Epileptic encephalopathy as a new feature of the sudden infant death with dysgenesis of the testes syndrome caused by TSPYL1 variants

TSPYL1 as a Critical Regulator of TGFβ Signaling through Repression of TGFBR1 and TSPYL2

Nucleosome assembly proteins (NAPs) have been identified as histone chaperons. Testis-Specific Protein, Y-Encoded-Like (TSPYL) is a newly arisen NAP family in mammals. TSPYL2 can be transcriptionally induced by DNA damage and TGFβ causing proliferation arrest. TSPYL1, another TSPYL family member, has been poorly characterized and is the only TSPYL family member known to be causal of a lethal recessive disease in humans. This study shows that TSPYL1 and TSPYL2 play an opposite role in TGFβ signaling. TSPYL1 partners with the transcription factor FOXA1 and histone methyltransferase EZH2, and at the same time represses TGFBR1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Depletion of TSPYL1 increases TGFBR1 expression, upregulates TGFβ signaling, and elevates the protein stability of TSPYL2. Intriguingly, TSPYL2 forms part of the SMAD2/3/4 signal transduction complex upon stimulation by TGFβ to execute the transcriptional responses. Depletion of TSPYL2 rescues the EMT phenotype of TSPYL1 knockdown in A549 lung carcinoma cells. The data demonstrates the prime role of TSPYL2 in causing the dramatic defects in TSPYL1 deficiency. An intricate counter-balancing role of TSPYL1 and TSPYL2 in regulating TGFβ signaling is also unraveled.

Using Selenium-enriched Mutated Probiotics as Enhancer for Fertility Parameters in Mice

Increasing fertility rates have become one of the factors that concern all people in the world. Therefore, the study aims to use two mutated strains of probiotics enriched with selenium (PSe40/60/1 and BSe50/20/1) to improve fertility. Thirty Swiss albino male mice were divided into three groups; control, LP + S was given Lactobacillus plantarum PSe40/60/1 plus selenium, and BL + S was given Bifidobacterium longum BSe50/20/1 plus selenium. Free testosterone, LH, and FSH were measured in serum by biochemical analysis. Testicular tissues were examined by histopathological analysis. The count and motility of sperm, and sperm abnormalities were determined by microscopic examination. The method of qRT-PCR was used to detect gene expression of Tspyl1, Hsd3b6, and Star genes. The biochemical results showed that serum content of free testosterone (FT) hormone had significantly increase in the BL + S and LP + S groups compared with control. Levels of LH and FSH hormones were the highest in the BL + S group. The treated groups showed all developmental stages of spermatogenesis, including spermatogenesis, spermatocytes, and seminiferous tubule spermatids, as well as intact Sertoli cells and Leydig cells without changes. When compared to the control group, sperm count and motility increased in the BL + S group, while sperm abnormalities decreased. The expression of Tspyl1 gene in testicular tissues decreased in the LP + S and BL + S groups, while the expression of Star and Hsd3b6 genes was higher in the BL + S group and lower in the LP + S group compared with the control group. Therefore, Bifidobacterium longum BSe50/20/1 enriched with selenium could be useful in enhancing male fertility.