PRSS37 deficiency leads to impaired energy metabolism in testis and sperm revealed by DIA-based quantitative proteomic analysis

HLA-DQB1 as a potential prognostic biomarker of hormonal therapy in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia

The gonadotropin treatment of infertile men may improve spermatogenesis and lead to sperm cell production, however, only a small fraction of treated patients positively responds to such therapy. To identify individual treatment prognostic biomarkers associated with responsiveness to gonadotropins, we compared the gene expression profiles of testicular oligobiopsies from 3 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) who positively responded to therapy with a combination of human chorionic gonadotropin and recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (hCG/rFSH) to those of 3 non-responders. We used Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST microarrays. The results of the microarray evaluation were validated by the qPCR technique while gene variants of the HLA-DQB1 (major histocompatibility complex, class II, DQ beta 1) were subsequently sequenced. In our microarrays, we have identified most significantly 5 transcripts with different expression levels in responders versus non-responders groups. Our interest has been primarily focused on the transcript associated with the HLA-DQB1 gene. Because the expression of this gene was up-regulated in the non-responding patients and only patients with heterozygotic alleles of HLA-DQB1 turned out to be positive to gonadotropin therapy, we suggest that this gene may be a biomarker of potential significance for the gonadotropin treatment of male infertility. We also compared the testicular gene expression profile in one individual before and after gonadotropin treatment. In the re-biopsied sample, we have identified over 600 genes that showed differences in testicular expression; some of these genes are critical for spermiogenesis. Thus, we documented that the applied gonadotropins successfully stimulated the spermatogenetic wave in patients with NOA.

Exploring the role of the ovary-serine protease gene in the female fertility of the diamondback moth using CRISPR/Cas9

BACKGROUND

Oogenesis is a complex pathway necessary for proper female reproduction in insects. Ovary-serine protease (Osp) is a homologous gene of serine protease Nudel (SpNudel) and plays an essential role in the oogenesis and ovary development of Drosophila melanogaster. However, the function of Osp is not determined in Plutella xylostella, a highly destructive pest of cruciferous crops.

RESULTS

The PxOsp gene comprises a 5883-bp open-reading frame that encodes a protein consisting of 1994 amino acids, which contain four conserved domains. PxOsp exhibited a high relative expression in adult females with a specific expression in the ovary. Through the utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, homozygous mutants of PxOsp were generated. These homozygous mutant females produced fewer eggs (average of 56 eggs/female) than wild-type (WT) females (average of 97 eggs/female) when crossed with WT males, and these eggs failed to hatch. Conversely, mutant males produced normal progeny when crossed with WT females. The ovarioles in homozygous mutant females were significantly shorter (5.02 mm in length) and contained fewer eggs (average of 3 eggs/ovariole) than WT ovarioles (8.09 mm in length with an average of 8 eggs/ovariole). Moreover, eggs laid by homozygous mutant females were fragile, with irregular shapes, and were unable to maintain structural integrity due to eggshell ruptures. However, no significant differences were observed between WT and mutant individuals regarding developmental duration, pupal weight, and mating behavior.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggesteds that PxOsp plays a vital role in female reproduction, particularly in ovary and egg development. Disrupting PxOsp results in recessive female sterility while leaving the male reproductive capability unaffected. This report represents the first study of a haplosufficient gene responsible for female fertility in lepidopteran insects. Additionally, these findings emphasize PxOsp as a potential target for genetically-based pest management of P. xylostella. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Two-Dye Versus Three-Dye DIGE for Comparative Testis Tissue Proteomic Analysis

The global analysis of the proteome is an important tool in cell biology. Comparative proteomic evaluations can identify and compare the composition, dynamics, and modifications between different samples. Comparing tissue proteomes under different conditions is crucial for advancing the biomedical field. Fluorescence two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) is a sensitive and robust biochemical method that can compare multiple protein samples over a broad dynamic range on the same analytical gel and can be used to establish differentially expressed protein profiles between different sample groups. 2D-DIGE involves fluorescently labeling protein samples with CyDye flours, via a two-dye or a three-dye system, pre-separation by isoelectric point, and molecular weight. DIGE circumvents gel-to-gel variability by multiplexing samples to a single gel and through the use of a pooled internal standard for normalization, thus enabling accurate high-resolution analysis of differences in protein abundance between samples. This chapter discusses 2D-DIGE as a comparative tissue proteomic technique and describes in detail the experimental steps required for comparative proteomic analysis employing both options of two-dye and three-dye DIGE minimal labeling.