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Yu M, Wang F, Li M, Wang Y, Gao X, Zhang H, Liu Z, Zhou Z, Zhao D, Zhang M, Wang L, Jiang H, Qiao Z. Characteristics of the Vasa Gene in Silurus asotus and Its Expression Response to Letrozole Treatment. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:756. [PMID: 38927693 PMCID: PMC11202796 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification and expression of germ cells are important for studying sex-related mechanisms in fish. The vasa gene, encoding an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, is recognized as a molecular marker of germ cells and plays a crucial role in germ cell development. Silurus asotus, an important freshwater economic fish species in China, shows significant sex dimorphism with the female growing faster than the male. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these sex differences especially involving in the vasa gene in this fish remain poorly understood. In this work, the vasa gene sequence of S. asotus (named as Savasa) was obtained through RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE), and its expression in embryos and tissues was analyzed using qRT-PCR and an in situ hybridization method. Letrozole (LT) treatment on the larvae fish was also conducted to investigate its influence on the gene. The results revealed that the open reading frame (ORF) of Savasa was 1989 bp, encoding 662 amino acids. The SaVasa protein contains 10 conserved domains unique to the DEAD-box protein family, showing the highest sequence identity of 95.92% with that of Silurus meridionalis. In embryos, Savasa is highly expressed from the two-cell stage to the blastula stage in early embryos, with a gradually decreasing trend from the gastrula stage to the heart-beating stage. Furthermore, Savasa was initially detected at the end of the cleavage furrow during the two-cell stage, later condensing into four symmetrical cell clusters with embryonic development. At the gastrula stage, Savasa-positive cells increased and began to migrate towards the dorsal side of the embryo. In tissues, Savasa is predominantly expressed in the ovaries, with almost no or lower expression in other detected tissues. Moreover, Savasa was expressed in phase I-V oocytes in the ovaries, as well as in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in the testis, implying a specific expression pattern of germ cells. In addition, LT significantly upregulated the expression of Savasa in a concentration-dependent manner during the key gonadal differentiation period of the fish. Notably, at 120 dph after LT treatment, Savasa expression was the lowest in the testis and ovary of the high concentration group. Collectively, findings from gene structure, protein sequence, phylogenetic analysis, RNA expression patterns, and response to LT suggest that Savasa is maternally inherited with conserved features, serving as a potential marker gene for germ cells in S.asotus, and might participate in LT-induced early embryonic development and gonadal development processes of the fish. This would provide a basis for further research on the application of germ cell markers and the molecular mechanisms of sex differences in S. asotus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yu
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Fangyuan Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Muzi Li
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Yuan Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Xiangzhe Gao
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Hanhan Zhang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Zhenzhu Liu
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Zhicheng Zhou
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Daoquan Zhao
- Yiluo River Aquatic Biology Field Scientific Observation and Research Station in the Yellow River Basin of Henan Province, Lushi, Sanmenxia City 472200, China;
| | - Meng Zhang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Hongxia Jiang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
| | - Zhigang Qiao
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Henan Province for Aquatic Animal Cultivation, Observation and Research Station on Water Ecosystem in Danjiangkou Reservoir of Henan Province, College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China; (F.W.); (M.L.); (Y.W.); (X.G.); (H.Z.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.); (M.Z.); (L.W.); (H.J.); (Z.Q.)
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Abstract
Primordial germ cells are the progenitor cells that give rise to the gametes. In some animals, the germline is induced by zygotic transcription factors, whereas in others, primordial germ cell specification occurs via inheritance of maternally provided gene products known as germ plasm. Once specified, the primordial germ cells of some animals must acquire motility and migrate to the gonad in order to survive. In all animals examined, perinuclear structures called germ granules form within germ cells. This review focuses on some of the recent studies, conducted by several groups using diverse systems, from invertebrates to vertebrates, which have provided mechanistic insight into the molecular regulation of germ cell specification and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Marlow
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
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Castañeda J, Genzor P, van der Heijden GW, Sarkeshik A, Yates JR, Ingolia NT, Bortvin A. Reduced pachytene piRNAs and translation underlie spermiogenic arrest in Maelstrom mutant mice. EMBO J 2014; 33:1999-2019. [PMID: 25063675 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201386855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Pachytene piRNAs are a class of Piwi-interacting small RNAs abundant in spermatids of the adult mouse testis. They are processed from piRNA primary transcripts by a poorly understood mechanism and, unlike fetal transposon-derived piRNAs, lack complementary targets in the spermatid transcriptome. We report that immunopurified complexes of a conserved piRNA pathway protein Maelstrom (MAEL) are enriched in MIWI (Piwi partner of pachytene piRNAs), Tudor-domain proteins and processing intermediates of pachytene piRNA primary transcripts. We provide evidence of functional significance of these complexes in Mael129 knockout mice that exhibit spermiogenic arrest with acrosome and flagellum malformation. Mael129-null mutant testes possess low levels of piRNAs derived from MAEL-associated piRNA precursors and exhibit reduced translation of numerous spermiogenic mRNAs including those encoding acrosome and flagellum proteins. These translation defects in haploid round spermatids are likely indirect, as neither MAEL nor piRNA precursors associate with polyribosomes, and they may arise from an imbalance between pachytene piRNAs and MIWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Castañeda
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pavol Genzor
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Ali Sarkeshik
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas T Ingolia
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alex Bortvin
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Bortvin A. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) - a mouse testis perspective. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2014; 78:592-602. [PMID: 23980886 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297913060059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have emerged as the most intriguing class of small RNAs. Almost every aspect of piRNA biology defies established rules of the RNA interference world while the scope of piRNA functional potential spans from transcriptional gene silencing to genome defense to transgenerational epigenetic phenomena. This review will focus on the genomic origins, biogenesis, and function of piRNAs in the mouse testis - an exceptionally robust experimental system amenable to genetic, cell-biological, molecular, and biochemical studies. Aided and frequently guided by knowledge obtained in insect, worm, and fish germ cells, mouse spermatogenesis has emerged as the primary model in understanding the role of this conserved pathway in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bortvin
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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Xiao J, Luo Y, Chen L, Yang L, Huang Y, Guo Z, Guo E, Tang Z, Zhang M, Gan X. Molecular cloning of vasa gene and the effects of LHRH-A on its expression in blue tilapia Oreochromis aureus. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2013; 39:931-940. [PMID: 23224831 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-012-9752-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The full length of vasa cDNA in blue tilapia Oreochromis aureus was cloned and sequenced using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the cDNA contained 2,143 bp and was consisted of a 48-bp 5' untranslated terminal region (5'-UTR), a 157-bp 3' untranslated terminal region (3'-UTR) and a 1,938-bp open reading frame (ORF) which encoded 645 amino acids. Homological protein analysis showed that vasa in O. aureus was highly conserved with Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Tissue distribution expression analysis indicated that vasa was specifically expressed in the gonads. Using in situ hybridization, we found that vasa was expressed in spermatogonia and spermatocytes rather than spermatids and sperm. In order to examine the influence of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog (LHRH-A) on vasa, the in vivo injections were performed different concentrations of LHRH-A. Our results showed that LHRH-A induced meiosis and down-regulated vasa mRNA expression. In summary, our results showed that vasa was specifically expressed in gonads and LHRH-A inhibited vasa expression in the testis. Our results also suggested that LHRH-A could regulate vasa gene expression in O. aureus testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Animal Reproduction Institute, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
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Sagawa K, Yamagata H, Shiga Y. Exploring embryonic germ line development in the water flea, Daphnia magna, by zinc-finger-containing VASA as a marker. Gene Expr Patterns 2005; 5:669-78. [PMID: 15939379 DOI: 10.1016/j.modgep.2005.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2004] [Revised: 02/25/2005] [Accepted: 02/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
VASA is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase belonging to the DEAD-box family that, in many organisms, is specifically expressed in germ line cells throughout the life cycle, making it a powerful molecular marker to study germ line development. To obtain further information on germ line development in crustaceans, we cloned VASA cDNAs from three branchiopod species: water fleas Daphnia magna and Moina macrocopa, and brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. RNA helicase domains in branchiopod VASA were highly conserved among arthropod classes. However, N-terminal RNA-binding domains in branchiopod VASA were highly diverged and, unlike other arthropod VASA reported so far, possessed repeats of retroviral-type zinc finger (CCHC) motifs. Raising specific antibodies against Daphnia VASA revealed that the primordial germ cells (PGCs) in this organism segregate at a very early cleavage stage of embryogenesis in parthenogenetic and sexual eggs. Clusters of PGCs then start to migrate inside the embryo and finally settle at both sides of the intestine, the site of future gonad development. RNA analyses suggested that maternally supplied vasa mRNA was responsible for early VASA expression, while zygotic expression started during blastodermal stage of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunori Sagawa
- School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Hachioji, Japan
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Castrillon DH, Quade BJ, Wang TY, Quigley C, Crum CP. The human VASA gene is specifically expressed in the germ cell lineage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2000; 97:9585-90. [PMID: 10920202 PMCID: PMC16908 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.160274797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 424] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the origins and function of the human germ cell lineage and to identify germ cell-specific markers we have isolated a human ortholog of the Drosophila gene vasa. The gene was mapped to human chromosome 5q (near the centromere) by radiation hybrid mapping. We show by Northern analysis of fetal and adult tissues that expression of the human VASA gene is restricted to the ovary and testis and is undetectable in somatic tissues. We generated polyclonal antibodies that bind to the VASA protein in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and characterized VASA protein expression in human germ cells at various stages of development. The VASA protein is cytoplasmic and expressed in migratory primordial germ cells in the region of the gonadal ridge. VASA protein is present in fetal and adult gonadal germ cells in both males and females and is most abundant in spermatocytes and mature oocytes. The gene we have isolated is thus a highly specific marker of germ cells and should be useful for studies of human germ cell determination and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- D H Castrillon
- Women's and Perinatal Pathology Division, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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