage, suggesting a DM domain-independent function. In adult mouse, two Dmrt8 genes are expressed exclusively in testis. Dmrt8.1 mRNA was detected in Sertoli cells by in situ hybridization. In embryos, Dmrt8.2 shows a dynamic expression restricted to male and female gonads and might therefore be involved in sexual development in the mouse.

X-tra! X-tra! News from the mouse X chromosome

X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the phenomenon through which one of the two X chromosomes in female mammals is silenced to achieve dosage compensation with males. XCI is a highly complex, tightly controlled and developmentally regulated process. The mouse undergoes two forms of XCI: imprinted, which occurs in all cells of the preimplantation embryo and in the extraembryonic lineage, and random, which occurs in somatic cells after implantation. This review presents results and hypotheses that have recently been proposed concerning important aspects of both imprinted and random XCI in mice. We focus on how imprinted XCI occurs during preimplantation development, including a brief discussion of the debate as to when silencing initiates. We also discuss regulation of random XCI, focusing on the requirement for Tsix antisense transcription through the Xist locus, on the regulation of Xist chromatin structure by Tsix and on the effect of Tsix regulatory elements on choice and counting. Finally, we review exciting new data revealing that X chromosomes co-localize during random XCI. To conclude, we highlight other aspects of X-linked gene regulation that make it a suitable model for epigenetics at work.

The human X chromosome is enriched for germline genes expressed in premeiotic germ cells of both sexes

The role of X-chromosomal genes in spermatogenesis has been subject to a number of studies in different organisms. Recently, it was proposed that the X chromosome has a predominant role in premeiotic stages of mammalian spermatogenesis. We analyzed the expression of a representative set of 17 X-linked and 48 autosomal germline-restricted genes in different stages of human germ cell development. In accordance with data from other species, we show that the human X chromosome is indeed significantly enriched for genes activated in premeiotic stages of spermatogenesis. In contrast to recent studies, however, we found that expression of these genes is not restricted to spermatogenesis, but is activated in oogenesis as well. Furthermore, we show that activation of this subset of genes merely depends on demethylation of their promoter regions. Moreover, our data suggest that genes activated in premeiotic stages of gametogenesis are sex-indifferent and are regulated by DNA methylation. Gene activation patterns involved in spermatocyte-specific differentiation, in contrast, appear to be initiated not before entry into meiosis and underlie a more complex regulation, presumably involving specific transcription factors and/or chromatin remodeling mechanisms.

Ubl4b, an X-derived retrogene, is specifically expressed in post-meiotic germ cells in mammals

Post-translational modification by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-related proteins plays critical roles in protein degradation and in regulation of essential cellular processes. In mammals, transcription grinds to a halt during late spermiogenesis due to compaction of the spermatid genome, which creates a special need for robust post-transcriptional regulation. Here, we report the finding of a novel mouse ubiquitin-like protein, UBL4B. Ubl4b is a testis-specific autosomal gene. Ubl4b lacks introns and evidently arose from an X-linked intron-bearing housekeeping gene, Ubl4a, by retroposition during mammalian evolution. While Ubl4a is expressed throughout spermatogenesis, Ubl4b is restricted to post-meiotic germ cells. Ubl4a is highly conserved, but Ubl4b has undergone rapid evolution and may have evolved new functions. Our data suggest that evolution of Ubl4b is not due to meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Alternatively, origination of Ubl4b was due to MSCI, but Ubl4b eventually evolved to be restricted to post-meiotic germ cells.

Expression profiling reveals meiotic male germ cell mRNAs that are translationally up- and down-regulated

Gametes rely heavily on posttranscriptional control mechanisms to regulate their differentiation. In eggs, maternal mRNAs are stored and selectively activated during development. In the male, transcription ceases during spermiogenesis, necessitating the posttranscriptional regulation of many paternal mRNAs required for spermatozoan assembly and function. To date, most of the testicular mRNAs known to be translationally regulated are initially transcribed in postmeiotic cells. Because protein synthesis occurs on polysomes and translationally inactive mRNAs are sequestered as ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), movement of mRNAs between these fractions is indicative of translational up- and down-regulation. Here, we use microarrays to analyze mRNAs in RNPs and polysomes from testis extracts of prepuberal and adult mice to characterize the translation state of individual mRNAs as spermatogenesis proceeds. Consistent with published reports, many of the translationally delayed postmeiotic mRNAs shift from the RNPs into the polysomes, establishing the validity of this approach. In addition, we detect another 742 mouse testicular transcripts that show dramatic shifts between RNPs and polysomes. One subgroup of 35 genes containing the known, translationally delayed phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (Pgk2) is initially transcribed during meiosis and is translated in later-stage cells. Another subgroup of 82 meiotically expressed genes is translationally down-regulated late in spermatogenesis. This high-throughput approach defines the changing translation patterns of populations of genes as male germ cells differentiate and identifies groups of meiotic transcripts that are translationally up- and down-regulated.

The dynamics of imprinted X inactivation during preimplantation development in mice

In the mouse, there are two forms of X chromosome inactivation (XCI), random XCI in the fetus and imprinted paternal XCI, which is limited to the extraembryonic tissues. While the mechanism of random XCI has been studied extensively using the in vitro XX ES cell differentiation system, imprinted XCI during early embryonic development has been less well characterized. Recent studies of early embryos have reported unexpected findings for the paternal X chromosome (Xp). Imprinted XCI may not be linked to meiotic silencing in the male germ line but rather to the imprinted status of the Xist gene. Furthermore, the Xp becomes inactivated in all cells of cleavage-stage embryos and then reactivated in the cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) that form the epiblast, where random XCI ensues.