1
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Racca JD, Chen YS, Brabender AR, Battistin U, Weiss MA, Georgiadis MM. Role of nucleobase-specific interactions in binding and bending of DNA by human male sex-determination factor SRY. J Biol Chem 2024:107683. [PMID: 39168182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Y-chromosome-encoded master transcription factor SRY functions in the embryogenesis of therian mammals to initiate male development. Through interactions of its conserved high mobility-group (HMG) box within a widened DNA minor groove, SRY and related Sox factors induce sharp bends at specific DNA target sites. Here, we present the crystal structure of the SRY HMG domain bound to a DNA site containing consensus element 5'-ATTGTT. The structure contains three complexes in the asymmetric unit; in each complex, SRY forms 10 hydrogen bonds with minor-groove base atoms in 5'-CATTGT/ACAATG-3', shifting the recognition sequence by one base pair (italics). These nucleobase interactions involve conserved residues Arg7, Asn10, and Tyr74 on one side of intercalated Ile13 (the cantilever side chain), and Arg20, Asn32 and Ser36 on the other. Unlike the less-bent NMR structure, DNA bend angles of the distinct box-DNA complexes range from 69-84°, similar to those observed in homologous Sox domain-DNA structures. Electrophoretic studies indicate that respective substitutions of Asn32, Ser36 or Tyr74 by Ala exhibit slightly attenuated specific DNA-binding affinity and bend angles (70-73°) relative to WT (79°). By contrast, respective substitutions of Arg7, Asn10 or Arg20 by Ala markedly impaired DNA-binding affinity in association with much smaller DNA bend angles (53-65°). In a rodent cell-based model of the embryonic gonadal ridge, full-length SRY variants bearing these respective, Ala substitutions exhibited significantly decreased transcriptional activation of SRY's principal target gene (Sox9). Together, our findings suggest that nucleobase-specific hydrogen bonds by SRY are critical for specific DNA binding, bending, and transcriptional activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Racca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Adam R Brabender
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Umberto Battistin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202.
| | - Millie M Georgiadis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202.
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2
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Bogdanov A, Sokolova M, Bakloushinskaya I. Specificity of Key Sex Determination Genes in a Mammal with Ovotestes: The European Mole Talpa europaea. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2180. [PMID: 39123706 PMCID: PMC11311037 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, for the first time, the structure of genes involved in sex determination in mammals (full Sry and partial Rspo1, Eif2s3x, and Eif2s3y) was analyzed for the European mole Talpa europaea with ovotestes in females. We confirmed male-specificity for Eif2s3y and Sry. Five exons were revealed for Rspo1 and the deep similarity with the structure of this gene in T. occidentalis was proved. The most intriguing result was obtained for the Sry gene, which, in placental mammals, initiates male development. We described two exons for this canonically single-exon gene: the first (initial) exon is only 15 bp while the second exon includes 450 bp. The exons are divided by an extended intron of about 1894 bp, including the fragment of the LINE retroposon. Moreover, in chromatogram fragments, which correspond to intron and DNA areas, flanking both exons, we revealed double peaks, similar to heterozygous nucleotide sites of autosomal genes. This may indicate the existence of two or more copies of the Sry gene. Proof of copies requires an additional in-depth study. We hypothesize that unusual structure and possible supernumerary copies of Sry may be involved in ovotestes formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Bogdanov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Maria Sokolova
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (M.S.)
- Biological Department, Lomonosov State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina Bakloushinskaya
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (M.S.)
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3
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Houzelstein D, Eozenou C, Lagos CF, Elzaiat M, Bignon-Topalovic J, Gonzalez I, Laville V, Schlick L, Wankanit S, Madon P, Kirtane J, Athalye A, Buonocore F, Bigou S, Conway GS, Bohl D, Achermann JC, Bashamboo A, McElreavey K. A conserved NR5A1-responsive enhancer regulates SRY in testis-determination. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2796. [PMID: 38555298 PMCID: PMC10981742 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47162-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The Y-linked SRY gene initiates mammalian testis-determination. However, how the expression of SRY is regulated remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a conserved steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1)/NR5A1 binding enhancer is required for appropriate SRY expression to initiate testis-determination in humans. Comparative sequence analysis of SRY 5' regions in mammals identified an evolutionary conserved SF-1/NR5A1-binding motif within a 250 bp region of open chromatin located 5 kilobases upstream of the SRY transcription start site. Genomic analysis of 46,XY individuals with disrupted testis-determination, including a large multigenerational family, identified unique single-base substitutions of highly conserved residues within the SF-1/NR5A1-binding element. In silico modelling and in vitro assays demonstrate the enhancer properties of the NR5A1 motif. Deletion of this hemizygous element by genome-editing, in a novel in vitro cellular model recapitulating human Sertoli cell formation, resulted in a significant reduction in expression of SRY. Therefore, human NR5A1 acts as a regulatory switch between testis and ovary development by upregulating SRY expression, a role that may predate the eutherian radiation. We show that disruption of an enhancer can phenocopy variants in the coding regions of SRY that cause human testis dysgenesis. Since disease causing variants in enhancers are currently rare, the regulation of gene expression in testis-determination offers a paradigm to define enhancer activity in a key developmental process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Houzelstein
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France.
| | - Caroline Eozenou
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
- Institut Cochin, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Carlos F Lagos
- Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery Lab, Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Campus Los Leones, Lota 2465 Providencia, 7510157, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Av. del Valle Norte 725, Huechuraba, 8580702, Santiago, Chile
| | - Maëva Elzaiat
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Joelle Bignon-Topalovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Inma Gonzalez
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Epigenomics, Proliferation, and the Identity of Cells Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Laville
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Stem Cells and Development Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Laurène Schlick
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Somboon Wankanit
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prochi Madon
- Department of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Jyotsna Kirtane
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Arundhati Athalye
- Department of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Federica Buonocore
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Research & Teaching Department, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stéphanie Bigou
- ICV-iPS core facility, Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Gerard S Conway
- Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Delphine Bohl
- ICV-iPS core facility, Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - John C Achermann
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Research & Teaching Department, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anu Bashamboo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Ken McElreavey
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR 3738, Paris, France.
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4
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Yang Y, Guo L, Chen L, Gong B, Jia D, Sun Q. Nuclear transport proteins: structure, function, and disease relevance. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:425. [PMID: 37945593 PMCID: PMC10636164 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01649-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper subcellular localization is crucial for the functioning of biomacromolecules, including proteins and RNAs. Nuclear transport is a fundamental cellular process that regulates the localization of many macromolecules within the nuclear or cytoplasmic compartments. In humans, approximately 60 proteins are involved in nuclear transport, including nucleoporins that form membrane-embedded nuclear pore complexes, karyopherins that transport cargoes through these complexes, and Ran system proteins that ensure directed and rapid transport. Many of these nuclear transport proteins play additional and essential roles in mitosis, biomolecular condensation, and gene transcription. Dysregulation of nuclear transport is linked to major human diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and viral infections. Selinexor (KPT-330), an inhibitor targeting the nuclear export factor XPO1 (also known as CRM1), was approved in 2019 to treat two types of blood cancers, and dozens of clinical trials of are ongoing. This review summarizes approximately three decades of research data in this field but focuses on the structure and function of individual nuclear transport proteins from recent studies, providing a cutting-edge and holistic view on the role of nuclear transport proteins in health and disease. In-depth knowledge of this rapidly evolving field has the potential to bring new insights into fundamental biology, pathogenic mechanisms, and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Guo
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Gong
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Da Jia
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Qingxiang Sun
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.
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5
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Chen YS, Racca JD, Weiss MA. Tenuous Transcriptional Threshold of Human Sex Determination. I. SRY and Swyer Syndrome at the Edge of Ambiguity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:945030. [PMID: 35957822 PMCID: PMC9360328 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.945030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Male sex determination in mammals is initiated by SRY, a Y-encoded transcription factor. The protein contains a high-mobility-group (HMG) box mediating sequence-specific DNA bending. Mutations causing XY gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome) cluster in the box and ordinarily arise de novo. Rare inherited variants lead to male development in one genetic background (the father) but not another (his sterile XY daughter). De novo and inherited mutations occur at an invariant Tyr adjoining the motif's basic tail (box position 72; Y127 in SRY). In SRY-responsive cell lines CH34 and LNCaP, de novo mutations Y127H and Y127C reduced SRY activity (as assessed by transcriptional activation of principal target gene Sox9) by 5- and 8-fold, respectively. Whereas Y127H impaired testis-specific enhancer assembly, Y127C caused accelerated proteasomal proteolysis; activity was in part rescued by proteasome inhibition. Inherited variant Y127F was better tolerated: its expression was unperturbed, and activity was reduced by only twofold, a threshold similar to other inherited variants. Biochemical studies of wild-type (WT) and variant HMG boxes demonstrated similar specific DNA affinities (within a twofold range), with only subtle differences in sharp DNA bending as probed by permutation gel electrophoresis and fluorescence resonance-energy transfer (FRET); thermodynamic stabilities of the free boxes were essentially identical. Such modest perturbations are within the range of species variation. Whereas our cell-based findings rationalize the de novo genotype-phenotype relationships, a molecular understanding of inherited mutation Y127F remains elusive. Our companion study uncovers cryptic biophysical perturbations suggesting that the para-OH group of Y127 anchors a novel water-mediated DNA clamp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Joseph D Racca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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6
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Bélanger C, Cardinal T, Leduc E, Viger RS, Pilon N. CHARGE syndrome-associated proteins FAM172A and CHD7 influence male sex determination and differentiation through transcriptional and alternative splicing mechanisms. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22176. [PMID: 35129866 PMCID: PMC9304217 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100837rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
To gain further insight into chromatin‐mediated regulation of mammalian sex determination, we analyzed the role of the CHARGE syndrome‐associated proteins FAM172A and CHD7. This study is based on our prior discoveries that a subset of corresponding mutant mice display complete male‐to‐female sex reversal, and that both of these proteins regulate co‐transcriptional alternative splicing in neural crest cells. Here, we report that FAM172A and CHD7 are present in the developing gonads when sex determination normally occurs in mice. The interactome of FAM172A in pre‐Sertoli cells again suggests a role at the chromatin‐spliceosome interface, like in neural crest cells. Accordingly, analysis of Fam172a‐mutant pre‐Sertoli cells revealed transcriptional and splicing dysregulation of hundreds of genes. Many of these genes are similarly affected in Chd7‐mutant pre‐Sertoli cells, including several known key regulators of sex determination and subsequent formation of testis cords. Among them, we notably identified Sry as a direct transcriptional target and WNT pathway‐associated Lef1 and Tcf7l2 as direct splicing targets. The identified molecular defects are also associated with the abnormal morphology of seminiferous tubules in mutant postnatal testes. Altogether, our results thus identify FAM172A and CHD7 as new players in the regulation of male sex determination and differentiation in mice, and further highlight the importance of chromatin‐mediated regulatory mechanisms in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Bélanger
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tatiana Cardinal
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Leduc
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert S Viger
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle (CRDSI), Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pilon
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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7
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Racca JD, Chatterjee D, Chen YS, Rai RK, Yang Y, Georgiadis MM, Haas E, Weiss MA. Tenuous transcriptional threshold of human sex determination. II. SRY exploits water-mediated clamp at the edge of ambiguity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1029177. [PMID: 36568077 PMCID: PMC9771472 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1029177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Y-encoded transcription factor SRY initiates male differentiation in therian mammals. This factor contains a high-mobility-group (HMG) box, which mediates sequence-specific DNA binding with sharp DNA bending. A companion article in this issue described sex-reversal mutations at box position 72 (residue 127 in human SRY), invariant as Tyr among mammalian orthologs. Although not contacting DNA, the aromatic ring seals the domain's minor wing at a solvent-exposed junction with a basic tail. A seeming paradox was posed by the native-like biochemical properties of inherited Swyer variant Y72F: its near-native gene-regulatory activity is consistent with the father's male development, but at odds with the daughter's XY female somatic phenotype. Surprisingly, aromatic rings (Y72, F72 or W72) confer higher transcriptional activity than do basic or polar side chains generally observed at solvated DNA interfaces (Arg, Lys, His or Gln). Whereas biophysical studies (time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy) uncovered only subtle perturbations, dissociation of the Y72F complex was markedly accelerated relative to wild-type. Studies of protein-DNA solvation by molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of an homologous high-resolution crystal structure (SOX18) suggest that Y72 para-OH anchors a network of water molecules at the tail-DNA interface, perturbed in the variant in association with nonlocal conformational fluctuations. Loss of the Y72 anchor among SRY variants presumably "unclamps" its basic tail, leading to (a) rapid DNA dissociation despite native affinity and (b) attenuated transcriptional activity at the edge of sexual ambiguity. Conservation of Y72 suggests that this water-mediated clamp operates generally among SRY and metazoan SOX domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Racca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph D. Racca, ; Michael A. Weiss,
| | - Deepak Chatterjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Ratan K. Rai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yanwu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Millie M. Georgiadis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Elisha Haas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Michael A. Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph D. Racca, ; Michael A. Weiss,
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8
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Thomson E, Zhao L, Chen YS, Longmuss E, Ng ET, Sreenivasan R, Croft B, Song X, Sinclair A, Weiss M, Koopman P, Pelosi E. Generation and mutational analysis of a transgenic mouse model of human SRY. Hum Mutat 2021; 43:362-379. [PMID: 34918413 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
SRY is the Y-chromosomal gene that determines male sex development in humans and most other mammals. After three decades of study, we still lack a detailed understanding of which domains of the SRY protein are required to engage the pathway of gene activity leading to testis development. Some insight has been gained from the study of genetic variations underlying differences/disorders of sex determination (DSD), but the lack of a system of experimentally generating SRY mutations and studying their consequences in vivo has limited progress in the field. To address this issue, we generated a mouse model carrying a human SRY transgene able to drive testis determination in XX mice. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we generated novel genetic modifications in each of SRY's three domains (N-terminal, HMG box, and C-terminal) and performed a detailed analysis of their molecular and cellular effects on embryonic testis development. Our results provide new functional insights unique to human SRY and present a versatile and powerful system in which to functionally analyze variations of SRY including known and novel pathogenic variants found in DSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Thomson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Liang Zhao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Enya Longmuss
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ee Ting Ng
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rajini Sreenivasan
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brittany Croft
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xin Song
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew Sinclair
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Emanuele Pelosi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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9
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Ambulkar PS, Waghmare JE, Verma Shivkumar P, Narang P, Pal AK. A missense mutation (c.226C>A) in HMG box SRY gene affects nNLS function in 46,XY sex reversal female. Andrologia 2021; 53:e14011. [PMID: 33570214 DOI: 10.1111/and.14011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The SRY initiates cascade of gene expression that transforms the undifferentiated gonad, genital ridge into testis. Mutations of the SRY gene is associated with complete gonadal dysgenesis in females with 46,XY karyotype. Primary amenorrhea is one of the clinical findings to express the genetic cause in 46,XY sex reversal. Here, we report a 26-year-old married woman presenting with primary amenorhea and complete gonadal dysgenesis. The clinical phenotypes were hypoplastic uterus with streak gonad and underdeveloped secondary sexual characters. The cytogenetic analysis confirmed 46,XY sex reversal karyotype of a female. Using molecular approach, we screened open reading frame of the SRY gene by PCR and targeted DNA Sanger sequencing. The patient was confirmed with nucleotide substitution (c.226C>A; p.Arg76Ser) at in HMG box domain of SRY gene that causes 46,XY sex reversal female. Mutation prediction algorithms suggest that alteration might be disease causing mutation and mutated (p.Arg76Ser) amino acid deleteriously affects HMG box nNLS region of SRY protein. Clinical phenotypes and in silico analysis confirmed that missense substitution (p.Arg76Ser) impaired nNLS binding Calmodulin-mediated nuclear transport of SRY from cytoplasm to nucleus. The mutation affects down regulation of male sex differentiation pathway and is responsible for 46,XY sex reversal female with gonadal dysgenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prafulla S Ambulkar
- Centre for Genetics & Genomics, Department of Anatomy, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, India
| | - Jwalant E Waghmare
- Centre for Genetics & Genomics, Department of Anatomy, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, India
| | - Poonam Verma Shivkumar
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, India
| | - Pratibha Narang
- Centre for Genetics & Genomics, Department of Anatomy, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, India.,Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, India
| | - Asoke K Pal
- Centre for Genetics & Genomics, Department of Anatomy, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, India
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10
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Jagga B, Edwards M, Pagin M, Wagstaff KM, Aragão D, Roman N, Nanson JD, Raidal SR, Dominado N, Stewart M, Jans DA, Hime GR, Nicolis SK, Basler CF, Forwood JK. Structural basis for nuclear import selectivity of pioneer transcription factor SOX2. Nat Commun 2021; 12:28. [PMID: 33397924 PMCID: PMC7782513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20194-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
SOX (SRY-related HMG-box) transcription factors perform critical functions in development and cell differentiation. These roles depend on precise nuclear trafficking, with mutations in the nuclear targeting regions causing developmental diseases and a range of cancers. SOX protein nuclear localization is proposed to be mediated by two nuclear localization signals (NLSs) positioned within the extremities of the DNA-binding HMG-box domain and, although mutations within either cause disease, the mechanistic basis has remained unclear. Unexpectedly, we find here that these two distantly positioned NLSs of SOX2 contribute to a contiguous interface spanning 9 of the 10 ARM domains on the nuclear import adapter IMPα3. We identify key binding determinants and show this interface is critical for neural stem cell maintenance and for Drosophila development. Moreover, we identify a structural basis for the preference of SOX2 binding to IMPα3. In addition to defining the structural basis for SOX protein localization, these results provide a platform for understanding how mutations and post-translational modifications within these regions may modulate nuclear localization and result in clinical disease, and also how other proteins containing multiple NLSs may bind IMPα through an extended recognition interface. The SOX2 pioneer transcription factor performs critical roles in pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. Here the authors show that SOX2’s two nuclear localization signal sequences form a contiguous binding interface on the nuclear import receptor importin-α3, and provide a structural basis for the preference of SOX2 binding to IMPα3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikshapathi Jagga
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia
| | - Megan Edwards
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Miriam Pagin
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Kylie M Wagstaff
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - David Aragão
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Noelia Roman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia
| | - Jeffrey D Nanson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Shane R Raidal
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia
| | - Nicole Dominado
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Murray Stewart
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Ave., Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - David A Jans
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Gary R Hime
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Silvia K Nicolis
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Christopher F Basler
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Jade K Forwood
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia.
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11
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Yeh IJ, Esakov E, Lathia JD, Miyagi M, Reizes O, Montano MM. Phosphorylation of the histone demethylase KDM5B and regulation of the phenotype of triple negative breast cancer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17663. [PMID: 31776402 PMCID: PMC6881367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54184-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications are known to play critical roles in the expression of genes related to differentiation and dedifferentiation. Histone lysine demethylase KDM5B (PLU-1) catalyzes the demethylation of histone H3 on Lys 4 (H3K4), which results in the repression of gene expression. KDM5B is involved in regulation of luminal and basal cell specific gene expression in breast cancers. However, the mechanisms by which KDM5B is regulated in breast cancer, in particular in response to post-translational signals is not well-defined. Here, we demonstrate that KDM5B is phosphorylated at Ser1456 by the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Phosphorylation of KDM5B at Ser1456 attenuated the occupancy of KDM5B on the promoters of pluripotency genes. Moreover, KDM5B inhibited the expression of pluripotency genes, SOX2 and NANOG, and decreased the stem cell population in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines (TNBC). We previously reported that the tumor suppressor HEXIM1 is a mediator of KDM5B recruitment to its target genes, and HEXIM1 is required for the inhibition of nuclear hormone receptor activity by KDM5B. Similarly, HEXIM1 is required for regulation of pluripotency genes by KDM5B.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Ju Yeh
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Emily Esakov
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Justin D Lathia
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Masaru Miyagi
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Ofer Reizes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Monica M Montano
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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12
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Liu Q, Zhu X, Ma Q, He C, Shao J. A de novo derivative Y chromosome (partial Yq deletion and partial duplication of Yp and Yq) in a female with disorders of sex development. Clin Case Rep 2018; 6:1671-1676. [PMID: 30214739 PMCID: PMC6132170 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.1613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
We report an atypical disorders of sex development (DSD) case with no mutation of SYR gene but partial Yq deletion and partial duplication of Yp and Yq. This case emphasizes duplicated region Yp11.2→Yq11.223 with partial deletion of Yq11.223→Yqter most probably perturbed the sex differentiation and led to female phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing‐Song Liu
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchongSichuanChina
| | - Xing‐Chun Zhu
- Pathogenic Biology and Immunology Experiment Teaching CenterNorth Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchongSichuanChina
| | - Qiang Ma
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchongSichuanChina
| | - Cheng He
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchongSichuanChina
| | - Jian‐Lan Shao
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchongSichuanChina
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13
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She ZY, Yang WX. Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX14A and SOX14B transcription factors. Oncotarget 2017; 8:46955-46968. [PMID: 28187450 PMCID: PMC5564536 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX transcription factors play a crucial role in the regulation of SOX protein functions during development. In this study, we have demonstrated two nuclear localization signals in the HMG box of Eriocheir sinensis SOX14A and SOX14B. These two conserved nuclear localization signals mediate nuclear transport. The N-termini nuclear localization signal mediates the calmodulin-dependent pathway and the C-termini nuclear localization signal interacts with the importin-β pathway. The targeted deletion of nuclear localization signals of SOX14A/B dramatically inhibits the nuclear accumulation. We have first time revealed a non-classic nuclear export signal in the HMG box of E. sinensis SOX14A/B proteins is responds to leptomycin B. E. sinensis SOX14A/B is transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm via a CRM1-dependent nuclear export pathway. And E. sinensis SOX14A/B are not belong to the subgroup E SOX proteins. Furthermore, these findings could shed a light on the mechanisms involved in the nuclear export of SOX proteins. The imperfect nuclear export signal on other SOX proteins, rather than just those of the SOXE group, may also be functional for nuclear export.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu She
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wan-Xi Yang
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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14
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Cognitive specialization for verbal vs. spatial ability in men and women: Neural and behavioral correlates. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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15
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Racca JD, Chen YS, Yang Y, Phillips NB, Weiss MA. Human Sex Determination at the Edge of Ambiguity: INHERITED XY SEX REVERSAL DUE TO ENHANCED UBIQUITINATION AND PROTEASOMAL DEGRADATION OF A MASTER TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:22173-22195. [PMID: 27576690 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.741959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A general problem is posed by analysis of transcriptional thresholds governing cell fate decisions in metazoan development. A model is provided by testis determination in therian mammals. Its key step, Sertoli cell differentiation in the embryonic gonadal ridge, is initiated by SRY, a Y-encoded architectural transcription factor. Mutations in human SRY cause gonadal dysgenesis leading to XY female development (Swyer syndrome). Here, we have characterized an inherited mutation compatible with either male or female somatic phenotypes as observed in an XY father and XY daughter, respectively. The mutation (a crevice-forming substitution at a conserved back surface of the SRY high mobility group box) markedly destabilizes the domain but preserves specific DNA affinity and induced DNA bend angle. On transient transfection of diverse human and rodent cell lines, the variant SRY exhibited accelerated proteasomal degradation (relative to wild type) associated with increased ubiquitination; in vitro susceptibility to ubiquitin-independent ("default") cleavage by the 20S core proteasome was unchanged. The variant's gene regulatory activity (as assessed in a cellular model of the rat embryonic XY gonadal ridge) was reduced by 2-fold relative to wild-type SRY at similar levels of mRNA expression. Chemical proteasome inhibition restored native-like SRY expression and transcriptional activity in association with restored occupancy of a sex-specific enhancer element in principal downstream gene Sox9, demonstrating that the variant SRY exhibits essentially native activity on a per molecule basis. Our findings define a novel mechanism of impaired organogenesis, accelerated ubiquitin-directed proteasomal degradation of a master transcription factor leading to a developmental decision poised at the edge of ambiguity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Racca
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Yanwu Yang
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Nelson B Phillips
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Michael A Weiss
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
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16
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She ZY, Yang WX. Sry and SoxE genes: How they participate in mammalian sex determination and gonadal development? Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 63:13-22. [PMID: 27481580 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, sex determination defines the differentiation of the bipotential genital ridge into either testes or ovaries. Sry, the mammalian Y-chromosomal testis-determining gene, is a master regulator of male sex determination. It acts to switch the undifferentiated genital ridge towards testis development, triggering the adoption of a male fate. Sry initiates a cascade of gene networks through the direct regulation of Sox9 expression and promotes supporting cell differentiation, Leydig cell specification, vasculature formation and testis cord development. In the absence of Sry, alternative genetic cascades, including female sex-determining genes RSPO1, Wnt4/β-catenin and Foxl2, are involved in the formation of female genitalia and the maintenance of female ovarian development. The mutual antagonisms between male and female sex-determining pathways are crucial in not just the initiation but also the maintenance of the somatic sex of the gonad throughout the organism's lifetime. Any imbalances in above sex-determining genes can cause disorders of sex development in humans and mice. In this review, we provide a detailed summary of the expression profiles, biochemical properties and developmental functions of Sry and SoxE genes in embryonic testis development and adult gonadal development. We also briefly summarize the dedicate balances between male and female sex-determining genes in mammalian sex development, with particular highlights on the molecular actions of Sry and Sox9 transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu She
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wan-Xi Yang
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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17
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Bashamboo A, Donohoue PA, Vilain E, Rojo S, Calvel P, Seneviratne SN, Buonocore F, Barseghyan H, Bingham N, Rosenfeld JA, Mulukutla SN, Jain M, Burrage L, Dhar S, Balasubramanyam A, Lee B, Dumargne MC, Eozenou C, Suntharalingham JP, de Silva K, Lin L, Bignon-Topalovic J, Poulat F, Lagos CF, McElreavey K, Achermann JC. A recurrent p.Arg92Trp variant in steroidogenic factor-1 (NR5A1) can act as a molecular switch in human sex development. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:3446-3453. [PMID: 27378692 PMCID: PMC5179941 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell lineages of the early human gonad commit to one of the two mutually antagonistic organogenetic fates, the testis or the ovary. Some individuals with a 46,XX karyotype develop testes or ovotestes (testicular or ovotesticular disorder of sex development; TDSD/OTDSD), due to the presence of the testis-determining gene, SRY Other rare complex syndromic forms of TDSD/OTDSD are associated with mutations in pro-ovarian genes that repress testis development (e.g. WNT4); however, the genetic cause of the more common non-syndromic forms is unknown. Steroidogenic factor-1 (known as NR5A1) is a key regulator of reproductive development and function. Loss-of-function changes in NR5A1 in 46,XY individuals are associated with a spectrum of phenotypes in humans ranging from a lack of testis formation to male infertility. Mutations in NR5A1 in 46,XX women are associated with primary ovarian insufficiency, which includes a lack of ovary formation, primary and secondary amenorrhoea as well as early menopause. Here, we show that a specific recurrent heterozygous missense mutation (p.Arg92Trp) in the accessory DNA-binding region of NR5A1 is associated with variable degree of testis development in 46,XX children and adults from four unrelated families. Remarkably, in one family a sibling raised as a girl and carrying this NR5A1 mutation was found to have a 46,XY karyotype with partial testicular dysgenesis. These unique findings highlight how a specific variant in a developmental transcription factor can switch organ fate from the ovary to testis in mammals and represents the first missense mutation causing isolated, non-syndromic 46,XX testicular/ovotesticular DSD in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu Bashamboo
- Human Developmental Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75724 France
| | - Patricia A Donohoue
- Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology & Diabetes, Medical college of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Eric Vilain
- Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics and Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, CA, USA
| | - Sandra Rojo
- Human Developmental Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75724 France
| | - Pierre Calvel
- Human Developmental Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75724 France
| | - Sumudu N Seneviratne
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka
| | - Federica Buonocore
- Genetics & Genomic Medicine, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hayk Barseghyan
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Bingham
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, TX
| | - Surya Narayan Mulukutla
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, USA
| | - Mahim Jain
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, TX
| | - Lindsay Burrage
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, TX
| | - Shweta Dhar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, TX
| | - Ashok Balasubramanyam
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, USA
| | - Brendan Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, TX
| | | | | | - Caroline Eozenou
- Human Developmental Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75724 France
| | | | - Ksh de Silva
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka
| | - Lin Lin
- Genetics & Genomic Medicine, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Francis Poulat
- Genetic and Development Department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Carlos F Lagos
- Department of Endocrinology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ken McElreavey
- Human Developmental Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75724 France
| | - John C Achermann
- Genetics & Genomic Medicine, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
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18
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She ZY, Yang WX. SOX family transcription factors involved in diverse cellular events during development. Eur J Cell Biol 2015; 94:547-63. [PMID: 26340821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In metazoa, SOX family transcription factors play many diverse roles. In vertebrate, they are well-known regulators of numerous developmental processes. Wide-ranging studies have demonstrated the co-expression of SOX proteins in various developing tissues and that they occur in an overlapping manner and show functional redundancy. In particular, studies focusing on the HMG box of SOX proteins have revealed that the HMG box regulates DNA-binding properties, and mediates both the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX proteins and their physical interactions with partner proteins. Posttranslational modifications are further implicated in the regulation of the transcriptional activities of SOX proteins. In this review, we discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the SOX-partner factor interactions and the functional modes of SOX-partner complexes during development. We particularly emphasize the representative roles of the SOX group proteins in major tissues during developmental and physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu She
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wan-Xi Yang
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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19
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Nistal M, Paniagua R, González-Peramato P, Reyes-Múgica M. Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology, Chapter 5. Gonadal Dysgenesis. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2015; 18:259-78. [PMID: 25105336 DOI: 10.2350/14-04-1471-pb.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
One of the most challenging areas in pediatric testicular pathology is the appropriate understanding and pathological diagnosis of disorders of sexual development (DSD), and in particular, the issue of gonadal dysgenesis. Here we present the main concepts necessary for their understanding and appropriate classification, with extensive genetic correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Nistal
- 1 Department of Pathology, Hospital La Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo #2, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Ricardo Paniagua
- 2 Department of Cell Biology, Universidad de Alcala, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar González-Peramato
- 1 Department of Pathology, Hospital La Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo #2, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Miguel Reyes-Múgica
- 3 Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, One Children's Hospital Drive, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
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20
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Structural and functional conservation of fungal MatA and human SRY sex-determining proteins. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5434. [PMID: 25399555 PMCID: PMC4235659 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination in animals and fungi is regulated by specific sex determining genes. The Aspergillus nidulans (A.nidulans) mating type gene matA and the human SRY (Sex Determining Region Y) encode proteins containing a single HMG (High Mobility Group) domain. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of MatA and SRY transcription factors revealed significant structural similarity. The human SRY protein is able to functionally replace MatA and drives the sexual cycle in the fungus A. nidulans. Functional studies indicate that SRY drives early fruiting body development, and hybrid MatA protein carrying the SRY HMG box is fully capable of driving both early and late stages of sexual development, including gametogenesis. Our data suggest that SRY and MatA are both structurally and functionally related and conserved in regulating sexual processes. The fundamental mechanisms driving evolution of the genetic pathways underlying sex determination, sex chromosomes and sexual reproduction in eukaryotes appear similar.
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21
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Racca JD, Chen YS, Maloy JD, Wickramasinghe N, Phillips NB, Weiss MA. Structure-function relationships in human testis-determining factor SRY: an aromatic buttress underlies the specific DNA-bending surface of a high mobility group (HMG) box. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:32410-29. [PMID: 25258310 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.597526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human testis determination is initiated by SRY, a Y-encoded architectural transcription factor. Mutations in SRY cause 46 XY gonadal dysgenesis with female somatic phenotype (Swyer syndrome) and confer a high risk of malignancy (gonadoblastoma). Such mutations cluster in the SRY high mobility group (HMG) box, a conserved motif of specific DNA binding and bending. To explore structure-function relationships, we constructed all possible substitutions at a site of clinical mutation (W70L). Our studies thus focused on a core aromatic residue (position 15 of the consensus HMG box) that is invariant among SRY-related HMG box transcription factors (the SOX family) and conserved as aromatic (Phe or Tyr) among other sequence-specific boxes. In a yeast one-hybrid system sensitive to specific SRY-DNA binding, the variant domains exhibited reduced (Phe and Tyr) or absent activity (the remaining 17 substitutions). Representative nonpolar variants with partial or absent activity (Tyr, Phe, Leu, and Ala in order of decreasing side-chain volume) were chosen for study in vitro and in mammalian cell culture. The clinical mutation (Leu) was found to markedly impair multiple biochemical and cellular activities as respectively probed through the following: (i) in vitro assays of specific DNA binding and protein stability, and (ii) cell culture-based assays of proteosomal degradation, nuclear import, enhancer DNA occupancy, and SRY-dependent transcriptional activation. Surprisingly, however, DNA bending is robust to this or the related Ala substitution that profoundly impairs box stability. Together, our findings demonstrate that the folding, trafficking, and gene-regulatory function of SRY requires an invariant aromatic "buttress" beneath its specific DNA-bending surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Racca
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - James D Maloy
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Nalinda Wickramasinghe
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Nelson B Phillips
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Michael A Weiss
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
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22
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Turkheimer FE, Bodini B, Politis M, Pariante CM, Ciccarelli O, Yeo RA. The X-Linked Hypothesis of Brain Disorders. Neuroscientist 2014; 21:589-98. [DOI: 10.1177/1073858414545999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we propose an X-linked hypothesis of brain disorders that postulates a neuronal origin of those neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders with a greater male prevalence. The hypothesis is based on the accumulated genetics and genomic evidence linking X chromosome genes and transcripts to neuronal cells. The behavioral genetics literature has long pointed to the link between postsynaptic protein complexes coded on chromosome X and mental retardation. More recently, novel genomic evidence has emerged of X-linked mRNA overexpression of neuronal source in the human brain. We review the evidence for this hypothesis and its consistency with the distribution across genders of brain disorders of known aetiology. We then provide examples of the utilization of this hypothesis in the investigation of the pathophysiology of complex brain disorders in both the stratification of disease cohorts and the development of realistic preclinical models. We conclude by providing a general framework for testing its validity, which will be exploited in future studies, and provide future directions for research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benedetta Bodini
- Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, UPMC, Paris, France
| | - Marios Politis
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK
| | | | | | - Ronald A. Yeo
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Rossi E, Radi O, De Lorenzi L, Vetro A, Groppetti D, Bigliardi E, Luvoni GC, Rota A, Camerino G, Zuffardi O, Parma P. Sox9 duplications are a relevant cause of Sry-negative XX sex reversal dogs. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101244. [PMID: 25010117 PMCID: PMC4091935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual development in mammals is based on a complicated and delicate network of genes and hormones that have to collaborate in a precise manner. The dark side of this pathway is represented by pathological conditions, wherein sexual development does not occur properly either in the XX and the XY background. Among them a conundrum is represented by the XX individuals with at least a partial testis differentiation even in absence of SRY. This particular condition is present in various mammals including the dog. Seven dogs characterized by XX karyotype, absence of SRY gene, and testicular tissue development were analysed by Array-CGH. In two cases the array-CGH analysis detected an interstitial heterozygous duplication of chromosome 9. The duplication contained the SOX9 coding region. In this work we provide for the first time a causative mutation for the XXSR condition in the dog. Moreover this report supports the idea that the dog represents a good animal model for the study of XXSR condition caused by abnormalities in the SOX9 locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rossi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Pavia University, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orietta Radi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Pavia University, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lisa De Lorenzi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Milan University, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Vetro
- Biotechnology Research Laboratories, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Debora Groppetti
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, Milan University, Milan, Italy
| | - Enrico Bigliardi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Parma University, Parma, Italy
| | - Gaia Cecilia Luvoni
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Milan University, Milan, Italy
| | - Ada Rota
- Department of Veterinary Science, Torino University, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Orsetta Zuffardi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Pavia University, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pietro Parma
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Milan University, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
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