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Obermeier M, Vadolas J, Verhulst S, Goossens E, Baert Y. Lipofection of Non-integrative CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins in Male Germline Stem Cells: A Simple and Effective Knockout Tool for Germline Genome Engineering. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:891173. [PMID: 35774227 PMCID: PMC9237505 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.891173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene editing in male germline stem (GS) cells is a potent tool to study spermatogenesis and to create transgenic mice. Various engineered nucleases already demonstrated the ability to modify the genome of GS cells. However, current systems are limited by technical complexity diminishing application options. To establish an easier method to mediate gene editing, we tested the lipofection of site-specific Cas9:gRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes to knockout the enhanced green fluorescent protein (Egfp) in mouse EGFP-GS cells via non-homologous end joining. To monitor whether gene conversion through homology-directed repair events occurred, single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides were co-lipofected to deliver a Bfp donor sequence. Results showed Egfp knockout in up to 22% of GS cells, which retained their undifferentiated status following transfection, while only less than 0.7% EGFP to BFP conversion was detected in gated GS cells. These data show that CRISPR/Cas9 RNP-based lipofection is a promising system to simply and effectively knock out genes in mouse GS cells. Understanding the genes involved in spermatogenesis could expand therapeutic opportunities for men suffering from infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella Obermeier
- Biology of the Testis Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jim Vadolas
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Stefaan Verhulst
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ellen Goossens
- Biology of the Testis Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yoni Baert
- Biology of the Testis Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Yoni Baert,
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Azizi H, Niazi Tabar A, Skutella T, Govahi M. In Vitro and In Vivo Determinations of The Anti-GDNF Family Receptor Alpha 1 Antibody in Mice by Immunochemistry and RT-PCR. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FERTILITY & STERILITY 2020; 14:228-233. [PMID: 33098391 PMCID: PMC7604702 DOI: 10.22074/ijfs.2020.6051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Background The glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family plays essential roles in the maintenance, growth, regulatory and signalling pathways of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). In this study, we analysed the expression of anti-GDNF family receptor alpha 1 antibody (GFRa1) by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunocytochemistry (ICC), Fluidigm real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry analyses. Materials and Methods In this experiment study, ICC, IHC, Fluidigm RT-PCR and flow cytometry were used to analyse the expression of the germ cell marker GFRa1 in testis tissue and SSC culture. Results IHC analysis showed that there were two groups of GFRa1 positive cells in the seminiferous tubules based on their location and expression shape - a small round punctuated shape on the basal compartment donut shape and a C-shaped expression located between the basal and the luminal compartments of the seminiferous tubules. OCT4 and PLZF positive cells may have similar patterns of expression as the first group. Assessment of the seminiferous tubule sections demonstrated that about 27% of the SSCs were positive for GFRa1. Fluidigm RT-PCR confirmed the significant expression (P<0.001) of GFRa1 in the SSCs compared to testicular stromal cells (TSCs). Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that about 75% of the isolated SSCs colonies were positive for GFRa1. Conclusion The results indicated that GFRa1 had a specific expression pattern both in vivo and in vitro. This finding could be helpful for understanding the proliferation, maintenance and signalling pathways of SSCs, and differentiation of meiotic and haploid germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Azizi
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran. Electronic Address:
| | - Amirreza Niazi Tabar
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran
| | - Thomas Skutella
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mostafa Govahi
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran
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Germ cell depletion in recipient testis has adverse effects on spermatogenesis in orthotopically transplanted testis pieces via retinoic acid insufficiency. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10796. [PMID: 32612133 PMCID: PMC7330030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67595-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Germ cell depletion in recipient testes is indispensable for successful transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells. However, we found that such treatment had an adverse effect on spermatogenesis of orthotopically transplanted donor testis tissues. In the donor tissue, the frequency of stimulated by retinoic acid (RA) 8 (STRA8) expression was reduced in germ cells, suggesting that RA signalling indispensable for spermatogenesis was attenuated in germ cell-depleted recipient testes. In this context, germ cell depletion diminished expression of testicular Aldh1a2, which is responsible for testicular RA synthesis, while Cyp26b1, which is responsible for testicular RA metabolism, was still expressed even after germ cell depletion, suggesting an alteration of the RA synthesis/metabolism ratio. These observations suggested that RA insufficiency was one of the causes of the defective donor spermatogenesis. Indeed, repetitive RA administrations significantly improved donor spermatogenesis to produce fertile offspring without any side effects. These findings may contribute to improving fertility preservation techniques for males, especially to prevent iatrogenic infertility induced by chemotherapy in prepubertal cancer patients.
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Ghanbari E, Khazaei M, Ghahremani-Nasab M, Mehdizadeh A, Yousefi M. Novel therapeutic approaches of tissue engineering in male infertility. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 380:31-42. [PMID: 32043209 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03178-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Male reproductive organ plays an important role in sperm production, maintenance and entry to the female reproductive tract, as well as generation and secretion of male sex hormones responsible for the health of male reproductive system. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the experimental and clinical evidence on the utilization of tissue engineering techniques in treating male infertility. Tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine have developed new approaches to treat patients with reproductive disorders such as iatrogenic injuries, congenital abnormalities, and trauma. In some cases, including congenital defects and undescended testis or hypogonadism, the sperm samples are not retrieved. This makes TE a possible future strategy for restoration of male fertility. Here, we have summarized the recent advances in experimental and clinical application of cell-, tissue-, and organ-based regenerative medicine in male reproductive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Ghanbari
- Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mozafar Khazaei
- Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | | | - Amir Mehdizadeh
- Endocrine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Comprehensive Health Laboratory, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Yousefi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. .,Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. .,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Sharma S, Wistuba J, Neuhaus N, Schlatt S. Reply: Pluripotent very small embryonic-like stem cells co-exist along with spermatogonial stem cells in adult mammalian testis. Hum Reprod Update 2019; 26:138. [DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Swati Sharma
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1, Building D11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Joachim Wistuba
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1, Building D11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Nina Neuhaus
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1, Building D11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan Schlatt
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1, Building D11, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Wang J, Xue X, Fan K, Liu Q, Zhang S, Peng M, Zhou J, Cao Z. Moderate hypoxia modulates ABCG2 to promote the proliferation of mouse spermatogonial stem cells by maintaining mild ROS levels. Theriogenology 2019; 145:149-157. [PMID: 31733931 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different oxygen (O2) concentrations on the growth of mouse spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and the possible mechanisms of cell proliferation in vitro. The SSCs from testicular cells were cultured in various O2 concentrations (1%, 2.5%, 5%, and 20% O2) for 7 days. Colonies of SSCs were identified morphologically and by immunofluorescence. The number of mouse SSC colonies and the area covered by them were measured. Cell cycle progression of the SSCs was analyzed to identify the state of cell proliferation. The effects of O2 concentrations on the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) were also analyzed in the SSCs. Following culturing for 7 days, the SSCs were treated with Ko143 (a specific inhibitor of ABCG2) for 1 h, and the ROS level and expression of bcl-2, bax, and p53 were analyzed. The results showed that mouse SSCs formed compact colonies and had unclear borders in different O2 concentrations for 7 days, and there were no major morphologic differences between the O2 treatment groups. The expression of the SSC marker, GFR α1 was studied in each O2 treatment group. The number and area of SSC colonies, and the number of GFR α1 positive cells were the highest in the 2.5% O2 treatment group. Compared with other O2 concentrations, the number of cells in G0 cycle was significantly higher, while the level of intracellular ROS was lower at 1% O2. Moreover, the intracellular ROS levels gradually increased with increasing O2 concentration from 1% to 20%. The expression of ABCG2 in the SSCs cultured at 2.5% O2 was higher than in the other O2 groups. Inhibition of ABCG2 increased intracellular ROS generation, and the expression of the pro-apoptotic genes bax and p53, and decreased the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2. In conclusion, moderate to low O2 tension increases ABCG2 expression to maintain mild ROS levels, triggers the expression of the anti-apoptotic genes, suppresses the proapoptotic gene pathway, and further promotes the proliferation of mouse SSCs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhua Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry, Genetical Resource Conservation and Breeding in Anhui Provincial, Hefei, China; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control in Anhui Provincial, Hefei, China.
| | - Xiuheng Xue
- College of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China.
| | - Kai Fan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Qi Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Suzi Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Mengling Peng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control in Anhui Provincial, Hefei, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control in Anhui Provincial, Hefei, China
| | - Zubing Cao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry, Genetical Resource Conservation and Breeding in Anhui Provincial, Hefei, China
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