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Zhang Y, Sui Z, Zhang Z, Wang C, Li X, Xing F. Cloning, tissue expression and imprinting status analysis of the NDN gene in Dolang sheep. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:166. [PMID: 38252343 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08990-5] [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] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genomic imprinting refers to expressing parent-specific genes in mammalian diploid cells. The NDN gene is maternally imprinted in humans and mice and correlates with the timing of puberty. This study aimed to investigate its imprinting status and its relationship with the onset of puberty in Dolang sheep. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, cloning and sequencing obtained the NDN gene cDNA sequence of 1082 bp of Dolang sheep, coding for 325 amino acids. Similarity analysis and phylogenetic tree showed that the NDN gene conformed to the law of speciation and was highly conserved among mammals. RT-qPCR results showed the highest expression of NDN mRNA was found in the hypothalamus at puberty, and the expression was significantly increased and then significantly decreased from prepuberty to postpuberty in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary and oviduct. Based on expressed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the NDN gene was expressed monoallelically in the tissues of adult and neonatal umbilical cords, and the expressed allele was paternally inherited. The NDN promoter region of 3400 bp was obtained by cloning and identified in monoallelic-expressing tissues (hypothalamus, ovary, spleen) as a differentially methylated region (DMR). CONCLUSION These findings will enrich the number of imprinted genes in sheep and suggest that the NDN gene could be a candidate gene for studying puberty initiation in Dolang sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjie Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Zhiyuan Sui
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Zhishuai Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Chenguang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Xiaojun Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Feng Xing
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China.
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Zhang Y, Sui Z, Zhang Z, Wang C, Li X, Xing F. Analysis of the Imprinting Status and Expression of the MAGEL2 Gene During Initiation at Puberty in the Dolang Sheep. DNA Cell Biol 2023; 42:689-696. [PMID: 37843913 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2023.0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting refers to the expression of parent-specific genes in diploid mammalian cells. MAGEL2 gene is a maternally imprinted gene that has been identified in mice and humans and is associated with the onset of puberty. The purpose of this study was to investigate its imprinting status and its relationship with the onset of puberty in Dolang sheep. The sequence of 3734 bp cDNA of MAGEL2 in Dolang sheep was obtained by cloning and sequencing, encoding 1173 amino acids. The results of the nucleotide and amino acid similarity analysis showed that it was highly conserved among different mammalian species. The MAGEL2 gene was expressed monoallelically in the tissues of adult and neonatal umbilical cords, and the expressed allele was paternally inherited. Real Time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) results showed that the MAGEL2 gene was highly expressed in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, increased significantly from prepuberty to puberty, and decreased significantly after puberty. This study suggests that MAGEL2 is a paternally expressed and maternally imprinted gene in Dolang sheep, which may be involved in the initiation of puberty in Dolang sheep. This study provides a theoretical basis for further research on the mechanism of the imprinted gene MAGEL2 regulating the onset of puberty in sheep, and provides a new idea for the future research on the mechanism of onset of puberty in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjie Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Zhiyuan Sui
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Zhishuai Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Chenguang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Xiaojun Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
| | - Feng Xing
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, China
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Cutuli D, Berretta E, Laricchiuta D, Caporali P, Gelfo F, Petrosini L. Pre-reproductive Parental Enriching Experiences Influence Progeny's Developmental Trajectories. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:254. [PMID: 30483072 PMCID: PMC6240645 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
While the positive effects of environmental enrichment (EE) applied after weaning, in adulthood, during aging, or even in the presence of brain damage have been widely described, the transgenerational effects of pre-reproductive EE have been less examined. And yet, this issue is remarkable given that parental environmental experience may imprint offspring’s phenotype over generations through many epigenetic processes. Interactions between individual and environment take place lifelong even before conception. In fact, the environment pre-reproductively experienced by the mother and/or the father exerts a substantial impact on neural development and motor and cognitive performances of the offspring, even if not directly exposed to social, cognitive, physical and/or motor enrichment. Furthermore, pre-reproductive parental enrichment exerts a transgenerational impact on coping response to stress as well as on the social behavior of the offspring. Among the effects of pre-reproductive parental EE, a potentiation of the maternal care and a decrease in global methylation levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the progeny have been described. Finally, pre-reproductive EE modifies different pathways of neuromodulation in the brain of the offspring (involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor, oxytocin and glucocorticoid receptors). The present review highlights the importance of pre-reproductive parental enrichment in altering the performances not only of animals directly experiencing it, but also of their progeny, thus opening the way to new hypotheses on the inheritance mechanisms of behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Cutuli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Erica Berretta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Caporali
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Kramer P, Bressan P. Humans as Superorganisms: How Microbes, Viruses, Imprinted Genes, and Other Selfish Entities Shape Our Behavior. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2016; 10:464-81. [PMID: 26177948 DOI: 10.1177/1745691615583131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Psychologists and psychiatrists tend to be little aware that (a) microbes in our brains and guts are capable of altering our behavior; (b) viral DNA that was incorporated into our DNA millions of years ago is implicated in mental disorders; (c) many of us carry the cells of another human in our brains; and (d) under the regulation of viruslike elements, the paternally inherited and maternally inherited copies of some genes compete for domination in the offspring, on whom they have opposite physical and behavioral effects. This article provides a broad overview, aimed at a wide readership, of the consequences of our coexistence with these selfish entities. The overarching message is that we are not unitary individuals but superorganisms, built out of both human and nonhuman elements; it is their interaction that determines who we are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kramer
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Bressan
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy
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Kobayashi H, Higashiura Y, Koike N, Akasaka J, Uekuri C, Iwai K, Niiro E, Morioka S, Yamada Y. Genes Downregulated in Endometriosis Are Located Near the Known Imprinting Genes. Reprod Sci 2014; 21:966-972. [PMID: 24615936 DOI: 10.1177/1933719114526473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There is now accumulating evidence that endometriosis is a disease associated with an epigenetic disorder. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon known to regulate DNA methylation of either maternal or paternal alleles. We hypothesize that hypermethylated endometriosis-associated genes may be enriched at imprinted gene loci. We sought to determine whether downregulated genes associated with endometriosis susceptibility are associated with chromosomal location of the known paternally and maternally expressed imprinting genes. Gene information has been gathered from National Center for Biotechnology Information database geneimprint.com. Several researchers have identified specific loci with strong DNA methylation in eutopic endometrium and ectopic lesion with endometriosis. Of the 29 hypermethylated genes in endometriosis, 19 genes were located near 45 known imprinted foci. There may be an association of the genomic location between genes specifically downregulated in endometriosis and epigenetically imprinted genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kobayashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Yumi Higashiura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Natsuki Koike
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Juria Akasaka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Chiharu Uekuri
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Kana Iwai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Emiko Niiro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Sachiko Morioka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Yuki Yamada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
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Thiaville MM, Huang JM, Kim H, Ekram MB, Roh TY, Kim J. DNA-binding motif and target genes of the imprinted transcription factor PEG3. Gene 2012; 512:314-20. [PMID: 23078764 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The Peg3 gene is expressed only from the paternally inherited allele located on proximal mouse chromosome 7. The PEG3 protein encoded by this imprinted gene is predicted to bind DNA based on its multiple zinc finger motifs and nuclear localization. In the current study, we demonstrated PEG3's DNA-binding ability by characterizing its binding motif and target genes. We successfully identified target regions bound by PEG3 from mouse brain extracts using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. PEG3 was demonstrated to bind these candidate regions through the consensus DNA-binding motif AGTnnCnnnTGGCT. In vitro promoter assays established that PEG3 controls the expression of a given gene through this motif. Consistent with these observations, the transcriptional levels of a subset of the target genes are also affected in a mutant mouse model with reduced levels of PEG3 protein. Overall, these results confirm PEG3 as a DNA-binding protein controlling specific target genes that are involved in distinct cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Thiaville
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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