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The elusive MAESTRO gene: Its human reproductive tissue-specific expression pattern. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174873. [PMID: 28406912 PMCID: PMC5391009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The encoded transcript of the Maestro—Male-specific Transcription in the developing Reproductive Organs (MRO) gene exhibits sexual dimorphic expression during murine gonadal development. The gene has no homology to any known gene and its expression pattern, protein function or structure are still unknown. Previously, studying gene expression in human ovarian cumulus cells, we found increased expression of MRO in lean-type Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) subjects, as compared to controls. In this study, we examined the MRO splice variants and protein expression pattern in various human tissues and cells. We found a differential expression pattern of the MRO 5’-UTR region in luteinized granulosa-cumulus cells and in testicular tissues as compared to non-gonadal tissues. Our study also shows a punctate nuclear expression pattern and disperse cytoplasmic expression pattern of the MRO protein in human granulosa-cumulus cells and in testicular germ cells, which was later validated by western blotting. The tentative and unique features of the protein hampered our efforts to gain more insight about this elusive protein. A better understanding of the tissue-specific MRO isoforms expression patterns and the unique structure of the protein may provide important insights into the function of this gene and possibly to the pathophysiology of PCOS.
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Samans B, Yang Y, Krebs S, Sarode GV, Blum H, Reichenbach M, Wolf E, Steger K, Dansranjavin T, Schagdarsurengin U. Uniformity of nucleosome preservation pattern in Mammalian sperm and its connection to repetitive DNA elements. Dev Cell 2014; 30:23-35. [PMID: 24998597 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nucleosome-to-protamine exchange during mammalian spermiogenesis is essential for compaction and protection of paternal DNA. It is interesting that, depending on the species, 1% to 15% of nucleosomes are retained, but the generalizability and biological function of this retention are unknown. Here, we show concordantly in human and bovine that nucleosomes remained in sperm chromatin predominantly within distal intergenic regions and introns and associated with centromere repeats and retrotransposons (LINE1 and SINEs). In contrast, nucleosome depletion concerned particularly exons, 5'-UTR, 3'-UTR, TSS, and TTS and was associated with simple and low-complexity repeats. Overlap of human and bovine genes exhibiting nucleosome preservation in the promoter and gene body revealed a significant enrichment of signal transduction and RNA- and protein-processing factors. Our study demonstrates the genome-wide uniformity of the nucleosome preservation pattern in mammalian sperm and its connection to repetitive DNA elements and suggests a function in preimplantation processes for paternally derived nucleosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Samans
- Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, IFZ, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Yang Yang
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Department of Molecular Andrology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gaurav Vilas Sarode
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Department of Molecular Andrology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Myriam Reichenbach
- Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Eckhard Wolf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Klaus Steger
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Department of Molecular Andrology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Temuujin Dansranjavin
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Department of Molecular Andrology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Undraga Schagdarsurengin
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Department of Molecular Andrology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
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