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Xu H, Zhang Y, Wang C, Fu Z, Lv J, Yang Y, Zhang Z, Qi Y, Meng K, Yuan J, Wang X. Research progress on the fanconi anemia signaling pathway in non-obstructive azoospermia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1393111. [PMID: 38846492 PMCID: PMC11153779 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1393111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a disease characterized by spermatogenesis failure and comprises phenotypes such as hypospermatogenesis, mature arrest, and Sertoli cell-only syndrome. Studies have shown that FA cross-linked anemia (FA) pathway is closely related to the occurrence of NOA. There are FA gene mutations in male NOA patients, which cause significant damage to male germ cells. The FA pathway is activated in the presence of DNA interstrand cross-links; the key step in activating this pathway is the mono-ubiquitination of the FANCD2-FANCI complex, and the activation of the FA pathway can repair DNA damage such as DNA double-strand breaks. Therefore, we believe that the FA pathway affects germ cells during DNA damage repair, resulting in minimal or even disappearance of mature sperm in males. This review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of FA-related genes in male azoospermia, with the aim of providing a theoretical reference for clinical research and exploration of related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haohui Xu
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Caiqin Wang
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Zhuoyan Fu
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Clinical Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Clinical Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yufang Yang
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Zihan Zhang
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yuanmin Qi
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Clinical Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Kai Meng
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Jinxiang Yuan
- Lin He’s Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- College of Basic Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
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Aymun U, Iram S, Aftab I, Khaliq S, Nadir A, Nisar A, Mohsin S. Screening for mutations in two exons of FANCG gene in Pakistani population. Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub 2017. [PMID: 28627524 DOI: 10.5507/bp.2017.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fanconi anemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of genetic instability. It is both molecularly and clinically, a heterogeneous disorder. Its incidence is 1 in 129,000 births and relatively high in some ethnic groups. Sixteen genes have been identified among them mutations in FANCG gene are most common after FANCA and FANCC gene mutations. OBJECTIVE To study mutations in exon 3 and 4 of FANCG gene in Pakistani population. METHODS Thirty five patients with positive Diepoxybutane test were included in the study. DNA was extracted and amplified for exons 3 and 4. Thereafter Sequencing was done and analyzed for the presence of mutations. RESULTS No mutation was detected in exon 3 whereas a carrier of known mutation c.307+1 G>T was found in exon 4 of the FANCG gene. CONCLUSION Absence of any mutation in exon 3 and only one heterozygous mutation in exon 4 of FANCG gene points to a different spectrum of FA gene pool in Pakistan that needs extensive research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujala Aymun
- Department of Hematology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Department of Pathology, Avicenna Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Saima Iram
- Department of Hematology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Department of Pathology, Bolan Medical College, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Iram Aftab
- Department of Hematology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Saba Khaliq
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ali Nadir
- Department of Hematology, Armed Forces institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Nisar
- Department of Hematology, Children Hospital Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shahida Mohsin
- Department of Hematology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
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Fu C, Begum K, Jordan PW, He Y, Overbeek PA. Dearth and Delayed Maturation of Testicular Germ Cells in Fanconi Anemia E Mutant Male Mice. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159800. [PMID: 27486799 PMCID: PMC4972424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
After using a self-inactivating lentivirus for non-targeted insertional mutagenesis in mice, we identified a transgenic family with a recessive mutation that resulted in reduced fertility in homozygous transgenic mice. The lentiviral integration site was amplified by inverse PCR. Sequencing revealed that integration had occurred in intron 8 of the mouse Fance gene, which encodes the Fanconi anemia E (Fance) protein. Fanconi anemia (FA) proteins play pivotal roles in cellular responses to DNA damage and Fance acts as a molecular bridge between the FA core complex and Fancd2. To investigate the reduced fertility in the mutant males, we analyzed postnatal development of testicular germ cells. At one week after birth, most tubules in the mutant testes contained few or no germ cells. Over the next 2–3 weeks, germ cells accumulated in a limited number of tubules, so that some tubules contained germ cells around the full periphery of the tubule. Once sufficient numbers of germ cells had accumulated, they began to undergo the later stages of spermatogenesis. Immunoassays revealed that the Fancd2 protein accumulated around the periphery of the nucleus in normal developing spermatocytes, but we did not detect a similar localization of Fancd2 in the Fance mutant testes. Our assays indicate that although Fance mutant males are germ cell deficient at birth, the extant germ cells can proliferate and, if they reach a threshold density, can differentiate into mature sperm. Analogous to previous studies of FA genes in mice, our results show that the Fance protein plays an important, but not absolutely essential, role in the initial developmental expansion of the male germ line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Khurshida Begum
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, United States of America
| | - Philip W. Jordan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America
| | - Yan He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Paul A. Overbeek
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, United States of America
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Dubois ÉL, Béliveau M, Masson JY. [Fanconi anemia animal models - How differences can teach us as much as similarities…]. Med Sci (Paris) 2016; 32:598-605. [PMID: 27406770 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20163206023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fanconi Anemia is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease with heterogenous phenotypes including myelosuppression, congenital malformations and heightened cancer predisposition. FA cells are highly sensitive to cross-linking agents. Since the 90's, at least 19 FANC proteins (FANCA to FANCT) have been identified as working together in a unique pathway detecting and triggering the repair of DNA crosslinks. Since then, the creation of animal models in various species (nematode, fruit fly, zebrafish and mouse) contributed to a better understanding of the physiopathology of the disease. This review aims to summarize the main discoveries made in these in vivo models, as well as to discuss some controversies that arose from these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émilie L Dubois
- Département de biologie moléculaire, biochimie médicale, et pathologie et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Canada - CRCHU de Québec, axe oncologie, 9 McMahon, Québec, QC, G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Mariline Béliveau
- Département de biologie moléculaire, biochimie médicale, et pathologie et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Canada - CRCHU de Québec, axe oncologie, 9 McMahon, Québec, QC, G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Jean-Yves Masson
- Département de biologie moléculaire, biochimie médicale, et pathologie et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Canada - CRCHU de Québec, axe oncologie, 9 McMahon, Québec, QC, G1R 3S3, Canada
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Luebben SW, Kawabata T, Akre MK, Lee WL, Johnson CS, O'Sullivan MG, Shima N. Helq acts in parallel to Fancc to suppress replication-associated genome instability. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:10283-97. [PMID: 24005041 PMCID: PMC3905894 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
HELQ is a superfamily 2 DNA helicase found in archaea and metazoans. It has been implicated in processing stalled replication forks and in repairing DNA double-strand breaks and inter-strand crosslinks. Though previous studies have suggested the possibility that HELQ is involved in the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway, a dominant mechanism for inter-strand crosslink repair in vertebrates, this connection remains elusive. Here, we investigated this question in mice using the Helqgt and Fancc− strains. Compared with Fancc−/− mice lacking FANCC, a component of the FA core complex, Helqgt/gt mice exhibited a mild of form of FA-like phenotypes including hypogonadism and cellular sensitivity to the crosslinker mitomycin C. However, unlike Fancc−/− primary fibroblasts, Helqgt/gt cells had intact FANCD2 mono-ubiquitination and focus formation. Notably, for all traits examined, Helq was non-epistatic with Fancc, as Helqgt/gt;Fancc−/− double mutants displayed significantly worsened phenotypes than either single mutant. Importantly, this was most noticeable for the suppression of spontaneous chromosome instability such as micronuclei and 53BP1 nuclear bodies, known consequences of persistently stalled replication forks. These findings suggest that mammalian HELQ contributes to genome stability in unchallenged conditions through a mechanism distinct from the function of FANCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer W Luebben
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA, Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA, Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Bakker ST, de Winter JP, te Riele H. Learning from a paradox: recent insights into Fanconi anaemia through studying mouse models. Dis Model Mech 2013; 6:40-7. [PMID: 23268537 PMCID: PMC3529337 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.009795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive or X-linked inherited disease characterised by an increased incidence of bone marrow failure (BMF), haematological malignancies and solid tumours. Cells from individuals with FA show a pronounced sensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL)-inducing agents, which manifests as G2-M arrest, chromosomal aberrations and reduced cellular survival. To date, mutations in at least 15 different genes have been identified that cause FA; the products of all of these genes are thought to function together in the FA pathway, which is essential for ICL repair. Rapidly following the discovery of FA genes, mutant mice were generated to study the disease and the affected pathway. These mutant mice all show the characteristic cellular ICL-inducing agent sensitivity, but only partially recapitulate the developmental abnormalities, anaemia and cancer predisposition seen in individuals with FA. Therefore, the usefulness of modelling FA in mice has been questioned. In this Review, we argue that such scepticism is unjustified. We outline that haematopoietic defects and cancer predisposition are manifestations of FA gene defects in mice, albeit only in certain genetic backgrounds and under certain conditions. Most importantly, recent work has shown that developmental defects in FA mice also arise with concomitant inactivation of acetaldehyde metabolism, giving a strong clue about the nature of the endogenous lesion that must be repaired by the functional FA pathway. This body of work provides an excellent example of a paradox in FA research: that the dissimilarity, rather than the similarity, between mice and humans can provide insight into human disease. We expect that further study of mouse models of FA will help to uncover the mechanistic background of FA, ultimately leading to better treatment options for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sietske T Bakker
- Division of Biological Stress Response, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, NL-1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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