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Abdelhamed Z, Lukacs M, Cindric S, Ali S, Omran H, Stottmann RW. A novel hypomorphic allele of Spag17 causes primary ciliary dyskinesia phenotypes in mice. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:dmm045344. [PMID: 32988999 PMCID: PMC7648611 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.045344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a human condition of dysfunctional motile cilia characterized by recurrent lung infection, infertility, organ laterality defects and partially penetrant hydrocephalus. We recovered a mouse mutant from a forward genetic screen that developed many of the hallmark phenotypes of PCD. Whole-exome sequencing identified this primary ciliary dyskinesia only (Pcdo) allele to be a nonsense mutation (c.5236A>T) in the Spag17 coding sequence creating a premature stop codon (K1746*). The Pcdo variant abolished several isoforms of SPAG17 in the Pcdo mutant testis but not in the brain. Our data indicate differential requirements for SPAG17 in different types of motile cilia. SPAG17 is essential for proper development of the sperm flagellum and is required for either development or stability of the C1 microtubule structure within the central pair apparatus of the respiratory motile cilia, but not the brain ependymal cilia. We identified changes in ependymal ciliary beating frequency, but these did not appear to alter lateral ventricle cerebrospinal fluid flow. Aqueductal stenosis resulted in significantly slower and abnormally directed cerebrospinal fluid flow, and we suggest that this is the root cause of the hydrocephalus. The Spag17Pcdo homozygous mutant mice are generally viable to adulthood but have a significantly shortened lifespan, with chronic morbidity. Our data indicate that the c.5236A>T Pcdo variant is a hypomorphic allele of Spag17 that causes phenotypes related to motile, but not primary, cilia. Spag17Pcdo is a useful new model for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying central pair PCD pathogenesis in the mouse.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakia Abdelhamed
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine (Girl's Section), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt
| | - Marshall Lukacs
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sandra Cindric
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Saima Ali
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Heymut Omran
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Rolf W Stottmann
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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2
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Lorès P, Coutton C, El Khouri E, Stouvenel L, Givelet M, Thomas L, Rode B, Schmitt A, Louis B, Sakheli Z, Chaudhry M, Fernandez-Gonzales A, Mitsialis A, Dacheux D, Wolf JP, Papon JF, Gacon G, Escudier E, Arnoult C, Bonhivers M, Savinov SN, Amselem S, Ray PF, Dulioust E, Touré A. Homozygous missense mutation L673P in adenylate kinase 7 (AK7) leads to primary male infertility and multiple morphological anomalies of the flagella but not to primary ciliary dyskinesia. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:1196-1211. [PMID: 29365104 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Motile cilia and sperm flagella share an extremely conserved microtubule-based cytoskeleton, called the axoneme, which sustains beating and motility of both organelles. Ultra-structural and/or functional defects of this axoneme are well-known to cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a disorder characterized by recurrent respiratory tract infections, chronic otitis media, situs inversus, male infertility and in most severe cases, hydrocephalus. Only recently, mutations in genes encoding axonemal proteins with preferential expression in the testis were identified in isolated male infertility; in those cases, individuals displayed severe asthenozoospermia due to Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the sperm Flagella (MMAF) but not PCD features. In this study, we performed genetic investigation of two siblings presenting MMAF without any respiratory PCD features, and we report the identification of the c.2018T > G (p.Leu673Pro) transversion in AK7, encoding an adenylate kinase, expressed in ciliated tissues and testis. By performing transcript and protein analyses of biological samples from individual carrying the transversion, we demonstrate that this mutation leads to the loss of AK7 protein in sperm cells but not in respiratory ciliated cells, although both cell types carry the mutated transcript and no tissue-specific isoforms were detected. This work therefore, supports the notion that proteins shared by both cilia and sperm flagella may have specific properties and/or function in each organelle, in line with the differences in their mode of assembly and organization. Overall, this work identifies a novel genetic cause of asthenozoospermia due to MMAF and suggests that in humans, more deleterious mutations of AK7 might induce PCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lorès
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, France
| | - Elma El Khouri
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Laurence Stouvenel
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Maëlle Givelet
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Lucie Thomas
- INSERM UMR S933, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), Paris 75012, France
| | - Baptiste Rode
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Alain Schmitt
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Bruno Louis
- Equipe 13, INSERM UMR S955, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, CNRS ERL7240, Créteil 94000, France
| | - Zeinab Sakheli
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Marhaba Chaudhry
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | | | - Alex Mitsialis
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Denis Dacheux
- Université de Bordeaux, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, CNRS UMR 5234, Bordeaux, France.,Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux, UMR-CNRS 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Wolf
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, GH Cochin Broca Hôtel Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris 75014, France
| | - Jean-François Papon
- Equipe 13, INSERM UMR S955, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, CNRS ERL7240, Créteil 94000, France.,Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie et de Chirurgie Cervico-Maxillo-Faciale, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre 94275, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F-94275, France
| | - Gérard Gacon
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
| | - Estelle Escudier
- INSERM UMR S933, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), Paris 75012, France.,Service de Génétique et d'Embryologie Médicales, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris 75012, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Mélanie Bonhivers
- Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux, UMR-CNRS 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, GH Cochin Broca Hôtel Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris 75014, France
| | - Sergey N Savinov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Serge Amselem
- INSERM UMR S933, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), Paris 75012, France.,Service de Génétique et d'Embryologie Médicales, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris 75012, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Emmanuel Dulioust
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, GH Cochin Broca Hôtel Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris 75014, France
| | - Aminata Touré
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8104, Paris 75014, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75014, France
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3
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Zhang C, Song L, Choudhary MK, Zhou B, Sun G, Broderick K, Giesler L, Zeng L. Genome-wide analysis of genes encoding core components of the ubiquitin system in soybean (Glycine max) reveals a potential role for ubiquitination in host immunity against soybean cyst nematode. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:149. [PMID: 30021519 PMCID: PMC6052599 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1365-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ubiquitination is a major post-translational protein modification that regulates essentially all cellular and physiological pathways in eukaryotes. The ubiquitination process typically involves three distinct classes of enzymes, ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) and ubiquitin ligase (E3). To date, a comprehensive identification and analysis of core components comprising of the whole soybean (Glycine max) ubiquitin system (UBS) has not been reported. RESULTS We performed a systematic, genome-wide analysis of genes that encode core members of the soybean UBS in this study. A total of 1431 genes were identified with high confidence to encode putative soybean UBS components, including 4 genes encoding E1s, 71 genes that encode the E2s, and 1356 genes encoding the E3-related components. Among the E3-encoding genes, 760 encode RING-type E3s, 124 encode U-box domain-containing E3s, and 472 encode F-box proteins. To find out whether the identified soybean UBS genes encode active enzymes, a set of genes were randomly selected and the enzymatic activities of their recombinant proteins were tested. Thioester assays indicated proteins encoded by the soybean E1 gene GmUBA1 and the majority of selected E2 genes are active E1 or E2 enzymes, respectively. Meanwhile, most of the purified RING and U-box domain-containing proteins displayed E3 activity in the in vitro ubiquitination assay. In addition, 1034 of the identified soybean UBS genes were found to express in at least one of 14 soybean tissues examined and the transcript level of 338 soybean USB genes were significantly changed after abiotic or biotic (Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizobium strains) stress treatment. Finally, the expression level of a large number of the identified soybean UBS-related genes was found significantly altered after soybean cyst nematode (SCN) treatment, suggesting the soybean UBS potentially plays an important role in soybean immunity against SCN. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate the presence of a large and diverse number of core UBS proteins in the soybean genome, which suggests that target-specific modification by ubiquitin is a complex and important part of cellular and physiological regulation in soybean. We also revealed certain members of the soybean UBS may be involved in immunity against soybean cyst nematode (SCN). This study sets up an essential foundation for further functional characterization of the soybean UBS in various physiological processes, such as host immunity against SCN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
| | - Li Song
- Department of Information Science, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204 USA
| | - Mani Kant Choudhary
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
| | - Bangjun Zhou
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
| | - Guangchao Sun
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
| | - Kyle Broderick
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
| | - Loren Giesler
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
| | - Lirong Zeng
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
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4
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Han H, Zhang X, Zhao X, Xia X, Lei C, Dang R. Eight Y chromosome genes show copy number variations in horses. Arch Anim Breed 2018. [DOI: 10.5194/aab-61-263-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract. Copy number variations (CNVs), which represent a significant source of genetic diversity on the Y chromosome in mammals, have been shown to be associated with the development of many complex phenotypes, such as reproduction and male fertility. The occurrence of CNVs has been confirmed on the Y chromosome in horses. However, the copy numbers (CNs) of Equus caballus Y chromosome (ECAY) genes are largely unknown. To demonstrate the copy number variations of Y chromosome genes in horses, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method was applied to measure the CNVs of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1A Y (EIF1AY), equine testis-specific transcript on Y 1 (ETSTY1), equine testis-specific transcript on Y 4 (ETSTY4), equine testis-specific transcript on Y 5 (ETSTY5), equine transcript Y4 (ETY4), ubiquitin activating enzyme Y (UBE1Y), sex determining region Y (SRY), and inverted repeat 2 Y (YIR2) across 14 Chinese domestic horse breeds in this study. Our results revealed that these eight genes were multi-copy; furthermore, some of the well acknowledged single-copy genes such as SRY and EIF1AY were found to be multi-copy in this research. The median copy numbers (MCNs) varied among different breeds for the same gene. The CNVs of Y chromosome genes showed different distribution patterns among Chinese horse breeds, indicating the impact of natural selection on copy numbers. Our results will provide fundamental information for future functional studies.
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5
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Burgoyne PS, Arnold AP. A primer on the use of mouse models for identifying direct sex chromosome effects that cause sex differences in non-gonadal tissues. Biol Sex Differ 2016; 7:68. [PMID: 27999654 PMCID: PMC5154145 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-016-0115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In animals with heteromorphic sex chromosomes, all sex differences originate from the sex chromosomes, which are the only factors that are consistently different in male and female zygotes. In mammals, the imbalance in Y gene expression, specifically the presence vs. absence of Sry, initiates the differentiation of testes in males, setting up lifelong sex differences in the level of gonadal hormones, which in turn cause many sex differences in the phenotype of non-gonadal tissues. The inherent imbalance in the expression of X and Y genes, or in the epigenetic impact of X and Y chromosomes, also has the potential to contribute directly to the sexual differentiation of non-gonadal cells. Here, we review the research strategies to identify the X and Y genes or chromosomal regions that cause direct, sexually differentiating effects on non-gonadal cells. Some mouse models are useful for separating the effects of sex chromosomes from those of gonadal hormones. Once direct “sex chromosome effects” are detected in these models, further studies are required to narrow down the list of candidate X and/or Y genes and then to identify the sexually differentiating genes themselves. Logical approaches to the search for these genes are reviewed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Burgoyne
- Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, Mill Hill Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, The Ridgeway, London, NW7 1AA UK
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239 USA
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Yang X, Deng J, Zheng J, Xia L, Yang Z, Qu L, Chen S, Xu G, Jiang H, Clinton M, Yang N. A Window of MHM Demethylation Correlates with Key Events in Gonadal Differentiation in the Chicken. Sex Dev 2016; 10:152-8. [DOI: 10.1159/000447659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Characterisation and expression analysis of UBC9 and UBS27 genes in developing gonads of cicindelids (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 202:75-82. [PMID: 27524263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitin and small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO) are post-translational modifiers essential in a variety of cellular processes, including gametogenesis. SUMO-conjugating enzyme (UBC9) and the ubiquitin ribosomal fusion protein UBS27 have been characterised in several model species. However, their expression in coleopteran remains unstudied. In this study, UBC9 and UBS27 genes have been characterised in the tiger beetle Cicindela campestris for the first time. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the Cc-UBC9 gene encoded a 159 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 18.18kDa, and the Cc-UBS27 gene encoded a 156 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 17.71kDa. Selection analyses carried out in several cicindelid species revealed that both genes were affected by purifying selection. Real time quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that Cc-UBC9 and Cc-UBS27 were expressed in different tissues. The highest expression on both genes was found in the ovary and testis, and there were differential expression levels between immature and mature stages of testis development. The expression patterns of Cc-UBC9 and Cc-UBS27 suggest that these genes play important roles in gametogenesis in C. campestris. This information is relevant to better understand the reproductive process in cicindelids and the function of ubiquitin and small ubiquitin-related modifier genes in the Coleoptera.
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8
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Hughes JF, Skaletsky H, Koutseva N, Pyntikova T, Page DC. Sex chromosome-to-autosome transposition events counter Y-chromosome gene loss in mammals. Genome Biol 2015; 16:104. [PMID: 26017895 PMCID: PMC4446799 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-015-0667-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the mammalian X and Y chromosomes evolved from a single pair of autosomes, they are highly differentiated: the Y chromosome is dramatically smaller than the X and has lost most of its genes. The surviving genes are a specialized set with extraordinary evolutionary longevity. Most mammalian lineages have experienced delayed, or relatively recent, loss of at least one conserved Y-linked gene. An extreme example of this phenomenon is in the Japanese spiny rat, where the Y chromosome has disappeared altogether. In this species, many Y-linked genes were rescued by transposition to new genomic locations, but until our work presented here, this has been considered an isolated case. RESULTS We describe eight cases of genes that have relocated to autosomes in mammalian lineages where the corresponding Y-linked gene has been lost. These gene transpositions originated from either the X or Y chromosomes, and are observed in diverse mammalian lineages: occurring at least once in marsupials, apes, and cattle, and at least twice in rodents and marmoset. For two genes--EIF1AX/Y and RPS4X/Y--transposition to autosomes occurred independently in three distinct lineages. CONCLUSIONS Rescue of Y-linked gene loss through transposition to autosomes has previously been reported for a single isolated rodent species. However, our findings indicate that this compensatory mechanism is widespread among mammalian species. Thus, Y-linked gene loss emerges as an additional driver of gene transposition from the sex chromosomes, a phenomenon thought to be driven primarily by meiotic sex chromosome inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | | | | | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA. .,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
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Soh YQS, Alföldi J, Pyntikova T, Brown LG, Graves T, Minx PJ, Fulton RS, Kremitzki C, Koutseva N, Mueller JL, Rozen S, Hughes JF, Owens E, Womack JE, Murphy WJ, Cao Q, de Jong P, Warren WC, Wilson RK, Skaletsky H, Page DC. Sequencing the mouse Y chromosome reveals convergent gene acquisition and amplification on both sex chromosomes. Cell 2014; 159:800-13. [PMID: 25417157 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
We sequenced the MSY (male-specific region of the Y chromosome) of the C57BL/6J strain of the laboratory mouse Mus musculus. In contrast to theories that Y chromosomes are heterochromatic and gene poor, the mouse MSY is 99.9% euchromatic and contains about 700 protein-coding genes. Only 2% of the MSY derives from the ancestral autosomes that gave rise to the mammalian sex chromosomes. Instead, all but 45 of the MSY's genes belong to three acquired, massively amplified gene families that have no homologs on primate MSYs but do have acquired, amplified homologs on the mouse X chromosome. The complete mouse MSY sequence brings to light dramatic forces in sex chromosome evolution: lineage-specific convergent acquisition and amplification of X-Y gene families, possibly fueled by antagonism between acquired X-Y homologs. The mouse MSY sequence presents opportunities for experimental studies of a sex-specific chromosome in its entirety, in a genetically tractable model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Q Shirleen Soh
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jessica Alföldi
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Laura G Brown
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tina Graves
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Patrick J Minx
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Robert S Fulton
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Colin Kremitzki
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Natalia Koutseva
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jacob L Mueller
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Steve Rozen
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Elaine Owens
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - James E Womack
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Qing Cao
- BACPAC Resources, Children's Hospital Oakland, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Pieter de Jong
- BACPAC Resources, Children's Hospital Oakland, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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10
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Cortez D, Marin R, Toledo-Flores D, Froidevaux L, Liechti A, Waters PD, Grützner F, Kaessmann H. Origins and functional evolution of Y chromosomes across mammals. Nature 2014; 508:488-93. [DOI: 10.1038/nature13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 383] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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11
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Male-specific region of the bovine Y chromosome is gene rich with a high transcriptomic activity in testis development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:12373-8. [PMID: 23842086 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221104110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The male-specific region of the mammalian Y chromosome (MSY) contains clusters of genes essential for male reproduction. The highly repetitive and degenerative nature of the Y chromosome impedes genomic and transcriptomic characterization. Although the Y chromosome sequence is available for the human, chimpanzee, and macaque, little is known about the annotation and transcriptome of nonprimate MSY. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of the MSY in cattle by direct testis cDNA selection and RNA-seq approaches. The bovine MSY differs radically from the primate Y chromosomes with respect to its structure, gene content, and density. Among the 28 protein-coding genes/families identified on the bovine MSY (12 single- and 16 multicopy genes), 16 are bovid specific. The 1,274 genes identified in this study made the bovine MSY gene density the highest in the genome; in comparison, primate MSYs have only 31-78 genes. Our results, along with the highly transcriptional activities observed from these Y-chromosome genes and 375 additional noncoding RNAs, challenge the widely accepted hypothesis that the MSY is gene poor and transcriptionally inert. The bovine MSY genes are predominantly expressed and are differentially regulated during the testicular development. Synonymous substitution rate analyses of the multicopy MSY genes indicated that two major periods of expansion occurred during the Miocene and Pliocene, contributing to the adaptive radiation of bovids. The massive amplification and vigorous transcription suggest that the MSY serves as a genomic niche regulating male reproduction during bovid expansion.
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12
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Jiménez R, Barrionuevo FJ, Burgos M. Natural exceptions to normal gonad development in mammals. Sex Dev 2012; 7:147-62. [PMID: 22626995 DOI: 10.1159/000338768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonads are the only organs with 2 possible developmental pathways, testis or ovary. A consequence of this unique feature is that mutations in genes controlling gonad development give rise not only to gonadal malformation or dysfunction but also to frequent cases of sex reversal, including XY females, XX males and intersexes. Most of our current knowledge on mammalian sex determination, the genetic process by which the gonadal primordia are committed to differentiate as either testes or ovaries, has derived mainly from the study of sex-reversed mice obtained by direct genetic manipulation. However, there are also numerous cases of natural exceptions to normal gonad development which have been described in a variety of mammals, including both domestic and wild species. Here, we review the most relevant cases of: (1) natural, non-induced sex reversal and intersexuality described in laboratory rodents, including Sxr and B6-Y(DOM) mice; (2) sex reversal in domestic animals, including freemartinism in bovids and pigs, XX sex reversal in pigs, goats and dogs, XY sex reversal in the horse, and sex chromosome chimerism and sex reversal in the cat, and (3) sex reversal in wild mammals, including the generalised true hermaphroditism described in talpid moles, XY sex reversal in Akodon, Microtus and Dicrostonyx species, males lacking a Y chromosome and SRY in Ellobius lutescens, the X* chromosome of Myopus schisticolor, and sex chromosome mosaicism and X0 females in Microtus oregoni. These studies are necessary to elucidate particular aspects of mammalian gonad development in some instances and to understand how the genetic mechanisms controlling gonad development have evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jiménez
- Departamento de Genética e Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Laboratorio 127 CIBM, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, ES–18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.
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13
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Ellis PJI, Yu Y, Zhang S. Transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes and the search for offspring sex-specific antigens in sperm. Reproduction 2011; 142:609-19. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-11-0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to pre-select offspring sex via separation of X- and Y-bearing sperm would have profound ramifications for the animal husbandry industry. No fully satisfactory method is as yet available for any species, although flow sorting is commercially viable for cattle. The discovery of antigens that distinguish X- and Y-bearing sperm, i.e. offspring sex-specific antigens (OSSAs), would allow for batched immunological separation of sperm and thus enable a safer, more widely applicable and high-throughput means of sperm sorting. This review addresses the basic processes of spermatogenesis that have complicated the search for OSSAs, in particular the syncytial development of male germ cells, and the transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes during and after meiosis. We survey the various approaches taken to discover OSSA and propose that a whole-genome transcriptional approach to the problem is the most promising avenue for future research in the field.
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14
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Paria N, Raudsepp T, Pearks Wilkerson AJ, O'Brien PCM, Ferguson-Smith MA, Love CC, Arnold C, Rakestraw P, Murphy WJ, Chowdhary BP. A gene catalogue of the euchromatic male-specific region of the horse Y chromosome: comparison with human and other mammals. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21374. [PMID: 21799735 PMCID: PMC3143126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of the Y chromosome in primates, rodents and carnivores provide compelling evidence that the male specific region of Y (MSY) contains functional genes, many of which have specialized roles in spermatogenesis and male-fertility. Little similarity, however, has been found between the gene content and sequence of MSY in different species. This hinders the discovery of species-specific male fertility genes and limits our understanding about MSY evolution in mammals. Here, a detailed MSY gene catalogue was developed for the horse – an odd-toed ungulate. Using direct cDNA selection from horse testis, and sequence analysis of Y-specific BAC clones, 37 horse MSY genes/transcripts were identified. The genes were mapped to the MSY BAC contig map, characterized for copy number, analyzed for transcriptional profiles by RT-PCR, examined for the presence of ORFs, and compared to other mammalian orthologs. We demonstrate that the horse MSY harbors 20 X-degenerate genes with known orthologs in other eutherian species. The remaining 17 genes are acquired or novel and have so far been identified only in the horse or donkey Y chromosomes. Notably, 3 transcripts were found in the heterochromatic part of the Y. We show that despite substantial differences between the sequence, gene content and organization of horse and other mammalian Y chromosomes, the functions of MSY genes are predominantly related to testis and spermatogenesis. Altogether, 10 multicopy genes with testis-specific expression were identified in the horse MSY, and considered likely candidate genes for stallion fertility. The findings establish an important foundation for the study of Y-linked genetic factors governing fertility in stallions, and improve our knowledge about the evolutionary processes that have shaped Y chromosomes in different mammalian lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandina Paria
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BPC); (TR)
| | - Alison J. Pearks Wilkerson
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | | | | | - Charles C. Love
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Arnold
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter Rakestraw
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - William J. Murphy
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Bhanu P. Chowdhary
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BPC); (TR)
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15
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Heritable artificial sex chromosomes in the medaka, Oryzias latipes. Heredity (Edinb) 2009; 105:247-56. [DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2009.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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16
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Ewen K, Baker M, Wilhelm D, Aitken RJ, Koopman P. Global survey of protein expression during gonadal sex determination in mice. Mol Cell Proteomics 2009; 8:2624-41. [PMID: 19617587 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m900108-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of an embryo as male or female depends on differentiation of the gonads as either testes or ovaries. A number of genes are known to be important for gonadal differentiation, but our understanding of the regulatory networks underpinning sex determination remains fragmentary. To advance our understanding of sexual development beyond the transcriptome level, we performed the first global survey of the mouse gonad proteome at the time of sex determination by using two-dimensional nanoflow LC-MS/MS. The resulting data set contains a total of 1037 gene products (154 non-redundant and 883 redundant proteins) identified from 620 peptides. Functional classification and biological network construction suggested that the identified proteins primarily serve in RNA post-transcriptional modification and trafficking, protein synthesis and folding, and post-translational modification. The data set contains potential novel regulators of gonad development and sex determination not revealed previously by transcriptomics and proteomics studies and more than 60 proteins with potential links to human disorders of sexual development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ewen
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Development, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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17
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Yamauchi Y, Riel JM, Wong SJ, Ojarikre OA, Burgoyne PS, Ward MA. Live offspring from mice lacking the Y chromosome long arm gene complement. Biol Reprod 2009; 81:353-61. [PMID: 19420387 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.076307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse Y chromosome long arm (Yq) comprises approximately 70 Mb of repetitive, male-specific DNA together with a short (0.7-Mb) pseudoautosomal region (PAR). The repetitive non-PAR region (NPYq) encodes genes whose deficiency leads to subfertility and infertility, resulting from impaired spermiogenesis. In XSxr(a)Y*(X) mice, the only Y-specific material is provided by the Y chromosome short arm-derived sex reversal factor Sxr(a), which is attached to the X chromosome PAR; these males (NPYq- males) produce sperm with severely malformed heads and are infertile. In the present study, we investigated sperm function in these mice in the context of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Of 261 oocytes injected, 103 reached the 2-cell stage, and 46 developed to liveborn offspring. Using Xist RT-PCR genotyping as well as gamete and somatic cell karyotyping, all six predicted genotypes were identified among ICSI-derived progeny. The sex chromosome constitution of NPYq- males does not allow production of offspring with the same genotype, but one of the expected offspring genotypes is XY*(X)Sxr(a) (NPYq-(2)), which has the same Y gene complement as NPYq-. Analysis of NPYq-(2) males revealed they had normal-sized testes with ongoing spermatogenesis. Like NPYq- males, these males were infertile, and their sperm had malformed heads that nevertheless fertilized eggs via ICSI. In vitro fertilization (IVF), however, was unsuccessful. Overall, we demonstrated that a lack of NPYq-encoded genes does not interfere with the ability of sperm to fertilize oocytes via ICSI but does prevent fertilization via IVF. Thus, NPYq-encoded gene functions are not required after the sperm have entered the oocyte. The present work also led to development of a new mouse model lacking NPYq gene complement that will facilitate future studies of Y-encoded gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
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18
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Pearks Wilkerson AJ, Raudsepp T, Graves T, Albracht D, Warren W, Chowdhary BP, Skow LC, Murphy WJ. Gene discovery and comparative analysis of X-degenerate genes from the domestic cat Y chromosome☆☆Sequence data from this article have been deposited with the EMBL/GenBank Data Libraries under Accession No. EU879967-EU879988. Genomics 2008; 92:329-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2008.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2008] [Revised: 06/25/2008] [Accepted: 06/30/2008] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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19
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Marchal JA, Acosta MJ, Bullejos M, de la Guardia RD, Sánchez A. Origin and spread of the SRY gene on the X and Y chromosomes of the rodent Microtus cabrerae: Role of L1 elements. Genomics 2008; 91:142-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2007.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2007] [Revised: 10/15/2007] [Accepted: 10/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Baserga M, Hale MA, Ke X, Wang ZM, Yu X, Callaway CW, McKnight RA, Lane RH. Uteroplacental insufficiency increases p53 phosphorylation without triggering the p53-MDM2 functional circuit response in the IUGR rat kidney. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2006; 291:R412-8. [PMID: 16914427 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00880.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI) leads to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which predisposes infants toward renal insufficiency early in life and increases the risk of kidney-related adult morbidities, such as hypertension. This compromised in utero environment has been demonstrated to impair nephrogenesis, as evidenced by a reduced nephron endowment in humans and in rats rendered IUGR by UPI. Concordantly, we have observed that IUGR rats have increased kidney p53 protein levels associated with increased apoptosis. Several factors can regulate p53 gene expression and activity, including posttranslational modifications and protein-protein interactions in the cell. Among these, two important mechanisms are 1) phosphorylation of the amino terminal serine 15 [phospho-p53 (Ser15)], which increases p53 stability and apoptotic activity, and 2) the murine double-minute (MDM2) functional circuit that limits further p53-induced apoptosis by promoting proteosomal degradation of p53. We hypothesize that UPI induces an increase in phospho-p53 (Ser15) in association with an absent MDM2 response, predisposing the kidney to increased apoptosis. To test our hypothesis, we induced IUGR through bilateral uterine artery ligation of the pregnant rat. UPI significantly increased phospho-p53 (Ser15), as well as ataxia teleangiectasia-mutated kinase/A-T-related kinase and dsDNA-activated protein kinase kinase levels, which induce phosphorylation of p53. In contrast, UPI induced no increase in kidney MDM2 mRNA and protein levels in IUGR pups. We conclude that among multiple mechanisms that affect nephrogenesis, UPI induces an increase in p53 phosphorylation without a corresponding increase in MDM2 expression, and we speculate that this response may contribute to the increased apoptosis previously described in the IUGR kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Baserga
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, PO Box 581289, Salt Lake City, UT 84158, USA.
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21
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Murphy WJ, Pearks Wilkerson AJ, Raudsepp T, Agarwala R, Schäffer AA, Stanyon R, Chowdhary BP. Novel gene acquisition on carnivore Y chromosomes. PLoS Genet 2006; 2:e43. [PMID: 16596168 PMCID: PMC1420679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.0020043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2005] [Accepted: 02/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its importance in harboring genes critical for spermatogenesis and male-specific functions, the Y chromosome has been largely excluded as a priority in recent mammalian genome sequencing projects. Only the human and chimpanzee Y chromosomes have been well characterized at the sequence level. This is primarily due to the presumed low overall gene content and highly repetitive nature of the Y chromosome and the ensuing difficulties using a shotgun sequence approach for assembly. Here we used direct cDNA selection to isolate and evaluate the extent of novel Y chromosome gene acquisition in the genome of the domestic cat, a species from a different mammalian superorder than human, chimpanzee, and mouse (currently being sequenced). We discovered four novel Y chromosome genes that do not have functional copies in the finished human male-specific region of the Y or on other mammalian Y chromosomes explored thus far. Two genes are derived from putative autosomal progenitors, and the other two have X chromosome homologs from different evolutionary strata. All four genes were shown to be multicopy and expressed predominantly or exclusively in testes, suggesting that their duplication and specialization for testis function were selected for because they enhance spermatogenesis. Two of these genes have testis-expressed, Y-borne copies in the dog genome as well. The absence of the four newly described genes on other characterized mammalian Y chromosomes demonstrates the gene novelty on this chromosome between mammalian orders, suggesting it harbors many lineage-specific genes that may go undetected by traditional comparative genomic approaches. Specific plans to identify the male-specific genes encoded in the Y chromosome of mammals should be a priority. Y chromosomes are typically gene poor and enriched with repetitive elements, making them difficult to sequence by standard methods. Hence, the Y chromosome gene repertoire in mammalian species other than human has not been explored until very recently. Here the authors used a directed approach to isolate Y chromosome genes of the domestic cat, an evolutionary divergent species from human and mouse. They found that the feline Y chromosome harbors its own unique set of genes that are expressed specifically in the testes, presumably where they play an important role in spermatogenesis. Paralleling the discoveries seen from the full human Y chromosome sequence, the feline Y chromosome has acquired and remodeled some genes from autosomes, while other genes have a shared ancestry with the X chromosome. However, none of the four new genes are found on the Y chromosomes of human or mouse, although two are shared with the canine Y chromosome. This work highlights the Y chromosome as a source of potential gene novelty in different species and suggests that more directed efforts at characterizing this hitherto understudied chromosome will further enrich our understanding of the types of genes found there and the roles they may play in mammalian spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Murphy
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
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22
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Fujino RS, Ishikawa YI, Tanaka K, Kanatsu-Shinohara M, Tamura K, Kogo H, Shinohara T, Hara T. Capillary morphogenesis gene (CMG)-1 is among the genes differentially expressed in mouse male germ line stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Mol Reprod Dev 2006; 73:955-66. [PMID: 16705683 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We recently established a technique to expand male germ line stem (GS) cells in long-term culture without losing their spermatogenic capacity. To gain insight into the genetic program of these cells, we compared the mRNA expression profile of GS cells with that of embryonic stem (ES) cells using DNA microarrays. We found 79 genes that were upregulated in GS cells compared to ES cells, including synaptonemal complex protein-1, deleted in azoospermia-like, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2B, and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1, all of which are functionally important for spermatogenesis. In addition, we identified a cDNA encoding the mouse ortholog of capillary morphogenesis gene (CMG)-1. CMG-1 transcripts were predominantly produced in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in mouse testis. When CMG-1 expression was attenuated in a mouse spermatocyte-derived cell line, GC-2spd(ts), by a target-specific short interfering RNA, the morphology of the cells was changed and the expression of cyclin D2 was abrogated. A reporter assay using a genomic region upstream of the mouse cyclin D2 gene revealed that this downmodulation occurs at the transcriptional level. We detected FLAG-tagged CMG-1 protein in the nuclei of transfected COS7 cells, suggesting that CMG-1 may play a unique role in the transcriptional regulation of the cyclin D2 gene. The upregulated GS genes identified in this study will provide useful information for the future investigation of spermatogonial stem cells and the early phase of male germ cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryu-Suke Fujino
- Stem cell project group, The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Metropolitan Organization for Medical Research, Tokyo, Japan
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23
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Wolf U, Schempp W, Scherer G. Molecular biology of the human Y chromosome. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2005; 121:147-213. [PMID: 1485072 DOI: 10.1007/bfb0033195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- U Wolf
- Institut für Humangenetik und Anthropologie der Universität, Freiburg, FRG
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Baserga M, Hale MA, McKnight RA, Yu X, Callaway CW, Lane RH. Uteroplacental insufficiency alters hepatic expression, phosphorylation, and activity of the glucocorticoid receptor in fetal IUGR rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2005; 289:R1348-53. [PMID: 16002560 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00211.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI) induces persistent changes in hepatic gene expression secondary to altered chromatin dynamics in the intrauterine growth- restricted (IUGR) rat liver. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a transcription factor that when activated can induce changes in chromatin structure. To begin the process of identifying pathways by which IUGR affects chromatin structure, we hypothesized that UPI in the rat induces a significant increase in endogenous glucocorticoids (corticosterone) and increases GR expression and activation. To prove our hypothesis, we induced IUGR through bilateral uterine artery ligation of the pregnant rat. At day 1, UPI significantly increased corticosterone levels and was associated with increased total GR mRNA and protein levels in the liver, as well as increased hepatic phosphorylation of GR serine 211. Moreover, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) cyclinA/CDK2 protein levels, which selectively phosphorylate GR serine 211, were also significantly increased. To assess activity of the GR, we measured protein levels of the transcription factor p53 whose levels are downregulated, at least in part, by active GR. In this study, UPI decreased p53 protein and its downstream target Bax mRNA levels. We conclude that UPI in rats affects GR expression and activity in the liver. We speculate that these alterations early in life may contribute to the changes in chromatin structure and gene expression previously described in the IUGR liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Baserga
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, PO Box 581289, Salt Lake City, Utah 84158, USA.
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25
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Lepretre AC, Patrat C, Mitchell M, Jouannet P, Bienvenu T. No partial DAZ deletions but frequent gene conversion events on the Y chromosome of fertile men. J Assist Reprod Genet 2005; 22:141-8. [PMID: 16021857 PMCID: PMC3455284 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-005-4910-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Recently, partial DAZ deletions on the Y chromosome were identified in infertile men. To determine the clinical importance of partial DAZ deletion, we studied the number of DAZ copies in a well-defined population of 47 fertile men. METHODS The number of DAZ gene copies was determined by PCR assays, qualitative and quantitative DNA blot experiments. RESULTS Using semi-quantitative Southern blot, no partial DAZ deletion was detected in fertile men. In many cases, the results were discordant with the PCR assays and qualitative DYS1-blot experiments suggesting that the molecular events detected by the later methods could reflect gene conversion events. Many fertile men present four copies of the DAZ genes but an atypical organization of this DAZ locus. No difference in sperm concentration and motility in the fertile men were observed according to the different DAZ-haplotypes. CONCLUSION The different DAZ-haplotypes are compatible with normal spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Claire Lepretre
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaires, CHU Cochin, 123 bld de Port-Royal, 75014 Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Biologic de la Reproduction—CECOS; Hôpital Cochin (AP-HP), Université Paris V, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Patrat
- Laboratoire de Biologic de la Reproduction—CECOS; Hôpital Cochin (AP-HP), Université Paris V, Paris, France
| | | | - Pierre Jouannet
- Laboratoire de Biologic de la Reproduction—CECOS; Hôpital Cochin (AP-HP), Université Paris V, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Bienvenu
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaires, CHU Cochin, 123 bld de Port-Royal, 75014 Paris, France
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Fu Q, McKnight RA, Yu X, Wang L, Callaway CW, Lane RH. Uteroplacental insufficiency induces site-specific changes in histone H3 covalent modifications and affects DNA-histone H3 positioning in day 0 IUGR rat liver. Physiol Genomics 2004; 20:108-16. [PMID: 15494474 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00175.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Uteroplacental insufficiency and subsequent intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) increase the risk of adult onset insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in humans and rats. IUGR rats are further characterized by postnatal alterations in hepatic PPAR-γ coactivator (PGC-1) and carnitine-palmitoyl-transferase I (CPTI) expression, as well as overall hyperacetylation of histone H3. However, it is unknown whether the histone H3 hyperacetylation is site specific or relates to the changes in gene expression previously described in IUGR rats. We therefore hypothesized that uteroplacental insufficiency causes site-specific modifications in hepatic H3 acetylation and affects the association of acetylated histone H3 with PGC-1 and CPTI promoter sequences. Uteroplacental insufficiency was used to produce asymmetrical IUGR rats. IUGR significantly increased acetylation of H3 lysine-9 (H3/K9), lysine-14 (H3/K14), and lysine-18 (H3/K18) at day 0 of life, and these changes occurred in association with decreased nuclear protein levels of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and HDAC activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation using acetyl-H3/K9 antibody and day 0 chromatin revealed that uteroplacental insufficiency affected the association between acetylated H3/K9 and the promoters of PGC-1 and CPTI, respectively, in IUGR liver. At day 21 of life, the neonatal pattern of H3 hyperacetylation persisted only in the IUGR males. We conclude that uteroplacental insufficiency increases H3 acetylation in a site-specific manner in IUGR liver and that these changes persist in male IUGR animals. The altered association of the PGC-1 and CPTI promoters with acetylated H3/K9 correlates with previous reports of IUGR altering the expression of these genes. We speculate that in utero alterations of chromatin structure contribute to fetal programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Fu
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Salt Lake City 84132-2202, USA
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27
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Molyneaux KA, Wang Y, Schaible K, Wylie C. Transcriptional profiling identifies genes differentially expressed during and after migration in murine primordial germ cells. Gene Expr Patterns 2004; 4:167-81. [PMID: 15161097 DOI: 10.1016/j.modgep.2003.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2003] [Revised: 09/03/2003] [Accepted: 09/04/2003] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) are migratory until they colonize the genital ridges, assemble with the somatic tissue, and start to differentiate into oocytes or spermatogonia. Using cell transplantation experiments, we show here that germ cells isolated during migration (at E10.5) will migrate actively to the genital ridges, whereas post-migratory PGCs isolated from E12.5 embryos are non-motile even when transferred into a permissive environment (e.g. E10.5 host tissue). Major transcriptional changes must take place between E10.5 and E12.5 that convert germ cells from a migratory to a non-migratory state. To identify the genes involved, we have performed transcriptional profiling of motile and non-motile populations of PGCs. We have identified 55 transcripts that are expressed in E10.5 PGCs at levels at least 3 x their expression at E12.5, and 48 transcripts with the reciprocal expression levels. Additionally, 309 transcripts were found to be expressed in both populations. Many of the E10.5 transcripts encode proteins involved in controlling cytoskeletal and adhesive interactions implicated in cell motility. Many of the E12.5 transcripts encode proteins implicated in germ cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A Molyneaux
- Division of Developmental Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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28
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Escalier D, Bai XY, Silvius D, Xu PX, Xu X. Spermatid nuclear and sperm periaxonemal anomalies in the mouse Ube2b null mutant. Mol Reprod Dev 2003; 65:298-308. [PMID: 12784252 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.10290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ube2b (yeast Ubc2b/Rad6 homolog) null mice were described previously. Ube2b encodes the murine ubiquitin conjugating enzyme mHR6B. Ube2b(-/-) mice were shown to present male infertility and their sperm head shape anomalies suggested that Ube2b may be involved in the replacement of nuclear proteins during spermatid chromatin condensation. Apoptosis of spermatocytes suggested additional targets of Ube2b during spermatogenesis. Consistently, we found Ube2b transcription in both meiotic and postmeiotic stages by in situ hybridization. Immuno-electron microscopy revealed that transition proteins 1 and 2, protamines 1 and 2, and actin appear normally distributed during morphogenesis of Ube2b(-/-) spermatid heads. Surprisingly, electron microscopy revealed a particular sperm flagellum phenotype characterized by an abnormal distribution of periaxonemal structures. Flagellar anomalies of Ube2b null mice were previously described in infertile men indicating a possible genetic pathway for flagellar periaxonemal assembly in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Escalier
- Histologie Fonctionnelle et Moléculaire, Université Paris 5 and INSERM U.407, France.
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29
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Oughtred R, Bedard N, Adegoke OAJ, Morales CR, Trasler J, Rajapurohitam V, Wing SS. Characterization of rat100, a 300-kilodalton ubiquitin-protein ligase induced in germ cells of the rat testis and similar to the Drosophila hyperplastic discs gene. Endocrinology 2002; 143:3740-7. [PMID: 12239083 DOI: 10.1210/en.2002-220262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Conjugation of ubiquitin to proteins is activated during spermatogenesis. Ubiquitination is mediated by ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (UBCs or E2s), and ubiquitin protein ligases (E3s). Since we previously showed that the activated ubiquitination is UBC4 dependent, we characterized Rat100, a UBC4-dependent E3 expressed in the testis. Analysis of expressed sequence tag sequences and immunoblotting showed that Rat100 is actually a 300-kDa protein expressed mainly in the brain and testis and is similar to the human E3 identified by differential display (EDD) protein and the Drosophila hyperplastic discs gene, mutants of which cause a defect in spermatogenesis. Rat100 is induced during postnatal development of the rat testis, peaking at d 25. It is localized only in germ cells and is highly expressed in spermatocytes, moderately in round and slightly in elongating spermatids. In contrast to UBC4 whose removal from a testis extract abrogates much of the conjugation activity, immmunodepletion of Rat100 from the extracts had little effect. Rat100 therefore has a limited subset of substrates, some of which appear associated with the E3 as the immunoprecipitate containing Rat100 supported incorporation of (125)I-ubiquitin into high molecular weight proteins. Thus, Rat100 is the homolog of human EDD and likely of Drosophila hyperplastic discs. This homology, together with our results, suggests that induction of this E3 results in ubiquitination of specific substrates, some of which are important in male germ cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Oughtred
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 2B2
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30
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Fernández R, Barragán MJL, Bullejos M, Marchal JA, Martínez S, Díaz de la Guardia R, Sánchez A. Mapping the SRY gene in Microtus cabrerae: a vole species with multiple SRY copies in males and females. Genome 2002; 45:600-3. [PMID: 12033630 DOI: 10.1139/g02-007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The SRY gene is a single-copy, male-specific gene, located on the Y chromosome in most mammals. However, recently we have described the presence of multiple polymorphic copies of this gene in both males and females of the vole species Microtus cabrerae. Here, we present the chromosomal localization of SRY gene copies in this species by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). This technique localized these gene copies in the short arm, and hence in the euchromatic region, of the Y chromosome. Furthermore, several copies of the SRY gene are located on the X chromosome. These copies are spread along the entire heterochromatic region of the X chromosome, occupying the whole short arm, the centromeric region, and the pericentromeric region of the long arm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Fernández
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de A Coruña, Spain
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31
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Rohozinski J, Agoulnik AI, Boettger-Tong HL, Bishop CE. Successful targeting of mouse Y chromosome genes using a site-directed insertion vector. Genesis 2002; 32:1-7. [PMID: 11835668 DOI: 10.1002/gene.10020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Gene targeting via homologous recombination in mouse ES cells is now a routine method for addressing gene function in vivo. Several hundred genes mapping to all autosomes and the X chromosome have been mutated and analyzed in this way. In contrast, despite repeated attempts in several laboratories, including our own, there have been no reports of successful targeting of mouse Y chromosome genes. We show here that this problem can be overcome through the use of insertional targeting, rather than the usual replacement strategy. Using this method we have successfully targeted the mouse Y located Dby (dead box Y) and Eif2s3y (elongation initiation factor) genes. In addition, as Y chromosome genes are transcribed in ES cells, successful targeting and disruption of gene expression can be easily confirmed by RTPCR analysis of selected clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rohozinski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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32
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Mazeyrat S, Saut N, Grigoriev V, Mahadevaiah SK, Ojarikre OA, Bishop C, Eicher EM, Mitchell MJ, Burgoyne PS. A Y-encoded subunit of the translation initiation factor Eif2 is essential for mouse spermatogenesis. Nat Genet 2001; 29:49-53. [PMID: 11528390 DOI: 10.1038/ng717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In mouse and man, deletions of specific regions of the Y chromosome have been linked to early failure of spermatogenesis and consequent sterility; the Y chromosomal gene(s) with this essential early role in spermatogenesis have not been identified. The partial deletion of the mouse Y short arm (the Sxrb deletion) that occurred when Tp(Y)1CtSxr-b (hereafter Sxrb) arose from Tp(Y)1CTSxr-b (hereafter Sxra) defines Spy, a Y chromosomal factor essential for normal spermatogonial proliferation. Molecular analysis has identified six genes that lie within the deletion: Ube1y1 (refs. 4,5), Smcy, Uty, Usp9y (also known as Dffry), Eif2s3y (also known as Eif-2gammay) and Dby10; all have closely similar X-encoded homologs. Of the Y-encoded genes, Ube1y1 and Dby have been considered strong candidates for mouse Spy function, whereas Smcy has been effectively ruled out as a candidate. There is no Ube1y1 homolog in man, and DBY, either alone or in conjunction with USP9Y, is the favored candidate for an early spermatogenic role. Here we show that introduction of Ube1y1 and Dby as transgenes into Sxrb-deletion mice fails to overcome the spermatogenic block. However, the introduction of Eif2s3y restores normal spermatogonial proliferation and progression through meiotic prophase. Therefore, Eif2s3y, which encodes a subunit of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor Eif2, is Spy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mazeyrat
- Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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33
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Døskeland AP, Flatmark T. Conjugation of phenylalanine hydroxylase with polyubiquitin chains catalysed by rat liver enzymes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2001; 1547:379-86. [PMID: 11410294 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4838(01)00206-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH, EC 1.14.16.1) is a highly regulated liver enzyme which catalyses the conversion of L-phenylalanine to L-tyrosine, the rate-limiting step in the catabolic pathway of this amino acid. Among the approx. 400 different mutations of human (h) PAH, frequently associated with the metabolic disease phenylketonuria, a low stability is a characteristic property when expressed in eucaryotic cells. In this study, the pathway of hPAH degradation is addressed with focus on its conjugation with polyubiquitin chains catalysed by the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme system (E1, E2, E3) isolated from rat liver by covalent affinity chromatography on ubiquitin-Sepharose. In the reconstituted in vitro ubiquitination assay, the enzyme system catalysed both the formation of free polyubiquitin chains and the polyubiquitination of wild-type (wt) hPAH and its 'catalytic domain' (DeltaN102/DeltaC24-hPAH) as visualized by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The ubiquitination of wt-PAH may play a role in the degradation of this liver enzyme notably of its many unstable disease-associated mutant forms. The present approach may also have a more general application in the study of liver proteins as possible targets for ubiquitination.
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Affiliation(s)
- A P Døskeland
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Arstadveien 19, N-5009, Bergen, Norway
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34
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Abstract
It was suggested by Ronald Fisher in 1931 that genes involved in benefit to the male (including spermatogenesis genes) would accumulate on the Y chromosome. The analysis of mouse Y chromosome deletions and the discovery of microdeletions of the human Y chromosome associated with diverse defective spermatogenic phenotypes has revealed the presence of intervals containing one or more genes controlling male germ cell differentiation. These intervals have been mapped, cloned and examined in detail for functional genes. This review discusses the genes mapping to critical spermatogenesis intervals and the evidence indicating which are the most likely candidates underlying Y-linked male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- N A Affara
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, UK
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35
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Abstract
We have previously cloned a cDNA encoding TBP-1, a protein present in the rat spermatid manchette and outer dense fibers of the developing sperm. TBP-1 contains a heptad repeat of six-leucine zipper fingers at the amino terminus and highly conserved ATPase and DNA/RNA helicase motifs toward the carboxyl terminus. TBP-1 is one of the 20 subunits forming the 19S regulatory complex of the 26S proteasome, an ATP-dependent multisubunit protease found in most eukaryotic cells. We now report the isolation of the 26S proteasome from rat testis and sperm tail and its visualization by whole-mount electron microscopy using negative staining. The 26S proteasome from rat testis was fractionated by Sephacryl S-400/Mono-Q chromatography using homogenates suspended in a 10% glycerol-supplemented buffer. Chromatographic fractions were analyzed by immunoblotting using a specific anti-TBP-1 serum. During the purification of Sak57, a keratin filament present in outer dense fibers from epididymal sperm, we detected a substantial amount of 26S proteasomes. Intact 26S proteasomes from rat testis display a rod-shaped particles about 45 nm in length and 11-17 nm in diameter. Each particle consists of a 20S barrel-shaped component formed by four rings (alphabetabetaalpha), capped by two polar 19S regulatory complexes, each identified by an element known as the "Chinese dragon head motif". TBP-1 is an ATPase-containing subunit of the 19S regulatory cap. Rat sperm preparations displayed both dissociated 26S proteasomes and Sak57 filaments. We hypothesize that 26S proteasomes in the perinuclear-arranged manchette are in a suitable location for recognition, sequestration, and degradation of accumulating ubiquitin-conjugated somatic and transient testis-specific histones during spermiogenesis. In the sperm tail, the 26S proteasome may have a role in the remodeling of the outer dense fibers and other tail components during epididymal transit.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Mochida
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomical Sciences, The City University of New York Medical School, New York, NY 10031, USA
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36
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Watson CM, Hughes RL, Cooper DW, Gemmell RT, Loebel DA, Johnston PG. Sexual development in marsupials: genetic characterization of bandicoot siblings with scrotal and testicular maldevelopment. Mol Reprod Dev 2000; 57:127-34. [PMID: 10984412 DOI: 10.1002/1098-2795(200010)57:2<127::aid-mrd3>3.0.co;2-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In marsupials testis determination requires the presence of a Y chromosome. The sex determining region on the Y gene (SRY) is necessary for testicular development in eutherians and it is assumed to play a similar role in marsupials. Relatively few studies have investigated the genetic basis of sexual development, and as yet there is no direct evidence that SRY is required for testis development in marsupials. Studies on intersexual marsupials have revealed a fundamental difference between marsupial and eutherian sex determination. The scrotum of marsupials is analogous, not homologous, to the eutherian scrotum and is under the control of X-linked genes not androgens. The current study describes two bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) siblings. Both siblings had underdeveloped male reproductive tracts and testicular dysgenesis, one was ascrotal and the other had a diminutive scrotum. Their karyotypes were normal for this species which eliminates the Y chromosome from some somatic tissues. SRY was detected by Southern blotting. SRY, ubiquitin activating enzyme-1 on the Y (UBE1Y) and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene expression were examined. UBE1Y was widely expressed in many tissues. SRY gene expression was much lower than normal in the abnormal siblings and may be responsible for their failure of testicular and epididymal development. The cause of their scrotal abnormalities is unknown. It is possible that the separate defects of scrotal and testis development in the two siblings, which had normal relatives, were due to a mutation in a gene common to both developmental pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Watson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Environmental and Life Sciences, Macquarie University, N.S.W., Australia
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37
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Salvat C, Acquaviva C, Scheffner M, Robbins I, Piechaczyk M, Jariel-Encontre I. Molecular characterization of the thermosensitive E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme cell mutant A31N-ts20. Requirements upon different levels of E1 for the ubiquitination/degradation of the various protein substrates in vivo. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 2000; 267:3712-22. [PMID: 10848989 DOI: 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01404.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
According to our current knowledge, protein ubiquitination involves three steps: activation of ubiquitin through formation of an energy-rich bond with an E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme; and transfer of activated ubiquitin onto E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, which, in turn, alone, or in combination with E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase enzymes, transfer ubiquitin onto target proteins. A31N-ts20 cells are mouse embryo fibroblasts, thermosensitive for E1. We show here that: (a) the enzymatic activity of the enzyme is heat-inactivatable in vitro; and (b) a major mechanism responsible for E1 inactivation in vivo consists of accelerated destruction. Surprisingly, a >90% reduction in E1 abundance little alters the formation of the bulk of protein-ubiquitin conjugates when A31N-ts20 cells are grown at the nonpermissive temperature, indicating that cautious interpretation of results is required when studying ubiquitination of specific substrates using this cell line. Surprisingly, our data also indicate that, in vivo, ubiquitination of the various protein substrates in A31N-ts20 cells requires different amounts of E1, indicating that this mutant cell line can be used for unveiling the existence of differences in the intimate mechanisms responsible for the ubiquitination of the various cell proteins in vivo, and for providing criteria of reliability when developing in vitro ubiquitination assays for specific proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Salvat
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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38
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Mitchell MJ. Spermatogenesis and the mouse Y chromosome: specialisation out of decay. Results Probl Cell Differ 2000; 28:233-70. [PMID: 10626301 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-48461-5_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M J Mitchell
- Inserm U.491, Faculté de médecine, Marseille, France
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39
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Bergstrom DE, Young M, Albrecht KH, Eicher EM. Related function of mouse SOX3, SOX9, and SRY HMG domains assayed by male sex determination. Genesis 2000. [DOI: 10.1002/1526-968x(200011/12)28:3/4<111::aid-gene40>3.0.co;2-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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40
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Loyer V, Fontaine P, Pion S, Hétu F, Roy DC, Perreault C. The In Vivo Fate of APCs Displaying Minor H Antigen and/or MHC Differences Is Regulated by CTLs Specific for Immunodominant Class I-Associated Epitopes. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 1999. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.163.12.6462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The goal of this work was to evaluate the fate of APCs following interactions with T cells in unprimed mice with a normal T cell repertoire. We elaborated a model in which male adherent peritoneal mononuclear cells were injected into the foreleg footpads of naive female recipients mismatched for either minor or major histocompatibility Ags. At various times after injection, APC numbers in the draining (axillary and brachial) lymph nodes were assessed using a Ube1y gene-specific PCR assay. Our experimental model was designed so that the number of APCs expressing the priming epitope was similar to what is observed under real life conditions. Thus, early after injection, the frequency of afferent lymph-derived APCs expressing the priming epitope was in the range of 101–102/106 lymph node cells. We found that APCs presenting some, but not all, nonself epitopes were killed rapidly after entrance into the lymph nodes. Rapid elimination of APCs occurred following interactions with MHC class I-restricted, but not class II-restricted, T cells and was observed when APCs presented an immunodominant (B6dom1/H7a), but not a nondominant (HY), epitope. Killing of APCs was mediated partly, but not exclusively, by perforin-dependent process. We propose that killing of APCs by CTLs specific for immunodominant MHC class I-restricted epitopes may be instrumental in regulating the intensity, duration, and diversity of T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Loyer
- Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pierre Fontaine
- Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stéphane Pion
- Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Francis Hétu
- Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Denis-Claude Roy
- Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Claude Perreault
- Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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41
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Bullejos M, Sánchez A, Burgos M, Jiménez R, Díaz De La Guardia R. Multiple mono- and polymorphic Y-linked copies of the SRY HMG-box in microtidae. CYTOGENETICS AND CELL GENETICS 1999; 86:46-50. [PMID: 10516432 DOI: 10.1159/000015428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination in mammals is controlled by SRY (sex-determining region of the Y chromosome), a single-copy gene located on the Y-specific region. Several exceptions to this rule have been described: some rodent species present Y-specific multiple copies (either mono- or polymorphic) of this gene, and two Ellobius species and one Tokudaia species determine sex without a Y chromosome or the SRY gene. Recently, we have described multiple polymorphic copies of the SRY gene in both males and females of the vole species Microtus cabrerae. The female location and the presence of stop codons in some copies from males and females also suggest that they are nonfunctional copies of this gene (pseudogenes). We have investigated the SRY HMG-box in nine species of the family Microtidae; we report here the presence, in eight of these species, of multiple mono- or polymorphic copies of the SRY gene located on the Y chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bullejos
- Departamento de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
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42
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Rajapurohitam V, Morales CR, El-Alfy M, Lefrançois S, Bedard N, Wing SS. Activation of a UBC4-dependent pathway of ubiquitin conjugation during postnatal development of the rat testis. Dev Biol 1999; 212:217-28. [PMID: 10419697 DOI: 10.1006/dbio.1999.9342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
During spermatogenesis, germ cells undergo mitotic and meiotic divisions to form haploid round spermatids which mature to functional elongated spermatozoa. During this process there occurs remodeling of cell structure and loss of most of the cytoplasm and a large fraction of cellular proteins. To evaluate the role of the ubiquitin proteolytic system in this protein loss, we measured levels of ubiquitinated proteins and rates of ubiquitin conjugation in extracts of testes from rats of different ages. Endogenous ubiquitin-protein conjugates increased till day 30 and then reached a plateau. In parallel, there was a progressive increase in the rate of conjugation of ubiquitin to proteins in testis extracts from these animals. To test the importance of two major ubiquitin conjugating enzyme families in the conjugation, immunoprecipitation of UBC2 or UBC4 from 10- and 30-day-old testis extracts was carried out and the remaining conjugation activity in supernatants was assayed. Depletion of either enzyme family resulted in decreased conjugation. However, most of the conjugation activity and, more importantly, the increased conjugation during development were UBC4-dependent. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated a marked increase in expression of UBC4 in spermatids, consistent with the UBC4-dependent activation of conjugation seen in vitro. In situ hybridization studies evaluated the contribution of various UBC4 isoforms to this induction. UBC4-1 mRNA was expressed in most cells. UBC4-2 mRNA was restricted to germ cells with high levels of expression in round and elongated spermatids. UBC4-testis had previously been shown to be expressed only in spermatids. Our data suggest that induction of various UBC4 isoforms activates overall conjugation and plays an important role in the cellular remodeling and protein loss occurring during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Rajapurohitam
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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43
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Delbridge ML, Lingenfelter PA, Disteche CM, Graves JA. The candidate spermatogenesis gene RBMY has a homologue on the human X chromosome. Nat Genet 1999; 22:223-4. [PMID: 10391206 DOI: 10.1038/10279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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44
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Abstract
Ubiquitin is a ubiquitous and highly conserved protein of 76 amino acid residues, that can be covalently attached to cellular acceptor proteins. The attachment of ubiquitin to target proteins is achieved through a multi-step enzymatic pathway, which involves activities of ubiquitin-activating E1 enzymes, ubiquitin-conjugating E2 enzymes, and ligating E3 enzymes. Mono- or poly-ubiquitination of proteins can lead to protein degradation or modification of protein activity. Many components of the complex ubiquitin system show remarkable evolutionary conservation, from yeast to mammalian species. The ubiquitin system is essential to all eukaryotic cells. Among others, several signal transduction cascades show involvement of the ubiquitin system, but there are currently little data supporting a specific role of the ubiquitin system in hormonal control of reproduction. Interestingly, during gametogenesis, many specialized and important aspects of the ubiquitin system become apparent. Components of the ubiquitin system appear to be involved in different steps and processes during gametogenesis, including control of meiosis, and reorganization of chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Baarends
- Department of Endocrinology and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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45
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Kwon YT, Kashina AS, Varshavsky A. Alternative splicing results in differential expression, activity, and localization of the two forms of arginyl-tRNA-protein transferase, a component of the N-end rule pathway. Mol Cell Biol 1999; 19:182-93. [PMID: 9858543 PMCID: PMC83877 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.19.1.182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/1998] [Accepted: 10/06/1998] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-end rule relates the in vivo half-life of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue. The underlying ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system, called the N-end rule pathway, is organized hierarchically: N-terminal aspartate and glutamate (and also cysteine in metazoans) are secondary destabilizing residues, in that they function through their conjugation, by arginyl-tRNA-protein transferase (R-transferase), to arginine, a primary destabilizing residue. We isolated cDNA encoding the 516-residue mouse R-transferase, ATE1p, and found two species, termed Ate1-1 and Ate1-2. The Ate1 mRNAs are produced through a most unusual alternative splicing that retains one or the other of the two homologous 129-bp exons, which are adjacent in the mouse Ate1 gene. Human ATE1 also contains the alternative 129-bp exons, whereas the plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) and fly (Drosophila melanogaster) Ate1 genes encode a single form of ATE1p. A fusion of ATE1-1p with green fluorescent protein (GFP) is present in both the nucleus and the cytosol, whereas ATE1-2p-GFP is exclusively cytosolic. Mouse ATE1-1p and ATE1-2p were examined by expressing them in ate1Delta Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of test substrates that included Asp-betagal (beta-galactosidase) and Cys-betagal. Both forms of the mouse R-transferase conferred instability on Asp-betagal (but not on Cys-betagal) through the arginylation of its N-terminal Asp, the ATE1-1p enzyme being more active than ATE1-2p. The ratio of Ate1-1 to Ate1-2 mRNA varies greatly among the mouse tissues; it is approximately 0.1 in the skeletal muscle, approximately 0.25 in the spleen, approximately 3.3 in the liver and brain, and approximately 10 in the testis, suggesting that the two R-transferases are functionally distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y T Kwon
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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Ehrmann IE, Ellis PS, Mazeyrat S, Duthie S, Brockdorff N, Mattei MG, Gavin MA, Affara NA, Brown GM, Simpson E, Mitchell MJ, Scott DM. Characterization of genes encoding translation initiation factor eIF-2gamma in mouse and human: sex chromosome localization, escape from X-inactivation and evolution. Hum Mol Genet 1998; 7:1725-37. [PMID: 9736774 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/7.11.1725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Delta Sxrb interval of the mouse Y chromosome is critical for spermatogenesis and expression of the male-specific minor transplantation antigen H-Y. Several genes have been mapped to this interval and each has a homologue on the X chromosome. Four, Zfy1 , Zfy2 , Ube1y and Dffry , are expressed specifically in the testis and their X homologues are not transcribed from the inactive X chromosome. A further two, Smcy and Uty , are ubiquitously expressed and their X homologues escape X-inactivation. Here we report the identification of another gene from this region of the mouse Y chromosome. It encodes the highly conserved eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-2gamma. In the mouse this gene is ubiquitously expressed, has an X chromosome homologue which maps close to Dmd and escapes X-inactivation. The coding regions of the X and Y genes show 86% nucleotide identity and encode putative products with 98% amino acid identity. In humans, the eIF-2gamma structural gene is located on the X chromosome at Xp21 and this also escapes X-inactivation. However, there is no evidence of a Y copy of this gene in humans. We have identified autosomal retroposons of eIF-2gamma in both humans and mice and an additional retroposon on the X chromosome in some mouse strains. Ark blot analysis of eutherian and metatherian genomic DNA indicates that X-Y homologues are present in all species tested except simian primates and kangaroo and that retroposons are common to a wide range of mammals. These results shed light on the evolution of X-Y homologous genes.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Blotting, Northern
- Chromosome Mapping
- Chromosomes, Human
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12
- Cloning, Molecular
- Dosage Compensation, Genetic
- Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2/genetics
- Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2/metabolism
- Evolution, Molecular
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Mammals/genetics
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred CBA
- Mice, Inbred Strains
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Retroelements
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Sex Chromosomes
- X Chromosome
- Y Chromosome
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Affiliation(s)
- I E Ehrmann
- Transplantation Biology Group, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 ONN, UK
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Mazeyrat S, Saut N, Sargent CA, Grimmond S, Longepied G, Ehrmann IE, Ellis PS, Greenfield A, Affara NA, Mitchell MJ. The mouse Y chromosome interval necessary for spermatogonial proliferation is gene dense with syntenic homology to the human AZFa region. Hum Mol Genet 1998; 7:1713-24. [PMID: 9736773 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/7.11.1713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Delta Sxrb deletion interval of the mouse Y chromosome contains Spy, a spermatogenesis factor gene(s) whose expression is essential for the postnatal development of the mitotic germ cells, spermatogonia. The boundaries of Delta Sxrb are defined by the duplicated genes Zfy1 and Zfy2 and four further genes have previously been mapped within the interval: Ube1y and Smcy, linked with Zfy1 on a contig of 250 kb, and Dffry and Uty, which were unanchored. The interval was estimated to be >450 kb. In order to identify any further gene(s) that may underlie Spy, systematic exon trapping was performed on an extended contig, anchored on Zfy1, which covers 750 kb of the Delta Sxrb interval. Exons from two novel genes were isolated and placed together with Dffry and Uty on the contig in the order Dffry-Dby-Uty-Tspy-Eif2gammay-Smcy- Ube1y-Zfy1. All the genes, with the double exception of Tspy, are X-Y homologous and produce putatively functional, spliced transcripts. The tight linkage and order of Dffry, Dby and Uty was shown to be conserved in deletion intervals 5C/5D of the human Y chromosome by the construction of a contig of human PAC and YAC clones; this represents the first example of syntenic homology between Y chromosomes from two distinct mammalian orders. Interval 5C/5D contains the distal boundary of the AZFa interval, which, like Delta Sxrb, is believed to be necessary for spermatogonial development in the prepubertal testis. Our results therefore show that AZFa and Spy may be encoded by homologous genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mazeyrat
- INSERM U491, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
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48
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Visser JA, McLuskey A, Verhoef-Post M, Kramer P, Grootegoed JA, Themmen AP. Effect of prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol on Müllerian duct development in fetal male mice. Endocrinology 1998; 139:4244-51. [PMID: 9751506 DOI: 10.1210/endo.139.10.6215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The clinical use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) by pregnant women has resulted in an increased incidence of genital carcinoma in the daughters born from these pregnancies. Also, in the so-called DES-sons abnormalities were found, mainly, the presence of Müllerian duct remnants, which indicates that fetal exposure to DES may have an effect on male sex differentiation. Fetal regression of the Müllerian ducts is under testicular control through anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). In male mice, treated in utero with DES, the Müllerian ducts do not regress completely, although DES-exposed testes do produce AMH. We hypothesized that incomplete regression in DES-exposed males is caused by a diminished sensitivity of the Müllerian ducts to AMH. Therefore, the effect of DES on temporal aspects of Müllerian duct regression and AMH type II receptor (AMHRII) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in male mouse fetuses was studied. It was observed that Müllerian duct regression was incomplete at E19 (19 days post coitum), upon DES administration during pregnancy from E9 through E16. Furthermore, analysis of earlier time points of fetal development revealed that the DES treatment had clearly delayed the onset of Müllerian duct formation by approximately 2 days; in untreated fetuses, Müllerian duct formation was complete by E13, whereas fully formed Müllerian ducts were not observed in DES-treated male fetuses until E15. Using in situ hybridization, no change in the localization of AMH and AMHRII mRNA expression was observed in DES-exposed male fetuses. The mRNA expression was quantified using ribonuclease protection assay, showing an increased expression level of AMH and AMHRII mRNAs at E 13 in DES-exposed male fetuses. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of Hoxa 11 and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) were determined as a marker for fetal development. Prenatal DES exposure had no effect on Hoxa 11 mRNA expression, indicating that DES did not exert an overall effect on the rate of fetal development. In DES-exposed male fetuses, SF-1 showed a similar increase in mRNA expression as AMH, in agreement with the observations that the AMH gene promoter requires an intact SF-1 DNA binding site for time- and cell-specific expression, although an effect of DES on SF-1 expression in other tissues, such as the adrenal and pituitary gland, cannot be excluded. However, the increased expression levels of AMH and AMHRII mRNAs do not directly explain the decreased sensitivity of the Müllerian ducts to AMH. Therefore, it is concluded that prenatal DES exposure of male mice delays the onset of Müllerian duct development, which may result in an asynchrony in the timing of Müllerian duct formation, with respect to the critical period of Müllerian duct regression, leading to persistence of Müllerian duct remnants in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Visser
- Department of Endocrinology and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
In an effort to produce a more complete transcription map of the short (approximately 5 Mb) arm of the mouse Y chromosome, we have initiated exon trapping from Yp-derived YACs. Sequence analysis of the trapped products has identified exons of previously cloned mouse Y-located genes Zfy and SSty and potential exons homologous to the human Y-located Tspy gene family. In addition, a family of three Yp-located transcripts that show close homology to human RHOA (locus designation ARHA), a member of the Ras family of small GTPases, has been identified. To determine whether these Yp sequences had been transposed from an autosomal ancestor, we used this trapped product to isolate a full-length autosomal mouse RhoA cDNA that is 80% identical at the nucleotide level and 98% identical at the amino acid level to human RHOA and maps to mouse Chromosome 2 (locus designation ArhA). Sequence analysis indicates that the Y-linked copies have diverged from the autosomal form, with small deletions precluding maintenance of a significant open reading frame in all Yp copies. Yet RT-PCR analysis indicates that two of these pseudogenes, RhoAy1 and 3, are expressed in a testis-specific manner, in sharp contrast to the nearly ubiquitous expression pattern of the autosomal ancestor. The data indicate that the Y copies of RhoA have been transposed from an autosome, followed by subsequent duplication, sequence divergence, and acquisition of a testis-specific promoter/enhancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- H L Boettger-Tong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Laval SH, Reed V, Blair HJ, Boyd Y. The structure of DXF34, a human X-linked sequence family with homology to a transcribed mouse Y-linked repeat. Mamm Genome 1997; 8:689-91. [PMID: 9271673 DOI: 10.1007/s003359900538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S H Laval
- Molecular Genetics Group, MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Oxon OX11 ORD, UK
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