1
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Kwon YS, Jin SW, Song H. Global analysis of binding sites of U2AF1 and ZRSR2 reveals RNA elements required for mutually exclusive splicing by the U2- and U12-type spliceosome. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1420-1434. [PMID: 38088204 PMCID: PMC10853781 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Recurring mutations in genes encoding 3' splice-site recognition proteins, U2AF1 and ZRSR2 are associated with human cancers. Here, we determined binding sites of the proteins to reveal that U2-type and U12-type splice sites are recognized by U2AF1 and ZRSR2, respectively. However, some sites are spliced by both the U2-type and U12-type spliceosomes, indicating that well-conserved consensus motifs in some U12-type introns could be recognized by the U2-type spliceosome. Nucleotides flanking splice sites of U12-type introns are different from those flanking U2-type introns. Remarkably, the AG dinucleotide at the positions -1 and -2 of 5' splice sites of U12-type introns with GT-AG termini is not present. AG next to 5' splice site introduced by a single nucleotide substitution at the -2 position could convert a U12-type splice site to a U2-type site. The class switch of introns by a single mutation and the bias against G at the -1 position of U12-type 5' splice site support the notion that the identities of nucleotides in exonic regions adjacent to splice sites are fine-tuned to avoid recognition by the U2-type spliceosome. These findings may shed light on the mechanism of selectivity in U12-type intron splicing and the mutations that affect splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Soo Kwon
- Department of Integrative Bioscience & Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea
| | - Sang Woo Jin
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Korea
| | - Hoseok Song
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Korea
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2
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Cincotta SA, Richardson N, Foecke MH, Laird DJ. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. eLife 2024; 12:RP90164. [PMID: 38226689 PMCID: PMC10945581 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90164] [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] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
While physiologic stress has long been known to impair mammalian reproductive capacity through hormonal dysregulation, mounting evidence now suggests that stress experienced prior to or during gestation may also negatively impact the health of future offspring. Rodent models of gestational physiologic stress can induce neurologic and behavioral changes that persist for up to three generations, suggesting that stress signals can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the germline. Treatment with glucocorticoid stress hormones is sufficient to recapitulate the transgenerational changes seen in physiologic stress models. These hormones are known to bind and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, thus implicating GR-mediated signaling as a potential contributor to the transgenerational inheritance of stress-induced phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of GR expression in the mouse germline, showing expression in the fetal oocyte as well as the perinatal and adult spermatogonia. Functionally, we find that fetal oocytes are intrinsically buffered against changes in GR signaling, as neither genetic deletion of GR nor GR agonism with dexamethasone altered the transcriptional landscape or the progression of fetal oocytes through meiosis. In contrast, our studies revealed that the male germline is susceptible to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling, specifically by regulating RNA splicing within the spermatogonia, although this does not abrogate fertility. Together, our work suggests a sexually dimorphic function for GR in the germline, and represents an important step towards understanding the mechanisms by which stress can modulate the transmission of genetic information through the germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Cincotta
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Nainoa Richardson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Mariko H Foecke
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Diana J Laird
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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3
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Cincotta SA, Richardson N, Foecke MH, Laird DJ. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.30.547215. [PMID: 37425891 PMCID: PMC10327205 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
While physiologic stress has long been known to impair mammalian reproductive capacity through hormonal dysregulation, mounting evidence now suggests that stress experienced prior to or during gestation may also negatively impact the health of future offspring. Rodent models of gestational physiologic stress can induce neurologic and behavioral changes that persist for up to three generations, suggesting that stress signals can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the germline. Treatment with glucocorticoid stress hormones is sufficient to recapitulate the transgenerational changes seen in physiologic stress models. These hormones are known to bind and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, thus implicating GR-mediated signaling as a potential contributor to the transgenerational inheritance of stress-induced phenotypes. Here we demonstrate dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of GR expression in the mouse germline, showing expression in the fetal oocyte as well as the perinatal and adult spermatogonia. Functionally, we find that fetal oocytes are intrinsically buffered against changes in GR signaling, as neither genetic deletion of GR nor GR agonism with dexamethasone altered the transcriptional landscape or the progression of fetal oocytes through meiosis. In contrast, our studies revealed that the male germline is susceptible to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling, specifically by regulating RNA splicing within the spermatogonia, although this does not abrogate fertility. Together, our work suggests a sexually dimorphic function for GR in the germline, and represents an important step towards understanding the mechanisms by which stress can modulate the transmission of genetic information through the germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A. Cincotta
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nainoa Richardson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mariko H. Foecke
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diana J. Laird
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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4
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Navarrete-López P, Maroto M, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Lombó M, Ramos-Ibeas P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Loss of the importin Kpna2 causes infertility in male mice by disrupting the translocation of testis-specific transcription factors. iScience 2023; 26:107134. [PMID: 37456838 PMCID: PMC10338237 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Karyopherins mediate the movement between the nucleus and cytoplasm of specific proteins in diverse cellular processes. Through a loss-of-function approach, we here examine the role of Karyopherin Subunit Alpha 2 (Kpna2) in spermatogenesis. Knockout male mice exhibited reduced body size and sperm motility, increased sperm abnormalities, and led to the dysregulation of testis gene expression and ultimately to infertility. Impaired mRNA expression mainly affected clusters of genes expressed in spermatids and spermatocytes. Downregulated genes included a set of genes that participate in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM) organization. We detected both the enrichment of some transcription factors that bind to regions around transcription start sites of downregulated genes and the impaired transport of specific factors to the nucleus of spermatid cells. We propose that Kpna2 is essential in the seminiferous tubules for promoting the translocation of testis-specific transcription factors that control the expression of genes related to ECM organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Maroto
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marta Lombó
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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5
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Ding Z, Meng YR, Fan YJ, Xu YZ. Roles of minor spliceosome in intron recognition and the convergence with the better understood major spliceosome. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1761. [PMID: 36056453 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Catalyzed by spliceosomes in the nucleus, RNA splicing removes intronic sequences from precursor RNAs in eukaryotes to generate mature RNA, which also significantly increases proteome complexity and fine-tunes gene expression. Most metazoans have two coexisting spliceosomes; the major spliceosome, which removes >99.5% of introns, and the minor spliceosome, which removes far fewer introns (only 770 at present have been predicted in the human genome). Both spliceosomes are large and dynamic machineries, each consisting of five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and more than 100 proteins. However, the dynamic assembly, catalysis, and protein composition of the minor spliceosome are still poorly understood. With different splicing signals, minor introns are rare and usually distributed alone and flanked by major introns in genes, raising questions of how they are recognized by the minor spliceosome and how their processing deals with the splicing of neighboring major introns. Due to large numbers of introns and close similarities between the two machinery, cooperative, and competitive recognition by the two spliceosomes has been investigated. Functionally, many minor-intron-containing genes are evolutionarily conserved and essential. Mutations in the minor spliceosome exhibit a variety of developmental defects in plants and animals and are linked to numerous human diseases. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of minor splicing, compare currently known components of the two spliceosomes, survey minor introns in a wide range of organisms, discuss cooperation and competition of the two spliceosomes in splicing of minor-intron-containing genes, and contributions of minor splicing mutations in development and diseases. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Ding
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Ran Meng
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yu-Jie Fan
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yong-Zhen Xu
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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6
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Zhang Y, Yang L, Fang K, Li Q, Xu H, Ren Y, Zi J, Chen CD, Liu S. Dynamic Responses of Chromosome-Binding Protein Complexes to Meiotic Prophase I of Mouse Spermatocyte. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:2715-2726. [PMID: 36223561 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic prophase I (MPI) is the most important event in mammalian meiosis. The status of the chromosome-binding proteins (CBPs) and the corresponding complexes and their functions in MPI have not yet been well scrutinized. Quantitative proteomics focused on MPI-related CBPs was accomplished, in which mouse primary spermatocytes in four different subphases of MPI were collected, and chromosome-enriched proteins were extracted and quantitatively identified. According to a stringent criterion, 1136 CBPs in the MPI subphases were quantified. Looking at the dynamic patterns of CBP abundance in response to MPI progression, the patterns were broadly divided into two groups: high abundance in leptotene and zygotene or that in pachytene and diplotene. Furthermore, 152 such CBPs were regarded as 26 CBP complexes with strict filtration, in which some of these complexes were perceived to be MPI-dependent for the first time. These complexes basically belonged to four functional categories, while their dynamic abundance changes following MPI appeared; the functions of DNA replication decreased; and transcription and synapsis were activated in zygotene, pachytene, and diplotene; in contrast to the traditional prediction, condensin activity weakened in pachytene and diplotene. Profiling of protein complexes thus offered convincing evidence of the importance of CBP complexes in MPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,College of Life Sciences & Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 China
| | | | - Kailun Fang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031 China
| | - Qidan Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Hongkai Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan Ren
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,Experiment Center for Science and Technology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jin Zi
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Charlie Degui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Siqi Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
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7
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Weinstein R, Bishop K, Broadbridge E, Yu K, Carrington B, Elkahloun A, Zhen T, Pei W, Burgess SM, Liu P, Bresciani E, Sood R. Zrsr2 Is Essential for the Embryonic Development and Splicing of Minor Introns in RNA and Protein Processing Genes in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10668. [PMID: 36142581 PMCID: PMC9501576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
ZRSR2 (zinc finger CCCH-type, RNA binding motif and serine/arginine rich 2) is an essential splicing factor involved in 3' splice-site recognition as a component of both the major and minor spliceosomes that mediate the splicing of U2-type (major) and U12-type (minor) introns, respectively. Studies of ZRSR2-depleted cell lines and ZRSR2-mutated patient samples revealed its essential role in the U12-dependent minor spliceosome. However, the role of ZRSR2 during embryonic development is not clear, as its function is compensated for by Zrsr1 in mice. Here, we utilized the zebrafish model to investigate the role of zrsr2 during embryonic development. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated a zrsr2-knockout zebrafish line, termed zrsr2hg129/hg129 (p.Trp167Argfs*9) and examined embryo development in the homozygous mutant embryos. zrsr2hg129/hg129 embryos displayed multiple developmental defects starting at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) and died after 8 dpf, suggesting that proper Zrsr2 function is required during embryonic development. The global transcriptome analysis of 3 dpf zrsr2hg129/hg129 embryos revealed that the loss of Zrsr2 results in the downregulation of essential metabolic pathways and the aberrant retention of minor introns in about one-third of all minor intron-containing genes in zebrafish. Overall, our study has demonstrated that the role of Zrsr2 as a component of the minor spliceosome is conserved and critical for proper embryonic development in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Weinstein
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth Broadbridge
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kai Yu
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Blake Carrington
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Abdel Elkahloun
- Microarray Core, Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tao Zhen
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wuhong Pei
- Developmental Genomics Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shawn M. Burgess
- Developmental Genomics Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Paul Liu
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Erica Bresciani
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Raman Sood
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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8
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Gómez-Redondo I, Pericuesta E, Navarrete-Lopez P, Ramos-Ibeas P, Planells B, Fonseca-Balvís N, Vaquero-Rey A, Fernández-González R, Laguna-Barraza R, Horiuchi K, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Zrsr2 and functional U12-dependent spliceosome are necessary for follicular development. iScience 2022; 25:103860. [PMID: 35198906 PMCID: PMC8850803 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ZRSR2 is a splicing factor involved in recognition of 3'-intron splice sites that is frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies and several tumors; however, the role of mutations of Zrsr2 in other tissues has not been analyzed. To explore the biological role of ZRSR2, we generated three Zrsr2 mutant mouse lines. All Zrsr2 mutant lines exhibited blood cell anomalies, and in two lines, oogenesis was blocked at the secondary follicle stage. RNA-seq of Zrsr2 mu secondary follicles showed aberrations in gene expression and showed altered alternative splicing (AS) events involving enrichment of U12-type intron retention (IR), supporting the functional Zrsr2 action in minor spliceosomes. IR events were preferentially associated with centriole replication, protein phosphorylation, and DNA damage checkpoint. Notably, we found alterations in AS events of 50 meiotic genes. These results indicate that ZRSR2 mutations alter splicing mainly in U12-type introns, which may affect peripheral blood cells, and impede oogenesis and female fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Gómez-Redondo
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Navarrete-Lopez
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Priscila Ramos-Ibeas
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia Fonseca-Balvís
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aida Vaquero-Rey
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández-González
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Laguna-Barraza
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Keiko Horiuchi
- Department of Protein-Protein Interaction Research, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Nippon Medical School, 1-396 Kosugi-cho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 211-8533, Japan
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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9
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Del Rio ML, Nguyen TH, Tesson L, Heslan JM, Gutierrez-Adan A, Fernandez-Gonzalez R, Gutierrez-Arroyo J, Buhler L, Pérez-Simón JA, Anegon I, Rodriguez-Barbosa JI. The impact of CD160 deficiency on alloreactive CD8 T cell responses and allograft rejection. Transl Res 2022; 239:103-123. [PMID: 34461306 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
CD160 is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily with a pattern of expression mainly restricted to cytotoxic cells. To assess the functional relevance of the HVEM/CD160 signaling pathway in allogeneic cytotoxic responses, exon 2 of the CD160 gene was targeted by CRISPR/Cas9 to generate CD160 deficient mice. Next, we evaluated the impact of CD160 deficiency in the course of an alloreactive response. To that aim, parental donor WT (wild-type) or CD160 KO (knock-out) T cells were adoptively transferred into non-irradiated semiallogeneic F1 recipients, in which donor alloreactive CD160 KO CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells clonally expanded less vigorously than in WT T cell counterparts. This differential proliferative response rate at the early phase of T cell expansion influenced the course of CD8 T cell differentiation and the composition of the effector T cell pool that led to a significant decreased of the memory precursor effector cells (MPECs) / short-lived effector cells (SLECs) ratio in CD160 KO CD8 T cells compared to WT CD8 T cells. Despite these differences in T cell proliferation and differentiation, allogeneic MHC class I mismatched (bm1) skin allograft survival in CD160 KO recipients was comparable to that of WT recipients. However, the administration of CTLA-4.Ig showed an enhanced survival trend of bm1 skin allografts in CD160 KO with respect to WT recipients. Finally, CD160 deficient NK cells were as proficient as CD160 WT NK cells in rejecting allogeneic cellular allografts or MHC class I deficient tumor cells. CD160 may represent a CD28 alternative costimulatory molecule for the modulation of allogeneic CD8 T cell responses either in combination with costimulation blockade or by direct targeting of alloreactive CD8 T cells that upregulate CD160 expression in response to alloantigen stimulation.
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MESH Headings
- 4-1BB Ligand/metabolism
- Allografts
- Animals
- Antigens, CD/genetics
- Antigens, CD/immunology
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Cell Differentiation
- Female
- GPI-Linked Proteins/genetics
- GPI-Linked Proteins/immunology
- GPI-Linked Proteins/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Genes, MHC Class I
- Graft Rejection/etiology
- Graft Rejection/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Lectins, C-Type/metabolism
- Mice, Inbred Strains
- Mice, Knockout
- Receptors, Immunologic/genetics
- Receptors, Immunologic/immunology
- Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14/metabolism
- Skin Transplantation
- Thymocytes/immunology
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Luisa Del Rio
- Transplantation Immunobiology and Immunotherapy Section. Institute of Molecular Biology, Genomics and Proteomics, University of Leon, Leon, Spain; CIBERONC Consortium, Accion Estrategica en Salud, Grant # CB16/12/00480.
| | - Tuan H Nguyen
- INSERM UMR 1064, Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology, Nantes, France; SFR Bonamy, GenoCellEdit Platform, CNRS UMS3556, Nantes, France
| | - Laurent Tesson
- INSERM UMR 1064, Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology, Nantes, France; SFR Bonamy, GenoCellEdit Platform, CNRS UMS3556, Nantes, France
| | - Jean-Marie Heslan
- INSERM UMR 1064, Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology, Nantes, France; SFR Bonamy, GenoCellEdit Platform, CNRS UMS3556, Nantes, France
| | - Alfonso Gutierrez-Adan
- Department of Animal Reproduction, National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Raul Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Department of Animal Reproduction, National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia Gutierrez-Arroyo
- Department of Animal Reproduction, National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Leo Buhler
- Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - José-Antonio Pérez-Simón
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio / Institute of Biomedicine (IBIS / CSIC / CIBERONC), Sevilla, Spain; CIBERONC Consortium, Accion Estrategica en Salud, Grant # CB16/12/00480
| | - Ignacio Anegon
- INSERM UMR 1064, Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology, Nantes, France; SFR Bonamy, GenoCellEdit Platform, CNRS UMS3556, Nantes, France
| | - Jose-Ignacio Rodriguez-Barbosa
- Transplantation Immunobiology and Immunotherapy Section. Institute of Molecular Biology, Genomics and Proteomics, University of Leon, Leon, Spain; CIBERONC Consortium, Accion Estrategica en Salud, Grant # CB16/12/00480.
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10
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Gómez-Redondo I, Planells B, Navarrete P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Role of Alternative Splicing in Sex Determination in Vertebrates. Sex Dev 2021; 15:381-391. [PMID: 34583366 DOI: 10.1159/000519218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During the process of sex determination, a germ-cell-containing undifferentiated gonad is converted into either a male or a female reproductive organ. Both the composition of sex chromosomes and the environment determine sex in vertebrates. It is assumed that transcription level regulation drives this cascade of mechanisms; however, transcription factors can alter gene expression beyond transcription initiation by controlling pre-mRNA splicing and thereby mRNA isoform production. Using the key time window in sex determination and gonad development in mice, it has been reported that new non-transcriptional events, such as alternative splicing, could play a key role in sex determination in mammals. We know the role of key regulatory factors, like WT1(+/-KTS) or FGFR2(b/c) in pre-mRNA splicing and sex determination, indicating that important steps in the vertebrate sex determination process probably operate at a post-transcriptional level. Here, we discuss the role of pre-mRNA splicing regulators in sex determination in vertebrates, focusing on the new RNA-seq data reported from mice fetal gonadal transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain.,School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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11
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Martínez-Valiente C, Garcia-Ruiz C, Rosón B, Liquori A, González-Romero E, Fernández-González R, Gómez-Redondo I, Cervera J, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Sanjuan-Pla A. Aberrant Alternative Splicing in U2af1/Tet2 Double Mutant Mice Contributes to Major Hematological Phenotypes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6963. [PMID: 34203454 PMCID: PMC8269301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in splicing factors are recurrent somatic alterations identified in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and they frequently coincide with mutations in epigenetic factors. About 25% of patients present concurrent mutations in such pathways, suggesting a cooperative role in the pathogenesis of MDS. We focused on the splicing factor U2AF1 involved in the recognition of the 3' splice site during pre-mRNA splicing. Using a CRISPR/Cas9 system, we created heterozygous mice with a carboxy-terminal truncated U2af1 allele (U2af1mut/+), studied the U2af1mut/+ hematopoietic system, and did not observe any gross differences in both young (12-13 weeks) and old (23 months) U2af1mut/+ mice, except for a reduction in size of approximately 20%. However, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells lacked reconstitution capacity in transplantation assays and displayed an aberrant RNA splicing by RNA sequencing. We also evaluated U2af1mut/+ in conjunction with Tet2-deficiency. Novel double mutant U2af1mut/+Tet2-/- mice showed increased monogranulocytic precursors. Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells were also enhanced and presented functional and transcriptomic alterations. Nonetheless, U2af1mut/+Tet2-/- mice did not succumb to MDS disease over a 6-month observation period. Collectively, our data suggest that cooperation between mutant U2af1 and Tet2 loss is not sufficient for MDS initiation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Martínez-Valiente
- Hematology Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (C.M.-V.); (C.G.-R.); (B.R.); (A.L.); (E.G.-R.)
| | - Cristian Garcia-Ruiz
- Hematology Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (C.M.-V.); (C.G.-R.); (B.R.); (A.L.); (E.G.-R.)
| | - Beatriz Rosón
- Hematology Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (C.M.-V.); (C.G.-R.); (B.R.); (A.L.); (E.G.-R.)
| | - Alessandro Liquori
- Hematology Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (C.M.-V.); (C.G.-R.); (B.R.); (A.L.); (E.G.-R.)
| | - Elisa González-Romero
- Hematology Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (C.M.-V.); (C.G.-R.); (B.R.); (A.L.); (E.G.-R.)
| | - Raúl Fernández-González
- Animal Reproduction Department, INIA, Ctra. de La Coruña, km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.F.-G.); (I.G.-R.); (A.G.-A.)
| | - Isabel Gómez-Redondo
- Animal Reproduction Department, INIA, Ctra. de La Coruña, km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.F.-G.); (I.G.-R.); (A.G.-A.)
| | - José Cervera
- Hematology Service, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBER-ONC), Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5 Pabellón 11, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Animal Reproduction Department, INIA, Ctra. de La Coruña, km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.F.-G.); (I.G.-R.); (A.G.-A.)
| | - Alejandra Sanjuan-Pla
- Hematology Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (C.M.-V.); (C.G.-R.); (B.R.); (A.L.); (E.G.-R.)
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12
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Planells B, Gómez-Redondo I, Sánchez JM, McDonald M, Cánovas Á, Lonergan P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Gene expression profiles of bovine genital ridges during sex determination and early differentiation of the gonads†. Biol Reprod 2021; 102:38-52. [PMID: 31504197 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Most current knowledge of sex determination in mammals has emerged from mouse and human studies. To investigate the molecular regulation of the sex determination process in cattle, we used an RNA sequencing strategy to analyze the transcriptome landscape of male and female bovine fetal gonads collected in vivo at key developmental stages: before, during, and after SRY gene activation on fetal days D35 (bipotential gonad formation), D39 (peak SRY expression), and D43 (early gonad differentiation). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in male vs. female germinal ridges and among group genes showing similar expression profiles during the three periods. There were 143, 96, and 658 DEG between males and female fetuses at D35, D39, and D43, respectively. On D35, genes upregulated in females were enriched in translation, nuclear export, RNA localization, and mRNA splicing events, whereas those upregulated in males were enriched in cell proliferation regulation and male sex determination terms. In time-course experiments, 767 DEGs in males and 545 DEGs in females were identified between D35 vs. D39, and 3157 DEGs in males and 2008 in females were identified between D39 vs. D43. Results highlight unique aspects of sex determination in cattle, such as the expression of several Y chromosome genes (absent in mice and humans) before SRY expression and an abrupt increase in the nuclear expression of SOX10 (instead of SOX9 expression in the Sertoli cell cytoplasm as observed in mice) during male determination and early differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain.,School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - José María Sánchez
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael McDonald
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ángela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick Lonergan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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13
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Bao J, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Wang X. Effects of maternal exposure to PFOA on testes of male offspring mice. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 272:129585. [PMID: 33465609 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted to explore the effects of maternal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on testicular development of male offspring mice. 20 pregnant Kunming mice were randomly divided into control group and PFOA exposure group with 10 mice of each. In PFOA exposure group, pregnant mice were given 5 mg/kg BW PFOA daily by gavage during gestation. Male offspring mice were killed to separate serum and collect testis at postpartum day 21, then tested the experimental indicators. The results showed that compared with control group, the content of PFOA in the serum of PFOA-exposed mice increased significantly and testosterone content is significantly reduced. Histological observations revealed architectural damages in testis in PFOA exposed groups and the apoptosis was increased. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that the U4/U6 snRNA coding genes snu13 and prp19 complex coding genes HSP73 were up-regulated and the U5 snRNA coding genes Brr2, Prp8 and EJC/TREX coding THOC genes were down-regulated after PFOA exposure Real-time PCR confirmed this result. These results indicate that the exposure of pregnant mice to perfluorooctanoic acid will have a damaging effect on the development of testes in male offspring mice, which may be due to blocked activation of the shear body, changes in structural functions, and inability to perform shear functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialu Bao
- College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Linchao Zhang
- College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Xiaodan Wang
- College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China.
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14
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Madan V, Cao Z, Teoh WW, Dakle P, Han L, Shyamsunder P, Jeitany M, Zhou S, Li J, Nordin HBM, Shi J, Yu S, Yang H, Hossain MZ, Chng WJ, Koeffler HP. ZRSR1 cooperates with ZRSR2 in regulating splicing of U12-type introns in murine hematopoietic cells. Haematologica 2021; 107:680-689. [PMID: 33691379 PMCID: PMC8883539 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2020.260562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent loss-of-function mutations of spliceosome gene, ZRSR2, occur in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Mutation/loss of ZRSR2 in human myeloid cells primarily causes impaired splicing of the U12-type introns. In order to further investigate the role of this splice factor in RNA splicing and hematopoietic development, we generated mice lacking ZRSR2. Unexpectedly, Zrsr2-deficient mice developed normal hematopoiesis with no abnormalities in myeloid differentiation evident in either young or ≥1-year old knockout mice. Repopulation ability of Zrsr2-deficient hematopoietic stem cells was also unaffected in both competitive and non-competitive reconstitution assays. Myeloid progenitors lacking ZRSR2 exhibited mis-splicing of U12-type introns, however, this phenotype was moderate compared to the ZRSR2-deficient human cells. Our investigations revealed that a closely related homolog, Zrsr1, expressed in the murine hematopoietic cells, but not in human cells contributes to splicing of U12-type introns. Depletion of Zrsr1 in Zrsr2 KO myeloid cells exacerbated retention of the U12-type introns, thus highlighting a collective role of ZRSR1 and ZRSR2 in murine U12-spliceosome. We also demonstrate that aberrant retention of U12-type introns of MAPK9 and MAPK14 leads to their reduced protein expression. Overall, our findings highlight that both ZRSR1 and ZRSR2 are functional components of the murine U12-spliceosome, and depletion of both proteins is required to accurately model ZRSR2-mutant MDS in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Madan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Zeya Cao
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Weoi Woon Teoh
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pushkar Dakle
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lin Han
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pavithra Shyamsunder
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Maya Jeitany
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Siqin Zhou
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Li
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - JiZhong Shi
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shuizhou Yu
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Henry Yang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Md Zakir Hossain
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wee Joo Chng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Hematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, NUHS, Singapore
| | - H Phillip Koeffler
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA; National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital Singapore, Singapore
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15
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Naro C, Cesari E, Sette C. Splicing regulation in brain and testis: common themes for highly specialized organs. Cell Cycle 2021; 20:480-489. [PMID: 33632061 PMCID: PMC8018374 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.1889187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the coding and regulatory capabilities of eukaryotic transcriptomes by alternative splicing represents one of the evolutionary forces underlying the increased structural complexity of metazoans. Brain and testes stand out as the organs that mostly exploit the potential of alternative splicing, thereby expressing the largest repertoire of splice variants. Herein, we will review organ-specific as well as common mechanisms underlying the high transcriptome complexity of these organs and discuss the impact exerted by this widespread alternative splicing regulation on the functionality and differentiation of brain and testicular cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Naro
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Organoids Facility, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Cesari
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Organoids Facility, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuroembryology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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16
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Pericuesta E, Laguna-Barraza R, Ramos-Ibeas P, Gutierrez-Arroyo JL, Navarro JA, Vera K, Sanjuan C, Baixeras E, de Fonseca FR, Gutierrez-Adan A. D-Chiro-Inositol Treatment Affects Oocyte and Embryo Quality and Improves Glucose Intolerance in Both Aged Mice and Mouse Models of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6049. [PMID: 32842637 PMCID: PMC7504697 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the main cause of female infertility. It is a multifactorial disorder with varying clinical manifestations including metabolic/endocrine abnormalities, hyperandrogenism, and ovarian cysts, among other conditions. D-Chiro-inositol (DCI) is the main treatment available for PCOS in humans. To address some of the mechanisms of this complex disorder and its treatment, this study examines the effect of DCI on reproduction during the development of different PCOS-associated phenotypes in aged females and two mouse models of PCOS. Aged females (8 months old) were treated or not (control) with DCI for 2 months. PCOS models were generated by treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on Days 16, 17, and 18 of gestation, or by testosterone propionate (TP) treatment on the first day of life. At two months of age, PCOS mice were treated with DCI for 2 months and their reproductive parameters analyzed. No effects of DCI treatment were produced on body weight or ovary/body weight ratio. However, treatment reduced the number of follicles with an atretic cyst-like appearance and improved embryo development in the PCOS models, and also increased implantation rates in both aged and PCOS mice. DCI modified the expression of genes related to oocyte quality, oxidative stress, and luteal sufficiency in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) obtained from the aged and PCOS models. Further, the phosphorylation of AKT, a main metabolic sensor activated by insulin in the liver, was enhanced only in the DHT group, which was the only PCOS model showing glucose intolerance and AKT dephosphorylation. The effect of DCI in the TP model seemed mediated by its influence on oxidative stress and follicle insufficiency. Our results indicate that DCI works in preclinical models of PCOS and offer insight into its mechanism of action when used to treat this infertility-associated syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Pericuesta
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (E.P.); (R.L.-B.); (P.R.-I.); (J.L.G.-A.)
| | - Ricardo Laguna-Barraza
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (E.P.); (R.L.-B.); (P.R.-I.); (J.L.G.-A.)
| | - Priscila Ramos-Ibeas
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (E.P.); (R.L.-B.); (P.R.-I.); (J.L.G.-A.)
| | - Julia L. Gutierrez-Arroyo
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (E.P.); (R.L.-B.); (P.R.-I.); (J.L.G.-A.)
| | - Juan A. Navarro
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto IBIMA, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.A.N.); (K.V.); (F.R.d.F.)
| | - Katia Vera
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto IBIMA, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.A.N.); (K.V.); (F.R.d.F.)
| | - Carlos Sanjuan
- Euronutra S.L., Calle Johannes Kepler 3, 29590 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Elena Baixeras
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto IBIMA, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.A.N.); (K.V.); (F.R.d.F.)
| | - Alfonso Gutierrez-Adan
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (E.P.); (R.L.-B.); (P.R.-I.); (J.L.G.-A.)
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17
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Gómez-Redondo I, Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Laguna-Barraza R, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Minor Splicing Factors Zrsr1 and Zrsr2 Are Essential for Early Embryo Development and 2-Cell-Like Conversion. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4115. [PMID: 32527007 PMCID: PMC7312986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Minor splicing plays an important role in vertebrate development. Zrsr1 and Zrsr2 paralog genes have essential roles in alternative splicing, mainly participating in the recognition of minor (U12) introns. To further explore their roles during early embryo development, we produced Zrsr1mu and Zrsr2mu mutant mice, containing truncating mutations within the second zinc finger domain. Both homozygous mutant mice were viable with a normal lifespan. When we crossed a homozygous Zrsr2mu/mu female with Zrsr1mu/mu male, the double heterozygotes were non-viable, giving rise to embryos that stopped developing mainly between the 2- and 4-cell stages, just after zygotic gene activation. RNA-seq analysis of Zrsr1/2mu 2-cell embryos showed altered gene and isoform expression of thousands of genes enriched in gene ontology terms and biological pathways related to ribosome, RNA transport, spliceosome, and essential zygotic gene activation steps. Alternative splicing was analyzed, showing a significant increase in intron retention in both U2 and U12 intron-containing genes related to cell cycle and mitotic nuclear division. Remarkably, both Zrsr1 and Zrsr2 were required for the conversion of mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells into 2C-like cells. According to our results, Zrsr1 or Zrsr2 are necessary for ZGA and both are indispensable for the conversion of induced pluripotent stem cells into 2C-like cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda. Puerta de Hierro n° 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-R.); (P.R.-I.); (E.P.); (R.F.-G.); (R.L.-B.)
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18
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Song H, Wang L, Chen D, Li F. The Function of Pre-mRNA Alternative Splicing in Mammal Spermatogenesis. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:38-48. [PMID: 31892844 PMCID: PMC6930371 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.34422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays important roles in co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression functioned during many developmental processes, such as spermatogenesis. The studies focusing on alternative splicing on spermatogenesis supported the notion that the development of testis is regulated by a higher level of alternative splicing than other tissues. Here, we aim to review the mechanisms underlying alternative splicing, particularly the splicing variants functioned in the process of spermatogenesis and the male infertility. There are five points regarding the alternative splicing including ⅰ) a brief introduction of alternative pre-mRNA splicing; ⅱ) the alternative splicing events in spermatogenesis-associated genes enriched in different stages of spermatogenesis; ⅲ) the mechanisms of alternative splicing regulation, such as splicing factors and m6A demethylation; ⅳ) the splice site recognition and alternative splicing, including the production and degradation of abnormal transcripts caused by gene variations and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, respectively; ⅴ) abnormal alternative splicing correlated with male infertility. Taking together, this review highlights the impacts of alternative splicing and splicing variants in mammal spermatogenesis and provides new insights of the potential application of the alternative splicing into the therapy of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huibin Song
- Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Ling Wang
- Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Dake Chen
- Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Fenge Li
- Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.,The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, PR China
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19
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Zhu J, Zhang D, Liu X, Yu G, Cai X, Xu C, Rong F, Ouyang G, Wang J, Xiao W. Zebrafish prmt5 arginine methyltransferase is essential for germ cell development. Development 2019; 146:dev.179572. [PMID: 31533925 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (Prmt5), a type II arginine methyltransferase, symmetrically dimethylates arginine in nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Prmt5 is involved in a variety of cellular processes, including ribosome biogenesis, cellular differentiation, germ cell development and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms by which prmt5 influences cellular processes have remained unclear. Here, prmt5 loss in zebrafish led to the expression of an infertile male phenotype due to a reduction in germ cell number, an increase in germ cell apoptosis and the failure of gonads to differentiate into normal testes or ovaries. Moreover, arginine methylation of the germ cell-specific proteins Zili and Vasa, as well as histones H3 (H3R8me2s) and H4 (H4R3me2s), was reduced in the gonads of prmt5-null zebrafish. This resulted in the downregulation of several Piwi pathway proteins, including Zili, and Vasa. In addition, various genes related to meiosis, gonad development and sexual differentiation were dysregulated in the gonads of prmt5-null zebrafish. Our results revealed a novel mechanism associated with prmt5, i.e. prmt5 apparently controls germ cell development in vertebrates by catalyzing arginine methylation of the germline-specific proteins Zili and Vasa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junji Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangqing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolian Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenxi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangjing Rong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Wuhan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.,The Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.,The Key of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.,The Innovation of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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20
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Cologne A, Benoit-Pilven C, Besson A, Putoux A, Campan-Fournier A, Bober MB, De Die-Smulders CEM, Paulussen ADC, Pinson L, Toutain A, Roifman CM, Leutenegger AL, Mazoyer S, Edery P, Lacroix V. New insights into minor splicing-a transcriptomic analysis of cells derived from TALS patients. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2019; 25:1130-1149. [PMID: 31175170 PMCID: PMC6800510 DOI: 10.1261/rna.071423.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Minor intron splicing plays a central role in human embryonic development and survival. Indeed, biallelic mutations in RNU4ATAC, transcribed into the minor spliceosomal U4atac snRNA, are responsible for three rare autosomal recessive multimalformation disorders named Taybi-Linder (TALS/MOPD1), Roifman (RFMN), and Lowry-Wood (LWS) syndromes, which associate numerous overlapping signs of varying severity. Although RNA-seq experiments have been conducted on a few RFMN patient cells, none have been performed in TALS, and more generally no in-depth transcriptomic analysis of the ∼700 human genes containing a minor (U12-type) intron had been published as yet. We thus sequenced RNA from cells derived from five skin, three amniotic fluid, and one blood biosamples obtained from seven unrelated TALS cases and from age- and sex-matched controls. This allowed us to describe for the first time the mRNA expression and splicing profile of genes containing U12-type introns, in the context of a functional minor spliceosome. Concerning RNU4ATAC-mutated patients, we show that as expected, they display distinct U12-type intron splicing profiles compared to controls, but that rather unexpectedly mRNA expression levels are mostly unchanged. Furthermore, although U12-type intron missplicing concerns most of the expressed U12 genes, the level of U12-type intron retention is surprisingly low in fibroblasts and amniocytes, and much more pronounced in blood cells. Interestingly, we found several occurrences of introns that can be spliced using either U2, U12, or a combination of both types of splice site consensus sequences, with a shift towards splicing using preferentially U2 sites in TALS patients' cells compared to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audric Cologne
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Clara Benoit-Pilven
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Alicia Besson
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Audrey Putoux
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Genetics, Hospices Civils de Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Amandine Campan-Fournier
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Michael B Bober
- Division of Medical Genetics, Nemours/Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, USA
| | - Christine E M De Die-Smulders
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, GROW, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aimee D C Paulussen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, GROW, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lucile Pinson
- Genetic Department for Rare Diseases and Personalized Medicine, Clinical Division, CHU Montpellier, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Annick Toutain
- Department of Genetics, Tours University Hospital, F-37000 Tours, France
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Tours University, Inserm, F-37000 Tours, France
| | - Chaim M Roifman
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Division for Immunology and Allergy, Canadian Center for Primary Immunodeficiency, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | | | - Sylvie Mazoyer
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Patrick Edery
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Genetics, Hospices Civils de Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Vincent Lacroix
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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21
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Olthof AM, Hyatt KC, Kanadia RN. Minor intron splicing revisited: identification of new minor intron-containing genes and tissue-dependent retention and alternative splicing of minor introns. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:686. [PMID: 31470809 PMCID: PMC6717393 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6046-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in minor spliceosome components such as U12 snRNA (cerebellar ataxia) and U4atac snRNA (microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type 1 (MOPD1)) result in tissue-specific symptoms. Given that the minor spliceosome is ubiquitously expressed, we hypothesized that these restricted phenotypes might be caused by the tissue-specific regulation of the minor spliceosome targets, i.e. minor intron-containing genes (MIGs). The current model of inefficient splicing is thought to apply to the regulation of the ~ 500 MIGs identified in the U12DB. However this database was created more than 10 years ago. Therefore, we first wanted to revisit the classification of minor introns in light of the most recent reference genome. We then sought to address specificity of MIG expression, minor intron retention, and alternative splicing (AS) across mouse and human tissues. RESULTS We employed position-weight matrices to obtain a comprehensive updated list of minor introns, consisting of 722 mouse and 770 human minor introns. These can be found in the Minor Intron DataBase (MIDB). Besides identification of 99% of the minor introns found in the U12DB, we also discovered ~ 150 new MIGs. We then analyzed the RNAseq data from eleven different mouse tissues, which revealed tissue-specific MIG expression and minor intron retention. Additionally, many minor introns were efficiently spliced compared to their flanking major introns. Finally, we identified several novel AS events across minor introns in both mouse and human, which were also tissue-dependent. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that several of the AS events could result in the production of novel tissue-specific proteins. Moreover, like the major introns, we found that these AS events were more prevalent in long minor introns, while retention was favoured in shorter introns. CONCLUSION Here we show that minor intron splicing and AS across minor introns is a highly organised process that might be regulated in coordination with the major spliceosome in a tissue-specific manner. We have provided a framework to further study the impact of the minor spliceosome and the regulation of MIG expression. These findings may shed light on the mechanism underlying tissue-specific phenotypes in diseases associated with minor spliceosome inactivation. MIDB can be accessed at https://midb.pnb.uconn.edu .
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk M. Olthof
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Katery C. Hyatt
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Rahul N. Kanadia
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
- Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
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22
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Sex-Dimorphic Behavioral Alterations and Altered Neurogenesis in U12 Intron Splicing-Defective Zrsr1 Mutant Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143543. [PMID: 31331069 PMCID: PMC6678158 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutant mice with respect to the splicing factor Zrsr1 present altered spermatogenesis and infertility. To investigate whether Zrsr1 is involved in the homeostatic control that the hypothalamus exerts over reproductive functions, we first analyzed both differential gene and isoform expression and alternative splicing alterations in Zrsr1 mutant (Zrsr1mu) hypothalamus; second, we analyzed the spontaneous and social behavior of Zrsr1mu mice; and third, we analyzed adult cell proliferation and survival in the Zrsr1mu hypothalamus. The Zrsr1mu hypothalamus showed altered expression of genes and isoforms related to the glutathione metabolic process, synaptonemal complex assembly, mRNA transport, and altered splicing events involving the enrichment of U12-type intron retention (IR). Furthermore, increased IR in U12-containing genes related with the prolactin, progesterone, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) reproductive signaling pathway was observed. This was associated with a hyperactive phenotype in both males and females, with an anxious phenotype in females, and with increased social interaction in males, instead of the classical aggressive behavior. In addition, Zrsr1mu females but not males exhibited reduced cell proliferation in both the hypothalamus and the subventricular zone. Overall, these results suggest that Zrsr1 expression and function are relevant to organization of the hypothalamic cell network controlling behavior.
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23
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González-Romero E, Martínez-Valiente C, García-Ruiz C, Vázquez-Manrique RP, Cervera J, Sanjuan-Pla A. CRISPR to fix bad blood: a new tool in basic and clinical hematology. Haematologica 2019; 104:881-893. [PMID: 30923099 PMCID: PMC6518885 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2018.211359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genome engineering in the last decade, particularly in the development of programmable nucleases, have made it possible to edit the genomes of most cell types precisely and efficiently. Chief among these advances, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system is a novel, versatile and easy-to-use tool to edit genomes irrespective of their complexity, with multiple and broad applications in biomedicine. In this review, we focus on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in the context of hematologic diseases and appraise the major achievements and challenges in this rapidly moving field to gain a clearer perspective on the potential of this technology to move from the laboratory to the clinic. Accordingly, we discuss data from studies editing hematopoietic cells to understand and model blood diseases, and to develop novel therapies for hematologic malignancies. We provide an overview of the applications of gene editing in experimental, preclinical and clinical hematology including interrogation of gene function, target identification and drug discovery and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell engineering. We also highlight current limitations of CRISPR/Cas9 and the possible strategies to overcome them. Finally, we consider what advances in CRISPR/Cas9 are needed to move the hematology field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rafael P Vázquez-Manrique
- Grupo de Investigación en Biomedicina Molecular, Celular y Genómica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Madrid
| | - José Cervera
- Hematology Department, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia
- CIBER de Oncología, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Planells B, Gómez-Redondo I, Pericuesta E, Lonergan P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Differential isoform expression and alternative splicing in sex determination in mice. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:202. [PMID: 30871468 PMCID: PMC6419433 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing (AS) may play an important role in gonadal sex determination (GSD) in mammals. The present study was designed to identify differentially expressed isoforms and AS modifications accompanying GSD in mice. Results Using deep RNA-sequencing, we performed a transcriptional analysis of XX and XY gonads during sex determination on embryonic days 11 (E11) and 12 (E12). Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEG) identified hundreds of genes related to GSD and early sex differentiation that may represent good candidates for sex reversal. Expression at time point E11 in males was significantly enriched in RNA splicing and mRNA processing Gene Ontology terms. Differentially expressed isoform analysis identified hundreds of specific isoforms related to GSD, many of which showed no differences in the DEG analysis. Hundreds of AS events were identified as modified at E11 and E12. Female E11 gonads featured sex-biased upregulation of intron retention (in genes related to regulation of transcription, protein phosphorylation, protein transport and mRNA splicing) and exon skipping (in genes related to chromatin repression) suggesting AS as a post-transcription mechanism that controls sex determination of the bipotential fetal gonad. Conclusion Our data suggests an important role of splicing regulatory mechanisms for sex determination in mice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5572-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain.,School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Isabel Gómez-Redondo
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrick Lonergan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain.
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25
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Doggett K, Williams BB, Markmiller S, Geng FS, Coates J, Mieruszynski S, Ernst M, Thomas T, Heath JK. Early developmental arrest and impaired gastrointestinal homeostasis in U12-dependent splicing-defective Rnpc3-deficient mice. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1856-1870. [PMID: 30254136 PMCID: PMC6239176 DOI: 10.1261/rna.068221.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Splicing is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. While the majority of introns is excised by the U2-dependent, or major class, spliceosome, the appropriate expression of a very small subset of genes depends on U12-dependent, or minor class, splicing. The U11/U12 65K protein (hereafter 65K), encoded by RNPC3, is one of seven proteins that are unique to the U12-dependent spliceosome, and previous studies including our own have established that it plays a role in plant and vertebrate development. To pinpoint the impact of 65K loss during mammalian development and in adulthood, we generated germline and conditional Rnpc3-deficient mice. Homozygous Rnpc3-/- embryos died prior to blastocyst implantation, whereas Rnpc3+/- mice were born at the expected frequency, achieved sexual maturity, and exhibited a completely normal lifespan. Systemic recombination of conditional Rnpc3 alleles in adult (Rnpc3lox/lox ) mice caused rapid weight loss, leukopenia, and degeneration of the epithelial lining of the entire gastrointestinal tract, the latter due to increased cell death and a reduction in cell proliferation. Accompanying this, we observed a loss of both 65K and the pro-proliferative phospho-ERK1/2 proteins from the stem/progenitor cells at the base of intestinal crypts. RT-PCR analysis of RNA extracted from purified preparations of intestinal epithelial cells with recombined Rnpc3lox alleles revealed increased frequency of U12-type intron retention in all transcripts tested. Our study, using a novel conditional mouse model of Rnpc3 deficiency, establishes that U12-dependent splicing is not only important during development but is indispensable throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Doggett
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ben B Williams
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Sebastian Markmiller
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | - Fan-Suo Geng
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Janine Coates
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen Mieruszynski
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | - Tim Thomas
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Joan K Heath
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
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