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Menon DU, Chakraborty P, Murcia N, Magnuson T. ARID1A governs the silencing of sex-linked transcription during male meiosis in the mouse. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.25.542290. [PMID: 37292940 PMCID: PMC10245947 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.25.542290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We present evidence implicating the BAF (BRG1/BRM Associated Factor) chromatin remodeler in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). By immunofluorescence (IF), the putative BAF DNA binding subunit, ARID1A (AT-rich Interaction Domain 1a), appeared enriched on the male sex chromosomes during diplonema of meiosis I. Those germ cells showing a Cre-induced loss of ARID1A were arrested in pachynema and failed to repress sex-linked genes, indicating a defective MSCI. Consistent with this defect, mutant sex chromosomes displayed an abnormal presence of elongating RNA polymerase II coupled with an overall increase in chromatin accessibility detectable by ATAC-seq. By investigating potential mechanisms underlying these anomalies, we identified a role for ARID1A in promoting the preferential enrichment of the histone variant, H3.3, on the sex chromosomes, a known hallmark of MSCI. Without ARID1A, the sex chromosomes appeared depleted of H3.3 at levels resembling autosomes. Higher resolution analyses by CUT&RUN revealed shifts in sex-linked H3.3 associations from discrete intergenic sites and broader gene-body domains to promoters in response to the loss of ARID1A. Several sex-linked sites displayed ectopic H3.3 occupancy that did not co-localize with DMC1 (DNA Meiotic Recombinase 1). This observation suggests a requirement for ARID1A in DMC1 localization to the asynapsed sex chromatids. We conclude that ARID1A-directed H3.3 localization influences meiotic sex chromosome gene regulation and DNA repair.
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Nie H, Kong X, Song X, Guo X, Li Z, Fan C, Zhai B, Yang X, Wang Y. Roles of histone post-translational modifications in meiosis†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:648-659. [PMID: 38224305 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioae011] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination, play vital roles in various chromatin-based cellular processes. Meiosis is crucial for organisms that depend on sexual reproduction to produce haploid gametes, during which chromatin undergoes intricate conformational changes. An increasing body of evidence is clarifying the essential roles of histone post-translational modifications during meiotic divisions. In this review, we concentrate on the post-translational modifications of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, as well as the linker histone H1, that are required for meiosis, and summarize recent progress in understanding how these modifications influence diverse meiotic events. Finally, challenges and exciting open questions for future research in this field are discussed. Summary Sentence Diverse histone post-translational modifications exert important effects on the meiotic cell cycle and these "histone codes" in meiosis might lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies against reproductive diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Nie
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xueyu Kong
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoyu Song
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoyu Guo
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhanyu Li
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Cunxian Fan
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Binyuan Zhai
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Ascenção C, Sims JR, Dziubek A, Comstock W, Fogarty EA, Badar J, Freire R, Grimson A, Weiss RS, Cohen PE, Smolka MB. A TOPBP1 allele causing male infertility uncouples XY silencing dynamics from sex body formation. eLife 2024; 12:RP90887. [PMID: 38391183 PMCID: PMC10942628 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90887] [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] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is a critical feature of meiotic prophase I progression in males. While the ATR kinase and its activator TOPBP1 are key drivers of MSCI within the specialized sex body (SB) domain of the nucleus, how they promote silencing remains unclear given their multifaceted meiotic functions that also include DNA repair, chromosome synapsis, and SB formation. Here we report a novel mutant mouse harboring mutations in the TOPBP1-BRCT5 domain. Topbp1B5/B5 males are infertile, with impaired MSCI despite displaying grossly normal events of early prophase I, including synapsis and SB formation. Specific ATR-dependent events are disrupted, including phosphorylation and localization of the RNA:DNA helicase Senataxin. Topbp1B5/B5 spermatocytes initiate, but cannot maintain ongoing, MSCI. These findings reveal a non-canonical role for the ATR-TOPBP1 signaling axis in MSCI dynamics at advanced stages in pachynema and establish the first mouse mutant that separates ATR signaling and MSCI from SB formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolline Ascenção
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Jennie R Sims
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Alexis Dziubek
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - William Comstock
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Elizabeth A Fogarty
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Jumana Badar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Raimundo Freire
- Fundación Canaria del Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de CanariasSanta Cruz de TenerifeSpain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La LagunaLa LagunaSpain
- Universidad Fernando Pessoa CanariasLas Palmas de Gran CanariaSpain
| | - Andrew Grimson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Robert S Weiss
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Marcus B Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
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4
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Horan TS, Ascenção CFR, Mellor C, Wang M, Smolka MB, Cohen PE. The DNA helicase FANCJ (BRIP1) functions in double strand break repair processing, but not crossover formation during prophase I of meiosis in male mice. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011175. [PMID: 38377115 PMCID: PMC10906868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Meiotic recombination between homologous chromosomes is initiated by the formation of hundreds of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs). Approximately 10% of these DSBs result in crossovers (COs), sites of physical DNA exchange between homologs that are critical to correct chromosome segregation. Virtually all COs are formed by coordinated efforts of the MSH4/MSH5 and MLH1/MLH3 heterodimers, the latter representing the defining marks of CO sites. The regulation of CO number and position is poorly understood, but undoubtedly requires the coordinated action of multiple repair pathways. In a previous report, we found gene-trap disruption of the DNA helicase, FANCJ (BRIP1/BACH1), elicited elevated numbers of MLH1 foci and chiasmata. In somatic cells, FANCJ interacts with numerous DNA repair proteins including MLH1, and we hypothesized that FANCJ functions with MLH1 to regulate the major CO pathway. To further elucidate the meiotic function of FANCJ, we produced three new Fancj mutant mouse lines via CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: a full-gene deletion, truncation of the N-terminal Helicase domain, and a C-terminal dual-tagged allele. We also generated an antibody against the C-terminus of the mouse FANCJ protein. Surprisingly, none of our Fancj mutants show any change in either MLH1 focus counts during pachynema or total CO number at diakinesis of prophase I. We find evidence that FANCJ and MLH1 do not interact in meiosis; further, FANCJ does not co-localize with MSH4, MLH1, or MLH3 in meiosis. Instead, FANCJ co-localizes with BRCA1 and TOPBP1, forming discrete foci along the chromosome cores beginning in early meiotic prophase I and densely localized to unsynapsed chromosome axes in late zygonema and to the XY chromosomes in early pachynema. Fancj mutants also exhibit a subtle persistence of DSBs in pachynema. Collectively, these data indicate a role for FANCJ in early DSB repair, but they rule out a role for FANCJ in MLH1-mediated CO events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan S. Horan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Carolline F. R. Ascenção
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher Mellor
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Meng Wang
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Marcus B. Smolka
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Paula E. Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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Jaito W, Panthum T, Ahmad SF, Singchat W, Muangmai N, Han K, Koga A, Duengkae P, Srikulnath K. Genetic insights: mapping sex-specific loci in Siamese cobra (Naja kaouthia) sheds light on the putative sex determining region. Genes Genomics 2024; 46:113-119. [PMID: 37985546 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01459-6] [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: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The location of female-specific/linked loci identified in Siamese cobra (Naja kaouthia) previously has been determined through in silico chromosome mapping of the Indian cobra genome (N. naja) as a reference genome. In the present study, we used in silico chromosome mapping to identify sex-specific and linked loci in Siamese cobra. Many sex-specific and sex-linked loci were successfully mapped on the Z sex chromosome, with 227 of the 475 specific loci frequently mapped in a region covering 57 Mb and positioned at 38,992,675-95,561,177 bp of the Indian cobra genome (N. naja). This suggested the existence of a putative sex-determining region (SDR), with one specific locus (PA100000600) homologous to the TOPBP1 gene. The involvement of TOPBP1 gene may lead to abnormal synaptonemal complexes and meiotic chromosomal defects, resulting in male infertility. These findings offer valuable insights into the genetic basis and functional aspects of sex-specific traits in the Siamese cobra, which will contribute to our understanding of snake genetics and evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wattanawan Jaito
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Sciences for Industry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- The International Undergraduate Program in Bioscience and Technology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Worapong Singchat
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Sciences for Industry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Kyudong Han
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Korea
- Bio-Medical Engineering Core Facility Research Center, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Korea
| | - Akihiko Koga
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Prateep Duengkae
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Sciences for Industry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- The International Undergraduate Program in Bioscience and Technology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
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6
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Ascencao CFR, Sims JR, Dziubek A, Comstock W, Fogarty EA, Badar J, Freire R, Grimson A, Weiss RS, Cohen PE, Smolka M. A TOPBP1 Allele Causing Male Infertility Uncouples XY Silencing Dynamics From Sex Body Formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.31.543071. [PMID: 37398453 PMCID: PMC10312512 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.31.543071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is a critical feature of meiotic prophase I progression in males. While the ATR kinase and its activator TOPBP1 are key drivers of MSCI within the specialized sex body (SB) domain of the nucleus, how they promote silencing remains unclear given their multifaceted meiotic functions that also include DNA repair, chromosome synapsis and SB formation. Here we report a novel mutant mouse harboring mutations in the TOPBP1-BRCT5 domain. Topbp1 B5/B5 males are infertile, with impaired MSCI despite displaying grossly normal events of early prophase I, including synapsis and SB formation. Specific ATR-dependent events are disrupted including phosphorylation and localization of the RNA:DNA helicase Senataxin. Topbp1 B5/B5 spermatocytes initiate, but cannot maintain ongoing, MSCI. These findings reveal a non-canonical role for the ATR-TOPBP1 signaling axis in MSCI dynamics at advanced stages in pachynema and establish the first mouse mutant that separates ATR signaling and MSCI from SB formation.
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7
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Horan TS, Ascenção CFR, Mellor CA, Wang M, Smolka MB, Cohen PE. The DNA helicase FANCJ (BRIP1) functions in Double Strand Break repair processing, but not crossover formation during Prophase I of meiosis in male mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.06.561296. [PMID: 37873301 PMCID: PMC10592954 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.06.561296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
During meiotic prophase I, recombination between homologous parental chromosomes is initiated by the formation of hundreds of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs), each of which must be repaired with absolute fidelity to ensure genome stability of the germline. One outcome of these DSB events is the formation of Crossovers (COs), the sites of physical DNA exchange between homologs that are critical to ensure the correct segregation of parental chromosomes. However, COs account for only a small (~10%) proportion of all DSB repair events; the remaining 90% are repaired as non-crossovers (NCOs), most by synthesis dependent strand annealing. Virtually all COs are formed by coordinated efforts of the MSH4/MSH5 and MLH1/MLH3 heterodimers. The number and positioning of COs is exquisitely controlled via mechanisms that remain poorly understood, but which undoubtedly require the coordinated action of multiple repair pathways downstream of the initiating DSB. In a previous report we found evidence suggesting that the DNA helicase and Fanconi Anemia repair protein, FANCJ (BRIP1/BACH1), functions to regulate meiotic recombination in mouse. A gene-trap disruption of Fancj showed an elevated number of MLH1 foci and COs. FANCJ is known to interact with numerous DNA repair proteins in somatic cell repair contexts, including MLH1, BLM, BRCA1, and TOPBP1, and we hypothesized that FANCJ regulates CO formation through a direct interaction with MLH1 to suppress the major CO pathway. To further elucidate the function of FANCJ in meiosis, we produced three new Fancj mutant mouse lines via CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: a full-gene deletion, a mutant line lacking the MLH1 interaction site and the N-terminal region of the Helicase domain, and a C-terminal 6xHIS-HA dual-tagged allele of Fancj. We also generated an antibody against the C-terminus of the mouse FANCJ protein. Surprisingly, while Fanconi-like phenotypes are observed within the somatic cell lineages of the full deletion Fancj line, none of the Fancj mutants show any change in either MLH1 focus counts during pachynema or total CO number at diakinesis of prophase I of meiosis. We find evidence that FANCJ and MLH1 do not interact in meiosis; further, FANCJ does not co-localize with MSH4, MLH1, or MLH3 during late prophase I. Instead, FANCJ forms discrete foci along the chromosome cores beginning in early meiotic prophase I, occasionally co-localizing with MSH4, and then becomes densely localized on unsynapsed chromosome axes in late zygonema and to the XY chromosomes in early pachynema. Strikingly, this localization strongly overlaps with BRCA1 and TOPBP1. Fancj mutants also exhibit a subtle persistence of DSBs in pachynema. Collectively, these data suggest a role for FANCJ in early DSB repair events, and possibly in the formation of NCOs, but they rule out a role for FANCJ in MLH1-mediated CO events. Thus, the role of FANCJ in meiotic cells involves different pathways and different interactors to those described in somatic cell lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan S Horan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Carolline F R Ascenção
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | | | - Meng Wang
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Marcus B Smolka
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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8
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Legrand JMD, Hobbs RM. Defining Gene Function in Spermatogonial Stem Cells Through Conditional Knockout Approaches. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:261-307. [PMID: 37249877 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian male fertility is maintained throughout life by a population of self-renewing mitotic germ cells known as spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Much of our current understanding regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying SSC activity is derived from studies using conditional knockout mouse models. Here, we provide a guide for the selection and use of mouse strains to develop conditional knockout models for the study of SSCs, as well as their precursors and differentiation-committed progeny. We describe Cre recombinase-expressing strains, breeding strategies to generate experimental groups, and treatment regimens for inducible knockout models and provide advice for verifying and improving conditional knockout efficiency. This resource can be beneficial to those aiming to develop conditional knockout models for the study of SSC development and postnatal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien M D Legrand
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Robin M Hobbs
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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9
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Li M. Sex body: A nest of protein mixture. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1165745. [PMID: 37123420 PMCID: PMC10140345 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1165745] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
During the pachytene stage in mammalian meiosis, the X and Y chromosomes remain largely unsynapsed outside the pseudoautosomal region, while autosomes are fully synapsed. Then, the sex chromosomes are compartmentalized into a "sex body" in the nucleus and are subjected to meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). For decades, the formation and functioning of the sex body and MSCI have been subjects worth exploring. Notably, a series of proteins have been reported to be located on the sex body area and inferred to play an essential role in MSCI; however, the proteins that are actually located in this area and how these proteins promote sex body formation and establish MSCI remain unclear. Collectively, the DNA damage response factors, downstream fanconi anemia proteins, and other canonical repressive histone modifications have been reported to be associated with the sex body. Here, this study reviews the factors located on the sex body area and tries to provide new insights into studying this mysterious domain.
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10
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Abe H, Yeh YH, Munakata Y, Ishiguro KI, Andreassen PR, Namekawa SH. Active DNA damage response signaling initiates and maintains meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7212. [PMID: 36443288 PMCID: PMC9705562 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is an essential process in the male germline. While genetic experiments have established that the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway directs MSCI, due to limitations to the experimental systems available, mechanisms underlying MSCI remain largely unknown. Here we establish a system to study MSCI ex vivo, based on a short-term culture method, and demonstrate that active DDR signaling is required both to initiate and maintain MSCI via a dynamic and reversible process. DDR-directed MSCI follows two layers of modifications: active DDR-dependent reversible processes and irreversible histone post-translational modifications. Further, the DDR initiates MSCI independent of the downstream repressive histone mark H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), thereby demonstrating that active DDR signaling is the primary mechanism of silencing in MSCI. By unveiling the dynamic nature of MSCI, and its governance by active DDR signals, our study highlights the sex chromosomes as an active signaling hub in meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Abe
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA ,grid.274841.c0000 0001 0660 6749Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811 Japan
| | - Yu-Han Yeh
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Yasuhisa Munakata
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Kei-Ichiro Ishiguro
- grid.274841.c0000 0001 0660 6749Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811 Japan
| | - Paul R. Andreassen
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Division of Experimental Hematology & Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229 USA
| | - Satoshi H. Namekawa
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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11
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Carro MDLM, Grimson A, Cohen PE. Small RNAs and their protein partners in animal meiosis. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 151:245-279. [PMID: 36681472 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.06.001] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is characterized by highly regulated transitions in gene expression that require diverse mechanisms of gene regulation. For example, in male mammals, transcription undergoes a global shut-down in early prophase I of meiosis, followed by increasing transcriptional activity into pachynema. Later, as spermiogenesis proceeds, the histones bound to DNA are replaced with transition proteins, which are themselves replaced with protamines, resulting in a highly condensed nucleus with repressed transcriptional activity. In addition, two specialized gene silencing events take place during prophase I: meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin (MSUC), and the sex chromatin specific mechanism, meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Notably, conserved roles for the RNA binding protein (RBP) machinery that functions with small non-coding RNAs have been described as participating in these meiosis-specific mechanisms, suggesting that RNA-mediated gene regulation is critical for fertility in many species. Here, we review roles of small RNAs and their associated RBPs in meiosis-related processes such as centromere function, silencing of unpaired chromatin and meiotic recombination. We will discuss the emerging evidence of non-canonical functions of these components in meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- María de Las Mercedes Carro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRe), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Andrew Grimson
- Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRe), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRe), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
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12
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Understanding the Underlying Molecular Mechanisms of Meiotic Arrest during In Vitro Spermatogenesis in Rat Prepubertal Testicular Tissue. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115893. [PMID: 35682573 PMCID: PMC9180380 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115893] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro spermatogenesis appears to be a promising approach to restore the fertility of childhood cancer survivors. The rat model has proven to be challenging, since germ cell maturation is arrested in organotypic cultures. Here, we report that, despite a meiotic entry, abnormal synaptonemal complexes were found in spermatocytes, and in vitro matured rat prepubertal testicular tissues displayed an immature phenotype. RNA-sequencing analyses highlighted up to 600 differentially expressed genes between in vitro and in vivo conditions, including genes involved in blood-testis barrier (BTB) formation and steroidogenesis. BTB integrity, the expression of two steroidogenic enzymes, and androgen receptors were indeed altered in vitro. Moreover, most of the top 10 predicted upstream regulators of deregulated genes were involved in inflammatory processes or immune cell recruitment. However, none of the three anti-inflammatory molecules tested in this study promoted meiotic progression. By analysing for the first time in vitro matured rat prepubertal testicular tissues at the molecular level, we uncovered the deregulation of several genes and revealed that defective BTB function, altered steroidogenic pathway, and probably inflammation, could be at the origin of meiotic arrest.
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13
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Ravindranathan R, Raveendran K, Papanikos F, San-Segundo P, Tóth A. Chromosomal synapsis defects can trigger oocyte apoptosis without elevating numbers of persistent DNA breaks above wild-type levels. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5617-5634. [PMID: 35580048 PMCID: PMC9177993 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Generation of haploid gametes depends on a modified version of homologous recombination in meiosis. Meiotic recombination is initiated by single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) ends originating from programmed DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) that are generated by the topoisomerase-related SPO11 enzyme. Meiotic recombination involves chromosomal synapsis, which enhances recombination-mediated DSB repair, and thus, crucially contributes to genome maintenance in meiocytes. Synapsis defects induce oocyte apoptosis ostensibly due to unrepaired DSBs that persist in asynaptic chromosomes. In mice, SPO11-deficient oocytes feature asynapsis, apoptosis and, surprisingly, numerous foci of the ssDNA-binding recombinase RAD51, indicative of DSBs of unknown origin. Hence, asynapsis is suggested to trigger apoptosis due to inefficient DSB repair even in mutants that lack programmed DSBs. By directly detecting ssDNAs, we discovered that RAD51 is an unreliable marker for DSBs in oocytes. Further, SPO11-deficient oocytes have fewer persistent ssDNAs than wild-type oocytes. These observations suggest that oocyte quality is safeguarded in mammals by a synapsis surveillance mechanism that can operate without persistent ssDNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Ravindranathan
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kavya Raveendran
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Frantzeskos Papanikos
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pedro A San-Segundo
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (IBFG), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Attila Tóth
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +49 351 458 6467; Fax: +49 351 458 6305;
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14
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Takamatsu S, Brown JB, Yamaguchi K, Hamanishi J, Yamanoi K, Takaya H, Kaneyasu T, Mori S, Mandai M, Matsumura N. Utility of Homologous Recombination Deficiency Biomarkers Across Cancer Types. JCO Precis Oncol 2022; 6:e2200085. [PMID: 35613413 PMCID: PMC9200383 DOI: 10.1200/po.22.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency (HRD) is associated with sensitivity to platinum and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in certain cancer types, including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate. In these cancers, BRCA1/2 alterations and genomic scar signatures are useful indicators for assessing HRD. However, alterations in other homologous recombination repair (HRR)-related genes and their clinical significance in other cancer types have not been adequately and systematically investigated. A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis on the clinical significance of homologous recombination deficiency![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Takamatsu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - J B Brown
- Life Science Informatics Research Unit, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ken Yamaguchi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Junzo Hamanishi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koji Yamanoi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hisamitsu Takaya
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kaneyasu
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiichi Mori
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Mandai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Noriomi Matsumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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15
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Xiong M, Zhou S, Feng S, Gui Y, Li J, Wu Y, Dong J, Yuan S. UHRF1 is indispensable for meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and interacts with the DNA damage response pathway in mice. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:168-182. [PMID: 35284939 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac054] [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: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During male meiosis, the constitutively unsynapsed XY chromosomes undergo meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), and the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway is critical for MSCI establishment. Our previous study showed that UHRF1(ubiquitin-like, with PHD and ring finger domains 1) deletion led to meiotic arrest and male infertility; however, the underlying mechanisms of UHRF1 in the regulation of meiosis remain unclear. Here, we report that UHRF1 is required for MSCI and cooperates with the DDR pathway in male meiosis. UHRF1-deficient spermatocytes display aberrant pairing and synapsis of homologous chromosomes during the pachytene stage. In addition, UHRF1 deficiency leads to aberrant recruitment of ATR and FANCD2 on the sex chromosomes and disrupts the diffusion of ATR to the XY chromatin. Furthermore, we show that UHRF1 acts as a cofactor of BRCA1 to facilitate the recruitment of DDR factors onto sex chromosomes for MSCI establishment. Accordingly, deletion of UHRF1 leads to the failure of meiotic silencing on sex chromosomes, resulting in meiotic arrest. In addition to our previous findings, the present study reveals that UHRF1 participates in MSCI, ensuring the progression of male meiosis. This suggests a multifunctional role of UHRF1 in the male germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengneng Xiong
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shumin Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shenglei Feng
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yiqian Gui
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jinmei Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yanqing Wu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Juan Dong
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China.,Laboratory of Animal Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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16
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Sims JR, Faça VM, Pereira C, Ascenção C, Comstock W, Badar J, Arroyo-Martinez GA, Freire R, Cohen PE, Weiss RS, Smolka MB. Phosphoproteomics of ATR signaling in mouse testes. eLife 2022; 11:e68648. [PMID: 35133275 PMCID: PMC8824463 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (PI3K)-related kinase ATR is crucial for mammalian meiosis. ATR promotes meiotic progression by coordinating key events in DNA repair, meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), and checkpoint-dependent quality control during meiotic prophase I. Despite its central roles in meiosis, the ATR-dependent meiotic signaling network remains largely unknown. Here, we used phosphoproteomics to define ATR signaling events in testes from mice following chemical and genetic ablation of ATR signaling. Quantitative analysis of phosphoproteomes obtained after germ cell-specific genetic ablation of the ATR activating 9-1-1 complex or treatment with ATR inhibitor identified over 14,000 phosphorylation sites from testes samples, of which 401 phosphorylation sites were found to be dependent on both the 9-1-1 complex and ATR. Our analyses identified ATR-dependent phosphorylation events in crucial DNA damage signaling and DNA repair proteins including TOPBP1, SMC3, MDC1, RAD50, and SLX4. Importantly, we identified ATR and RAD1-dependent phosphorylation events in proteins involved in mRNA regulatory processes, including SETX and RANBP3, whose localization to the sex body was lost upon ATR inhibition. In addition to identifying the expected ATR-targeted S/T-Q motif, we identified enrichment of an S/T-P-X-K motif in the set of ATR-dependent events, suggesting that ATR promotes signaling via proline-directed kinase(s) during meiosis. Indeed, we found that ATR signaling is important for the proper localization of CDK2 in spermatocytes. Overall, our analysis establishes a map of ATR signaling in mouse testes and highlights potential meiotic-specific actions of ATR during prophase I progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie R Sims
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Vitor M Faça
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | - Catalina Pereira
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Carolline Ascenção
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - William Comstock
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Jumana Badar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | | | - Raimundo Freire
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de CanariasTenerifeSpain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La LagunaLa LagunaSpain
- Universidad Fernando Pessoa CanariasLas Palmas de Gran CanariaSpain
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Robert S Weiss
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Marcus B Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
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17
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Pereira C, Arroyo-Martinez GA, Guo MZ, Downey MS, Kelly ER, Grive KJ, Mahadevaiah SK, Sims JR, Faca VM, Tsai C, Schiltz CJ, Wit N, Jacobs H, Clark NL, Freire R, Turner J, Lyndaker AM, Brieno-Enriquez MA, Cohen PE, Smolka MB, Weiss RS. Multiple 9-1-1 complexes promote homolog synapsis, DSB repair, and ATR signaling during mammalian meiosis. eLife 2022; 11:68677. [PMID: 35133274 PMCID: PMC8824475 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA damage response mechanisms have meiotic roles that ensure successful gamete formation. While completion of meiotic double-strand break (DSB) repair requires the canonical RAD9A-RAD1-HUS1 (9A-1-1) complex, mammalian meiocytes also express RAD9A and HUS1 paralogs, RAD9B and HUS1B, predicted to form alternative 9-1-1 complexes. The RAD1 subunit is shared by all predicted 9-1-1 complexes and localizes to meiotic chromosomes even in the absence of HUS1 and RAD9A. Here, we report that testis-specific disruption of RAD1 in mice resulted in impaired DSB repair, germ cell depletion, and infertility. Unlike Hus1 or Rad9a disruption, Rad1 loss in meiocytes also caused severe defects in homolog synapsis, impaired phosphorylation of ATR targets such as H2AX, CHK1, and HORMAD2, and compromised meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Together, these results establish critical roles for both canonical and alternative 9-1-1 complexes in meiotic ATR activation and successful prophase I completion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew Z Guo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
| | | | - Emma R Kelly
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Elmira College
| | | | | | - Jennie R Sims
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
| | - Vitor M Faca
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, FMRP, University of São Paulo
| | - Charlton Tsai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
| | | | - Niek Wit
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute
| | - Heinz Jacobs
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute
| | | | - Raimundo Freire
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna
- Universidad Fernando Pessoa Canarias
| | - James Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute
| | - Amy M Lyndaker
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Elmira College
| | - Miguel A Brieno-Enriquez
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
| | - Marcus B Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
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18
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Xie C, Wang W, Tu C, Meng L, Lu G, Lin G, Lu LY, Tan YQ. OUP accepted manuscript. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 28:763-797. [PMID: 35613017 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chunbo Xie
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
| | - Weili Wang
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chaofeng Tu
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Lanlan Meng
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
| | - Guangxiu Lu
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Lin
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Lin-Yu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Women's Reproductive Health Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yue-Qiu Tan
- Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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19
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Alavattam KG, Maezawa S, Andreassen PR, Namekawa SH. Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and the XY body: a phase separation hypothesis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 79:18. [PMID: 34971404 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04075-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian male meiosis, the heterologous X and Y chromosomes remain unsynapsed and, as a result, are subject to meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). MSCI is required for the successful completion of spermatogenesis. Following the initiation of MSCI, the X and Y chromosomes undergo various epigenetic modifications and are transformed into a nuclear body termed the XY body. Here, we review the mechanisms underlying the initiation of two essential, sequential processes in meiotic prophase I: MSCI and XY-body formation. The initiation of MSCI is directed by the action of DNA damage response (DDR) pathways; downstream of the DDR, unique epigenetic states are established, leading to the formation of the XY body. Accumulating evidence suggests that MSCI and subsequent XY-body formation may be driven by phase separation, a physical process that governs the formation of membraneless organelles and other biomolecular condensates. Thus, here we gather literature-based evidence to explore a phase separation hypothesis for the initiation of MSCI and the formation of the XY body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris G Alavattam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.,Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - So Maezawa
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Paul R Andreassen
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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20
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Davies B, Hinch AG, Cebrian-Serrano A, Alghadban S, Becker PW, Biggs D, Hernandez-Pliego P, Preece C, Moralli D, Zhang G, Myers S, Donnelly P. Altering the binding properties of PRDM9 partially restores fertility across the species boundary. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5555-5562. [PMID: 34491357 PMCID: PMC8662609 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterility or subfertility of male hybrid offspring is commonly observed. This phenomenon contributes to reproductive barriers between the parental populations, an early step in the process of speciation. One frequent cause of such infertility is a failure of proper chromosome pairing during male meiosis. In subspecies of the house mouse, the likelihood of successful chromosome synapsis is improved by the binding of the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 to both chromosome homologues at matching positions. Using genetic manipulation, we altered PRDM9 binding to occur more often at matched sites, and find that chromosome pairing defects can be rescued, not only in an inter-subspecific cross, but also between distinct species. Using different engineered variants, we demonstrate a quantitative link between the degree of matched homologue binding, chromosome synapsis and rescue of fertility in hybrids between Mus musculus and Mus spretus. The resulting partial restoration of fertility reveals additional mechanisms at play that act to lock-in the reproductive isolation between these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | | | | | - Samy Alghadban
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Philipp W Becker
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Daniel Biggs
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | | | - Chris Preece
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Daniela Moralli
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Gang Zhang
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Simon Myers
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.,Dept. of Statistics, University of Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Peter Donnelly
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.,Dept. of Statistics, University of Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
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21
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Rappaport Y, Achache H, Falk R, Murik O, Ram O, Tzur YB. Bisection of the X chromosome disrupts the initiation of chromosome silencing during meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4802. [PMID: 34376665 PMCID: PMC8355143 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24815-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, gene expression is silenced in aberrantly unsynapsed chromatin and in heterogametic sex chromosomes. Initiation of sex chromosome silencing is disrupted in meiocytes with sex chromosome-autosome translocations. To determine whether this is due to aberrant synapsis or loss of continuity of sex chromosomes, we engineered Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes with non-translocated, bisected X chromosomes. In early meiocytes of mutant males and hermaphrodites, X segments are enriched with euchromatin assembly markers and active RNA polymerase II staining, indicating active transcription. Analysis of RNA-seq data showed that genes from the X chromosome are upregulated in gonads of mutant worms. Contrary to previous models, which predicted that any unsynapsed chromatin is silenced during meiosis, our data indicate that unsynapsed X segments are transcribed. Therefore, our results suggest that sex chromosome chromatin has a unique character that facilitates its meiotic expression when its continuity is lost, regardless of whether or not it is synapsed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisrael Rappaport
- Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hanna Achache
- Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Roni Falk
- Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Omer Murik
- Medical Genetics Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Oren Ram
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yonatan B Tzur
- Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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22
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Takamatsu S, Brown J, Yamaguchi K, Hamanishi J, Yamanoi K, Takaya H, Kaneyasu T, Mori S, Mandai M, Matsumura N. Utility of Homologous Recombination Deficiency Biomarkers Across Cancer Types. JCO Precis Oncol 2021; 5:PO.21.00141. [PMID: 34423229 PMCID: PMC8373547 DOI: 10.1200/po.21.00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency (HRD) is associated with sensitivity to platinum and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in certain cancer types, including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate. In these cancers, BRCA1/2 alterations and genomic scar signatures are useful indicators for assessing HRD. However, alterations in other homologous recombination repair (HRR)-related genes and their clinical significance in other cancer types have not been adequately and systematically investigated. METHODS We obtained data sets of all solid tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, and comprehensively analyzed HRR pathway gene alterations, their loss-of-heterozygosity status, and per-sample genomic scar scores, that is, the HRD score and mutational signature 3 ratio, DNA methylation profiles, gene expression profiles, somatic TP53 mutations, sex, and clinical or in vitro response to chemical exposure. RESULTS Biallelic alterations in HRR genes other than BRCA1/2 were also associated with elevated genomic scar scores. The association between HRR-related gene alterations and genomic scar scores differed significantly by sex and the presence of somatic TP53 mutations. HRD tumors determined by a combination of indices also showed HRD features in gene expression analysis and exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents than non-HRD cases in both clinical samples and cell lines. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence for the usefulness of HRD analysis in all cancer types, improves chemotherapy decision making and its efficacy in clinical settings, and represents a substantial advancement in precision oncology.A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis on the clinical significance of homologous recombination deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Takamatsu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - J.B. Brown
- Life Science Informatics Research Unit, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ken Yamaguchi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Junzo Hamanishi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koji Yamanoi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hisamitsu Takaya
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kaneyasu
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiichi Mori
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Mandai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Noriomi Matsumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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23
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Muyle A, Bachtrog D, Marais GAB, Turner JMA. Epigenetics drive the evolution of sex chromosomes in animals and plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200124. [PMID: 33866802 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We review how epigenetics affect sex chromosome evolution in animals and plants. In a few species, sex is determined epigenetically through the action of Y-encoded small RNAs. Epigenetics is also responsible for changing the sex of individuals through time, even in species that carry sex chromosomes, and could favour species adaptation through breeding system plasticity. The Y chromosome accumulates repeats that become epigenetically silenced which leads to an epigenetic conflict with the expression of Y genes and could accelerate Y degeneration. Y heterochromatin can be lost through ageing, which activates transposable elements and lowers male longevity. Y chromosome degeneration has led to the evolution of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation in eutherians (placentals) and marsupials, and dosage compensation mechanisms in animals and plants. X-inactivation convergently evolved in eutherians and marsupials via two independently evolved non-coding RNAs. In Drosophila, male X upregulation by the male specific lethal (MSL) complex can spread to neo-X chromosomes through the transposition of transposable elements that carry an MSL-binding motif. We discuss similarities and possible differences between plants and animals and suggest future directions for this dynamic field of research. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Muyle
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel A B Marais
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.,LEAF- Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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24
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Meiotic Executioner Genes Protect the Y from Extinction. Trends Genet 2020; 36:728-738. [PMID: 32773168 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The Y has been described as a wimpy degraded relic of the X, with imminent demise should it lose sex-determining function. Why then has it persisted in almost all mammals? Here we present a novel mechanistic explanation for its evolutionary perseverance: the persistent Y hypothesis. The Y chromosome bears genes that act as their own judge, jury, and executioner in the tightly regulated meiotic surveillance pathways. These executioners are crucial for successful meiosis, yet need to be silenced during the meiotic sex chromosome inactivation window, otherwise germ cells die. Only rare transposition events to the X, where they remain subject to obligate meiotic silencing, are heritable, posing strong evolutionary constraint for the Y chromosome to persist.
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25
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Pereira C, Smolka MB, Weiss RS, Brieño-Enríquez MA. ATR signaling in mammalian meiosis: From upstream scaffolds to downstream signaling. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2020; 61:752-766. [PMID: 32725817 PMCID: PMC7747128 DOI: 10.1002/em.22401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In germ cells undergoing meiosis, the induction of double strand breaks (DSBs) is required for the generation of haploid gametes. Defects in the formation, detection, or recombinational repair of DSBs often result in defective chromosome segregation and aneuploidies. Central to the ability of meiotic cells to properly respond to DSBs are DNA damage response (DDR) pathways mediated by DNA damage sensor kinases. DDR signaling coordinates an extensive network of DDR effectors to induce cell cycle arrest and DNA repair, or trigger apoptosis if the damage is extensive. Despite their importance, the functions of DDR kinases and effector proteins during meiosis remain poorly understood and can often be distinct from their known mitotic roles. A key DDR kinase during meiosis is ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR). ATR mediates key signaling events that control DSB repair, cell cycle progression, and meiotic silencing. These meiotic functions of ATR depend on upstream scaffolds and regulators, including the 9-1-1 complex and TOPBP1, and converge on many downstream effectors such as the checkpoint kinase CHK1. Here, we review the meiotic functions of the 9-1-1/TOPBP1/ATR/CHK1 signaling pathway during mammalian meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Pereira
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Marcus B. Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Robert S. Weiss
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Miguel A. Brieño-Enríquez
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Corresponding author: ; Phone: 412-641-7531
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26
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The Initiation of Meiotic Sex Chromosome Inactivation Sequesters DNA Damage Signaling from Autosomes in Mouse Spermatogenesis. Curr Biol 2020; 30:408-420.e5. [PMID: 31902729 PMCID: PMC7076562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is an essential event in the mammalian male germline. MSCI is directed by a DNA damage response (DDR) pathway centered on the phosphorylation of histone variant H2AX at serine 139 (termed γH2AX). The failure to initiate MSCI is linked to complete meiotic arrest and elimination of germ cells; however, the mechanisms underlying this arrest and elimination remain unknown. To address this question, we established a new separation-of-function mouse model for H2ax that shows specific and complete defects in MSCI. The genetic change is a point mutation in which another H2AX amino acid residue important in the DDR, tyrosine 142 (Y142), is converted to alanine (H2ax-Y142A). In H2ax-Y142A meiosis, the establishment of DDR signals on the chromosome-wide domain of the sex chromosomes is impaired. The initiation of MSCI is required for stage progression, which enables crossover formation, suggesting that the establishment of MSCI permits the timely progression of male meiosis. Our results suggest that normal meiotic progression requires the removal of ATR-mediated DDR signaling from autosomes. We propose a novel biological function for MSCI: the initiation of MSCI sequesters DDR factors from autosomes to the sex chromosomes at the onset of the pachytene stage, and the subsequent formation of an isolated XY nuclear compartment-the XY body-sequesters DDR factors to permit meiotic progression from the mid-pachytene stage onward. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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27
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Bolcun-Filas E, Handel MA. Meiosis: the chromosomal foundation of reproduction. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:112-126. [PMID: 29385397 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is the chromosomal foundation of reproduction, with errors in this important process leading to aneuploidy and/or infertility. In this review celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, the important chromosomal structures and dynamics contributing to genomic integrity across generations are highlighted. Critical unsolved biological problems are identified, and the advances that will lead to their ultimate resolution are predicted.
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28
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Abstract
The evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes has occurred independently many times in different lineages. The differentiation of sex chromosomes leads to dramatic changes in sequence composition and function and guides the evolutionary trajectory and utilization of genes in pivotal sex determination and reproduction roles. In addition, meiotic recombination and pairing mechanisms are key in orchestrating the resultant impact, retention and maintenance of heteromorphic sex chromosomes, as the resulting exposure of unpaired DNA at meiosis triggers ancient repair and checkpoint pathways. In this review, we summarize the different ways in which sex chromosome systems are organized at meiosis, how pairing is affected, and differences in unpaired DNA responses. We hypothesize that lineage specific differences in meiotic organization is not only a consequence of sex chromosome evolution, but that the establishment of epigenetic changes on sex chromosomes contributes toward their evolutionary conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasman Daish
- Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Frank Grützner
- Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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29
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Jeon Y, Park MK, Kim SM, Bae JS, Lee CW, Lee H. TopBP1 deficiency impairs the localization of proteins involved in early recombination and results in meiotic chromosome defects during spermatogenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 508:722-728. [PMID: 30528234 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Topoisomerase IIβ-binding protein 1 (TopBP1) is BRCT domain-containing protein that is required for DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair and DNA damage responses; however, its function during the early stage of spermatogenesis is still unclear. To investigate the physiological role of TopBP1, we have generated germ cell-specific TopBP1-depleted mouse model. TopBP1-deleted mice were infertile, showed a loss of germ cells and had meiotic defects. Conditional TopBP1 deletion resulted in reduced testis size, reduced number of epididymal sperm, increased apoptosis, and severely compromised fertility. TopBP1 deficiency caused defects in DMC1 and Rad51 foci formation, abnormal synaptonemal complexes and meiotic chromosome defects. Collectively, these results suggest that TopBP1 deficiency during spermatogenesis impairs the localization of proteins involved in early recombination at DSBs, results in meiotic chromosome defects and leads to infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Jeon
- Carcinogenesis and Metastasis Research Branch, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea; Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Kyung Park
- Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Mi Kim
- Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - June Sung Bae
- Carcinogenesis and Metastasis Research Branch, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Woo Lee
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Lee
- Carcinogenesis and Metastasis Research Branch, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea; Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea.
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30
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Hirota T, Blakeley P, Sangrithi MN, Mahadevaiah SK, Encheva V, Snijders AP, ElInati E, Ojarikre OA, de Rooij DG, Niakan KK, Turner JMA. SETDB1 Links the Meiotic DNA Damage Response to Sex Chromosome Silencing in Mice. Dev Cell 2018; 47:645-659.e6. [PMID: 30393076 PMCID: PMC6286383 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic synapsis and recombination ensure correct homologous segregation and genetic diversity. Asynapsed homologs are transcriptionally inactivated by meiotic silencing, which serves a surveillance function and in males drives meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Silencing depends on the DNA damage response (DDR) network, but how DDR proteins engage repressive chromatin marks is unknown. We identify the histone H3-lysine-9 methyltransferase SETDB1 as the bridge linking the DDR to silencing in male mice. At the onset of silencing, X chromosome H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) enrichment is downstream of DDR factors. Without Setdb1, the X chromosome accrues DDR proteins but not H3K9me3. Consequently, sex chromosome remodeling and silencing fail, causing germ cell apoptosis. Our data implicate TRIM28 in linking the DDR to SETDB1 and uncover additional factors with putative meiotic XY-silencing functions. Furthermore, we show that SETDB1 imposes timely expression of meiotic and post-meiotic genes. Setdb1 thus unites the DDR network, asynapsis, and meiotic chromosome silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Hirota
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Paul Blakeley
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Mahesh N Sangrithi
- KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Department of Reproductive Medicine, Singapore 229899, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | | | - Vesela Encheva
- Mass Spectrometry Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ambrosius P Snijders
- Mass Spectrometry Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Elias ElInati
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Obah A Ojarikre
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Dirk G de Rooij
- Reproductive Biology Group, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, the Netherlands; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, the Netherlands
| | - Kathy K Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - James M A Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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31
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Hunter N. Oocyte Quality Control: Causes, Mechanisms, and Consequences. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2018; 82:235-247. [PMID: 29743337 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2017.82.035394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Oocyte quality and number are key determinants of reproductive life span and success. These variables are shaped in part by the elimination of oocytes that experience problems during the early stages of meiosis. Meiotic prophase-I marks an extended period of genome vulnerability in which epigenetic reprogramming unleashes retroelements and hundreds of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are inflicted to initiate the programmed recombination required for accurate chromosome segregation at the first meiotic division. Expression of LINE-1 retroelements perturbs several aspects of meiotic prophase and is associated with oocyte death during the early stages of meiotic prophase I. Defects in chromosome synapsis and recombination also trigger oocyte loss, but typically at a later stage, as cells transition into quiescence and form primordial follicles. Interrelated pathways that signal defects in DSB repair and chromosome synapsis mediate this late oocyte attrition. Here, I review our current understanding of early and late oocyte attrition based on studies in mouse and describe how these processes appear to be both distinct and overlapping and how they help balance the quality and size of oocyte reserves to maximize fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Hunter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616.,Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616
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32
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Jiang H, Gao Q, Zheng W, Yin S, Wang L, Zhong L, Ali A, Khan T, Hao Q, Fang H, Sun X, Xu P, Pandita TK, Jiang X, Shi Q. MOF influences meiotic expansion of H2AX phosphorylation and spermatogenesis in mice. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007300. [PMID: 29795555 PMCID: PMC6019819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Three waves of H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX) have been observed in male meiotic prophase I: the first is ATM-dependent and occurs at leptonema, while the second and third are ATR-dependent, occuring at zygonema and pachynema, respectively. The third wave of H2AX phosphorylation marks and silences unsynapsed chromosomes. Little is known about H2AX phosphorylation expands to chromatin-wide regions in spermatocytes. Here, we report that histone acetyltransferase (HAT) MOF is involved in all three waves of H2AX phosphorylation expansion. Germ cell-specific deletion of Mof in spermatocytes by Stra8-Cre (Mof cKO) caused global loss of H4K16ac. In leptotene and zygotene spermatocytes of cKO mice, the γH2AX signals were observed only along the chromosomal axes, and chromatin-wide H2AX phosphorylation was lost. In almost 40% of early-mid pachytene spermatocytes from Mof cKO mice, γH2AX and MDC1 were detected along the unsynapsed axes of the sex chromosomes, but failed to expand, which consequently caused meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) failure. Furthermore, though RAD51 was proficiently recruited to double-strand break (DSB) sites, defects in DSB repair and crossover formation were observed in Mof cKO spermatocytes, indicating that MOF facilitates meiotic DSB repair after RAD51 recruitment. We propose that MOF regulates male meiosis and is involved in the expansion of all three waves of H2AX phosphorylation from the leptotene to pachytene stages, initiated by ATM and ATR, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwei Jiang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qian Gao
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wei Zheng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shi Yin
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Liu Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Liangwen Zhong
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Asim Ali
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Teka Khan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qiaomei Hao
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hui Fang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoling Sun
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tej K. Pandita
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiaohua Jiang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qinghua Shi
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, USTC-SJH Joint Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Hefei, Anhui, China
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