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Zhang X, Zhang C, Zhou D, Zhang T, Chen X, Ren J, He C, Meng F, Zhou Q, Yang Q, Dai C, Lin G, Zeng S, Leng L. Telomeres cooperate in zygotic genome activation by affecting DUX4/ Dux transcription. iScience 2023; 26:106158. [PMID: 36843839 PMCID: PMC9950522 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106158] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is initiated once the genome chromatin state is organized in the newly formed zygote. Telomeres are specialized chromatin structures at the ends of chromosomes and are reset during early embryogenesis, while the details and significance of telomere changes in preimplantation embryos remain unclear. We demonstrated that the telomere length was shortened in the minor ZGA stage and significantly elongated in the major ZGA stage of human and mouse embryos. Expression of the ZGA pioneer factor DUX4/Dux was negatively correlated with the telomere length. ATAC sequencing data revealed that the chromatin accessibility peaks on the DUX4 promoter region (i.e., the subtelomere of chromosome 4q) were transiently augmented in human minor ZGA. Reduction of telomeric heterochromatin H3K9me3 in the telomeric region also synergistically activated DUX4 expression with p53 in human embryonic stem cells. We propose herein that telomeres regulate the expression of DUX4/Dux through chromatin remodeling and are thereby involved in ZGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Zhang
- Hospital of Hunan Guangxiu, Hunan Normal University, Hunan 410001, China,Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Changquan Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Di Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China
| | - Tianlei Zhang
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Xueqin Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinlin Ren
- Hospital of Hunan Guangxiu, Hunan Normal University, Hunan 410001, China
| | - Caixia He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China
| | - Fei Meng
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Qinwei Zhou
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Qiaohui Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Congling Dai
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Lin
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Corresponding author
| | - Sicong Zeng
- Hospital of Hunan Guangxiu, Hunan Normal University, Hunan 410001, China,Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Corresponding author
| | - Lizhi Leng
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Corresponding author
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Telomere Shortening and Fusions: A Link to Aneuploidy in Early Human Embryo Development. Obstet Gynecol Surv 2021; 76:429-436. [PMID: 34324695 DOI: 10.1097/ogx.0000000000000907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Importance It is known that oocytes undergo aging that is caused by exposure to an aged ovarian microenvironment. Telomere length in mouse and bovine oocytes declines with age, and age-associated telomere shortening in oocytes is considered a sign of poor development competency. Women with advanced age undergoing assisted reproductive technologies have poor outcomes because of increasing aneuploidy rates with age. Research has shown that aneuploidy is associated with DNA damage, reactive oxygen species, and telomere dysfunction. Objective In this review, we focus on the possible relationship between telomere dysfunction and aneuploidy in human early embryo development and several reproductive and perinatal outcomes, discussing the mechanism of aneuploidy caused by telomere shortening and fusion in human embryos. Evidence Acquisition We reviewed the current literature evidence concerning telomere dysfunction and aneuploidy in early human embryo development. Results Shorter telomeres in oocytes, leukocytes, and granulosa cells, related to aging in women, were associated with recurrent miscarriage, trisomy 21, ovarian insufficiency, and decreasing chance of in vitro fertilization success. Telomere length and telomerase activity in embryos have been related to the common genomic instability at the cleavage stage of human development. Complications of assisted reproductive technology pregnancies, such as miscarriage, birth defects, preterm births, and intrauterine growth restriction, also might result from telomere shortening as observed in oocytes, polar body, granulosa cells, and embryos. Conclusions and Relevance Telomere length clearly plays an important role in the development of the embryo and fetus, and the abnormal shortening of telomeres is likely involved in embryo loss during early human development. However, telomere fusion studies have yet to be performed in early human development.
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Lopes AC, Oliveira PF, Sousa M. Shedding light into the relevance of telomeres in human reproduction and male factor infertility†. Biol Reprod 2018; 100:318-330. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catarina Lopes
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, and Multidisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon (FCT-UNL), Campus Caparica, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Pedro F Oliveira
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, and Multidisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S- Institute of Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mário Sousa
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, and Multidisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Centre for Reproductive Genetics Professor Alberto Barros, Porto, Portugal
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