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Kent K, Nozawa K, Sutton C, Daniel F, Ikawa M, Garcia TX, Matzuk MM. CUB domains are not required for OVCH2 function in sperm maturation in the mouse epididymis. Andrology 2024; 12:682-697. [PMID: 37551853 PMCID: PMC10850435 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13508] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovochymase 2 (Ovch2) is an epididymis-specific gene that is required for male fertility. While a multitude of reproductive tract-specific genes required for male fertility have been identified, OVCH2 is thus far the first protein required for male fertility that contains Complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1 (CUB) domains located in tandem in the C-terminus of the protein. Identifying the functional significance of this unique domain has implications in better understanding fertility and infertility and as a potential contraceptive target. OBJECTIVE The goals of these studies were to understand the influence and requirement of OVCH2 CUB domains in the localization and functional requirement of OVCH2 in sperm maturation and function. MATERIALS AND METHODS To this end, we performed in vivo localization analysis of OVCH2 and reproductive phenotype analysis of mice containing C-terminal FLAG tag on OVCH2, with either the entire protein intact, or CUB2 or both CUB1 and CUB2 genetically ablated. All mice were generated through the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach. RESULTS We found that OVCH2 is specifically expressed in the proximal caput epididymidis, and the absence of CUB2 did not affect this localization pattern. Although the absence of both CUB domains significantly reduced sperm motility and progressive motility, this effect was not manifested in a reduction in fertility over a 6-month period mating trial, which showed no significant differences between control and CUB deletant mice. Further, the absence of one or both CUB domains did not affect reproductive organ structure or sperm morphology. CONCLUSIONS Our studies demonstrate that the CUB domains are not required for fertility in male mice, at least under the normal animal housing conditions our mice were tested in, and suggest that the enzymatic activity of the OVCH2 protease, in the absence of its CUB domains, is sufficient for normal sperm processing in the epididymis. Although our findings do not preclude the possibility that OVCH2 CUB domains are required under a yet-identified stress condition, our findings demonstrate that the most likely region for deleterious mutations in men with idiopathic infertility and the most vulnerable site for inhibition of OVCH2 protein function is in its protease domain, and not its CUB domains. Our findings have implications in the genetic screening of infertile men and the development of a novel non-hormonal male contraceptive by honing in on the more critical region of a functionally required protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kent
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kaori Nozawa
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Courtney Sutton
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Frey Daniel
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Department of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Thomas X. Garcia
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, TX 77030, USA
| | - Martin M. Matzuk
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Nozawa K, Garcia TX, Kent K, Leng M, Jain A, Malovannaya A, Yuan F, Yu Z, Ikawa M, Matzuk MM. Testis-specific serine kinase 3 is required for sperm morphogenesis and male fertility. Andrology 2023; 11:826-839. [PMID: 36306217 PMCID: PMC10267670 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The importance of phosphorylation in sperm during spermatogenesis has not been pursued extensively. Testis-specific serine kinase 3 (Tssk3) is a conserved gene, but TSSK3 kinase functions and phosphorylation substrates of TSSK3 are not known. OBJECTIVE The goals of our studies were to understand the mechanism of action of TSSK3. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed the localization of TSSK3 in sperm, used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate Tssk3 knockout (KO) mice in which nearly all of the Tssk3 open reading frame was deleted (ensuring it is a null mutation), analyzed the fertility of Tssk3 KO mice by breeding mice for 4 months, and conducted phosphoproteomics analysis of male testicular germ cells. RESULTS TSSK3 is expressed in elongating sperm and localizes to the sperm tail. To define the essential roles of TSSK3 in vivo, heterozygous (HET) or homozygous KO male mice were mated with wild-type females, and fertility was assessed over 4 months; Tssk3 KO males are sterile, whereas HET males produced normal litter sizes. The absence of TSSK3 results in disorganization of all stages of testicular seminiferous epithelium and significantly increased vacuolization of germ cells, leading to dramatically reduced sperm counts and abnormal sperm morphology; despite these histologic changes, Tssk3 null mice have normal testis size. To elucidate the mechanisms causing the KO phenotype, we conducted phosphoproteomics using purified germ cells from Tssk3 HET and KO testes. We found that proteins implicated in male infertility, such as GAPDHS, ACTL7A, ACTL9, and REEP6, showed significantly reduced phosphorylation in KO testes compared to HET testes, despite unaltered total protein levels. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that TSSK3 is essential for male fertility and crucial for phosphorylation of multiple infertility-related proteins. These studies and the pathways in which TSSK3 functions have implications for human male infertility and nonhormonal contraception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Nozawa
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Thomas X. Garcia
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Katarzyna Kent
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Mei Leng
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Antrix Jain
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Anna Malovannaya
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Fei Yuan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Zhifeng Yu
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Department of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Martin M. Matzuk
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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Tseng CC, Hung CC, Shu CW, Lee CH, Chen CF, Kuo MS, Kao YY, Chen CL, Ger LP, Liu PF. The Clinical and Biological Effects of Receptor Expression-Enhancing Protein 6 in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051270. [PMID: 37238941 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051270] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
There are currently no effective biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), which causes a poor 5-year overall survival rate. Thus, it is crucial to identify more effective diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for TSCC patients. The receptor expression-enhancing protein 6 (REEP6), a transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum resident protein, controls the expression or transport of a subset of proteins or receptors. Although it was reported that REEP6 plays a role in lung and colon cancers, its clinical impact and biological role in TSCC are still unknown. The present study aimed to identify a novel effective biomarker and therapeutic target for TSCC patients. Expression levels of REEP6 in specimens from TSCC patients were determined with immunohistochemistry. Gene knockdown was used to evaluate the effects of REEP6 in cancer malignancy (colony/tumorsphere formation, cell cycle regulation, migration, drug resistance and cancer stemness) of TSCC cells. The clinical impact of REEP6 expression and gene co-expression on prognosis were analyzed in oral cancer patients including TSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Tumor tissues had higher levels of REEP6 compared to normal tissues in TSCC patients. Higher REEP6 expression was related to shorter disease-free survival (DFS) in oral cancer patients with poorly differentiated tumor cells. REEP6-knocked-down TSCC cells showed diminished colony/tumorsphere formation, and they also caused G1 arrest and decreased migration, drug resistance and cancer stemness. A high co-expression of REEP6/epithelial-mesenchymal transition or cancer stemness markers also resulted in poor DFS in oral cancer patients. Thus, REEP6 is involved in the malignancy of TSCC and might serve as a potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for TSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Chih Tseng
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
- Department of Dentistry, Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81342, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Ching Hung
- Department of Otolaryngology, Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81342, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wen Shu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, College of Life Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Feng Chen
- Department of Stomatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Shu Kuo
- Department of Biotechnology, Chia Nan University, Tainan 71710, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ying Kao
- Department of Biotechnology, Chia Nan University, Tainan 71710, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Lin Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Luo-Ping Ger
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Feng Liu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, College of Life Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
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Fan S, Liu H, Li L. The REEP family of proteins: molecular targets and role in pathophysiology. Pharmacol Res 2022; 185:106477. [PMID: 36191880 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Receptor expression-enhancing proteins (REEPs) are an evolutionarily conserved protein family that is pivotal to the structure and function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The REEP family can be classified into two major subfamilies in higher species, the REEP1-4 and REEP5-6 subfamilies. Within the REEP1-4 subfamily, REEP1 and REEP2 are closely related, and REEP3 and REEP4 are similarly related. The REEP family is widely distributed in various tissues. Recent studies indicate that the REEP family is involved in many pathological and physiological processes, such as ER morphogenesis and remodeling, microtubule cytoskeleton regulation, and the trafficking and expression of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Moreover, the REEP family plays crucial roles in the occurrence and development of many diseases, including neurological diseases, diabetes, retinal diseases, cardiac diseases, infertility, obesity, oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (OJIA), COVID-19, and cancer. In the present review, we describe the distribution and structure of the REEP family. Furthermore, we summarize the functions and the associated diseases of this family. Based on the pleiotropic actions of the REEP family, the study of its family members is crucial to understanding the relevant pathophysiological processes and developing strategies to modulate and control these related diseases. AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIAL: The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Fan
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Huimei Liu
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Lanfang Li
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China.
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5
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Nozawa K, Fujihara Y, Devlin DJ, Deras RE, Kent K, Larina IV, Umezu K, Yu Z, Sutton CM, Ye Q, Dean LK, Emori C, Ikawa M, Garcia TX, Matzuk MM. The testis-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF133 is required for fecundity in mice. BMC Biol 2022; 20:161. [PMID: 35831855 PMCID: PMC9277888 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01368-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification required for a number of physiological functions regulating protein homeostasis, such as protein degradation. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control system recognizes and degrades proteins no longer needed in the ER through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. E2 and E3 enzymes containing a transmembrane domain have been shown to function in ER quality control. The ER transmembrane protein UBE2J1 is a E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme reported to be essential for spermiogenesis at the elongating spermatid stage. Spermatids from Ube2j1 KO male mice are believed to have defects in the dislocation step of ER quality control. However, associated E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases that function during spermatogenesis remain unknown. RESULTS We identified four evolutionarily conserved testis-specific E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases [RING finger protein 133 (Rnf133); RING finger protein 148 (Rnf148); RING finger protein 151 (Rnf151); and Zinc finger SWIM-type containing 2 (Zswim2)]. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we generated and analyzed the fertility of mutant mice with null alleles for each of these E3-encoding genes, as well as double and triple knockout (KO) mice. Male fertility, male reproductive organ, and sperm-associated parameters were analyzed in detail. Fecundity remained largely unaffected in Rnf148, Rnf151, and Zswim2 KO males; however, Rnf133 KO males displayed severe subfertility. Additionally, Rnf133 KO sperm exhibited abnormal morphology and reduced motility. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated that cytoplasmic droplets were retained in Rnf133 KO spermatozoa. Although Rnf133 and Rnf148 encode paralogous genes that are chromosomally linked and encode putative ER transmembrane E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases based on their protein structures, there was limited functional redundancy of these proteins. In addition, we identified UBE2J1 as an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating protein that interacts with RNF133. CONCLUSIONS Our studies reveal that RNF133 is a testis-expressed E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase that plays a critical role for sperm function during spermiogenesis. Based on the presence of a transmembrane domain in RNF133 and its interaction with the ER containing E2 protein UBE2J1, we hypothesize that these ubiquitin-regulatory proteins function together in ER quality control during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Nozawa
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yoshitaka Fujihara
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Bioscience and Genetics, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, 564-8565, Japan
| | - Darius J Devlin
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ricardo E Deras
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kent
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Irina V Larina
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kohei Umezu
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhifeng Yu
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Courtney M Sutton
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Qiuji Ye
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Laura K Dean
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chihiro Emori
- Department of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Department of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Thomas X Garcia
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Martin M Matzuk
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Vickram AS, Anbarasu K, Jeyanthi P, Gulothungan G, Nanmaran R, Thanigaivel S, Sridharan TB, Rohini K. Identification and Structure Prediction of Human Septin-4 as a Biomarker for Diagnosis of Asthenozoospermic Infertile Patients-Critical Finding Toward Personalized Medicine. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:723019. [PMID: 34926486 PMCID: PMC8677696 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.723019] [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: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Semen parameters are been found as a key factor to evaluate the count and morphology in the given semen sample. The deep knowledge of male infertility will unravel with semen parameters correlated with molecular and biochemical parameters. The current research study is to identify the motility associated protein and its structure through the in-silico approach. Semen samples were collected and initial analysis including semen parameters was analyzed by using the World Health Organization protocol. Semen biochemical parameters, namely, seminal plasma protein concentration, fructose content, and glucosidase content were calculated and evaluated for correlation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) were carried out for identification of Septin-4 presence in the semen sample. Mascot search was done for protein conformation and in-silico characterization of Septin-4 by structural modeling in Iterative Threading Assembly Refinement (I-TASSER). Twenty-five nanoseconds molecular dynamics (MD) simulations results showed the stable nature of Septin-4 in the dynamic system. Overall, our results showed the presence of motility-associated protein in normospermia and control samples and not in the case of asthenospermia and oligoasthenospermia. Molecular techniques characterized the presence of Septin-4 and as a novel biomarker for infertility diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Vickram
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering (SSE), SIMATS, Chennai, India
| | - K Anbarasu
- Department of Bioinformatics, Saveetha School of Engineering (SSE), SIMATS, Chennai, India
| | - Palanivelu Jeyanthi
- Department of Biotechnology, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - G Gulothungan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering (SSE), SIMATS, Chennai, India
| | - R Nanmaran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering (SSE), SIMATS, Chennai, India
| | - S Thanigaivel
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering (SSE), SIMATS, Chennai, India
| | - T B Sridharan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
| | - Karunakaran Rohini
- Unit of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong, Malaysia
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Differential gene expression of the healthy conjunctiva during the day. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 2021; 45:101494. [PMID: 34315655 DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2021.101494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine if there is diurnal variation in gene expression in normal healthy conjunctival cells. METHODS Bulbar conjunctival swab samples were collected from four healthy subjects in the morning and evening of the same day. The two swab samples were taken from one eye of each participant, with a minimum of five hours gap between the two samples. RNA was extracted and analysed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). RESULTS A total of 121 genes were differentially expressed between the morning and the evening conjunctival samples, of which 94 genes were upregulated in the morning, and 27 genes were upregulated in the evening. Many of the genes that were upregulated in the morning were involved in defence, cell turnover and regulation of gene expression, while the genes upregulated in the evening were involved in signalling and mucin production. CONCLUSIONS This study has identified several genes whose expression changes over the course of the day. Knowledge of diurnal variations of conjunctival gene expression provides an insight into the regulatory status of the healthy eye and provides a baseline for examining changes during ocular surface disease.
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Liang Q, Wu N, Zaneveld S, Liu H, Fu S, Wang K, Bertrand R, Wang J, Li Y, Chen R. Transcript isoforms of Reep6 have distinct functions in the retina. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1907-1918. [PMID: 34104971 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of the complexity of the eukaryotic cell transcriptome is due to the alternative splicing of mRNA. However, knowledge on how transcriptome complexity is translated into functional complexity remains limited. For example, although different isoforms of a gene may show distinct temporal and spatial expression patterns, it is largely unknown whether these isoforms encode proteins with distinct functions matching their expression pattern. In this report, we investigated the function and relationship of the two isoforms of Reep6, namely Reep6.1 and Reep6.2, in rod photoreceptor cells. These two isoforms result from the alternative splicing of exon 5 and show mutually exclusive expression patterns. Reep6.2 is the canonical isoform that is expressed in non-retinal tissues while Reep6.1 is the only expressed isoform in the adult retina. The Reep6.1 isoform-specific knockout mouse, Reep6E5/E5, is generated by deleting exon 5 and a homozygous deletion phenotypically displayed a rod degeneration phenotype comparable to a Reep6 full knockout mouse, indicating that the Reep6.1 isoform is essential for the rod photoreceptor cell survival. Consistent with the results obtained from a loss-of-function experiment, overexpression of Reep6.2 failed to rescue the rod degeneration phenotype of Reep6 knockout mice while overexpression of Reep6.1 does lead to rescue. These results demonstrate that, consistent with the expression pattern of the isoform, Reep6.1 has rod-specific functions that cannot be substituted by its canonical isoform. Our findings suggested that a strict regulation of splicing is required for the maintenance of photoreceptor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingnan Liang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.,Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Nathaniel Wu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Smriti Zaneveld
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Hehe Liu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Shangyi Fu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Keqing Wang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Renae Bertrand
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.,Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Yumei Li
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Rui Chen
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.,Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
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Anifandis G, Tempest HG, Oliva R, Swanson GM, Simopoulou M, Easley CA, Primig M, Messini CI, Turek PJ, Sutovsky P, Ory SJ, Krawetz SA. COVID-19 and human reproduction: A pandemic that packs a serious punch. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2021; 67:3-23. [PMID: 33719829 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2020.1855271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide health emergency that has impacted 188 countries at last count. The rapid community transmission and relatively high mortality rates with COVID-19 in modern times are relatively unique features of this flu pandemic and have resulted in an unparalleled global health crisis. SARS-CoV-2, being a respiratory virus, mainly affects the lungs, but is capable of infecting other vital organs, such as brain, heart and kidney. Emerging evidence suggests that the virus also targets male and female reproductive organs that express its main receptor ACE2, although it is as yet unclear if this has any implications for human fertility. Furthermore, professional bodies have recommended discontinuing fertility services during the pandemic such that reproductive services have also been affected. Although increased safety measures have helped to mitigate the propagation of COVID-19 in a number of countries, it seems that there is no predictable timeline to containment of the virus, a goal likely to remain elusive until an effective vaccine becomes available and widely distributed across the globe. In parallel, research on reproduction has been postponed for obvious reasons, while diagnostic tests that detect the virus or antibodies against it are of vital importance to support public health policies, such as social distancing and our obligation to wear masks in public spaces. This review aims to provide an overview of critical research and ethics issues that have been continuously emerging in the field of reproductive medicine as the COVID-19 pandemic tragically unfolds.Abbreviations: ACE2: angiotensin- converting enzyme 2; ART: Assisted reproductive technology; ASRM: American Society for Reproductive Medicine; CCR9: C-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 9; CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019; Ct: Cycle threshold; CXCR6: C-X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 6; ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ESHRE: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology; ET: Embryo transfer; FSH: Follicle Stimulating Hormone; FFPE: formalin fixed paraffin embedded; FYCO1: FYVE And Coiled-Coil Domain Autophagy Adaptor 1; IFFS: International Federation of Fertility Societies; IUI: Intrauterine insemination; IVF: In vitro fertilization; LH: Luteinizing Hormone; LZTFL1: Leucine Zipper Transcription Factor Like 1; MAR: medically assisted reproduction services; MERS: Middle East Respiratory syndrome; NGS: Next Generation Sequencing; ORF: Open Reading Frame; PPE: personal protective equipment; RE: RNA Element; REDa: RNA Element Discovery algorithm; RT-PCR: Reverse=trascriptase transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; SARS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome; SARS-CoV-2: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; SLC6A20: Solute Carrier Family 6 Member 20; SMS: Single Molecule Sequencing; T: Testosterone; TMPRSS2: transmembrane serine protease 2; WHO: World Health Organization; XCR1: X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Anifandis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece
| | - Helen G Tempest
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.,Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rafael Oliva
- Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat De Barcelona, and Hospital Clinic from Barcelona, Spain
| | - Grace M Swanson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Mara Simopoulou
- Department of Experimental Physiology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece, Athens, Greece
| | - Charles A Easley
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Michael Primig
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail), Rennes, France
| | - Christina I Messini
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece
| | - Paul J Turek
- It is a private Clinic, The Turek Clinic, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
| | - Peter Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Steve J Ory
- It is a private Clinic, IVF Florida Reproductive Institutes, Margate, FL, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Center of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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10
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Insights into the Mechanism of Bovine Spermiogenesis Based on Comparative Transcriptomic Studies. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11010080. [PMID: 33466297 PMCID: PMC7824766 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Any irregularity in spermiogenesis reduces the quality of semen and may lead to male sterility in cattle and humans. Thus, we investigated the differential transcriptomics of spermatids from round spermatid to epididymal sperm and compared them with the transcriptomics of mice in the same period. We found differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in sperm head and tail formation, and epigenetic regulatory networks which regulated genetic material condensation, the deformation of the spermatid, and the expression of genes in it. According to the sterility report on the ART3 protein and its possible epigenetic function, we detected that it was localised outside the spermatocyte, in round and elongated spermatids. Interestingly, we observed that the ART3 protein on round and elongated spermatids was localised approximately to the lumen of seminiferous tubule. It was also localised on the head and tail part near the head in epididymal sperm, suggesting its important role in the deformation from round spermatids to sperm. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying bovine spermiogenesis, thereby contributing to the improved reproductive potential of cattle and the development of strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility. Abstract To reduce subfertility caused by low semen quality and provide theoretical guidance for the eradication of human male infertility, we sequenced the bovine transcriptomes of round, elongated spermatids and epididymal sperms. The differential analysis was carried out with the reference of the mouse transcriptome, and the homology trends of gene expression to the mouse were also analysed. First, to explore the physiological mechanism of spermiogenesis that profoundly affects semen quality, homological trends of differential genes were compared during spermiogenesis in dairy cattle and mice. Next, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, protein–protein interaction network (PPI network), and bioinformatics analyses were performed to uncover the regulation network of acrosome formation during the transition from round to elongated spermatids. In addition, processes that regulate gene expression during spermiogenesis from elongated spermatid to epididymal sperm, such as ubiquitination, acetylation, deacetylation, and glycosylation, and the functional ART3 gene may play important roles during spermiogenesis. Therefore, its localisation in the seminiferous tubules and epididymal sperm were investigated using immunofluorescent analysis, and its structure and function were also predicted. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the process of spermiogenesis, which involves acrosome formation, histone replacement, and the fine regulation of gene expression.
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11
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Devlin DJ, Nozawa K, Ikawa M, Matzuk MM. Knockout of family with sequence similarity 170 member A (Fam170a) causes male subfertility, while Fam170b is dispensable in mice†. Biol Reprod 2020; 103:205-222. [PMID: 32588889 PMCID: PMC7401401 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Families with sequence similarity 170 members A and B (FAM170A and FAM170B) are testis-specific, paralogous proteins that share 31% amino acid identity and are conserved throughout mammals. While previous in vitro experiments suggested that FAM170B, an acrosome-localized protein, plays a role in the mouse sperm acrosome reaction and fertilization, the role of FAM170A in the testis has not been explored. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate null alleles for each gene, and homozygous null (-/-) male mice were mated to wild-type females for 6 months to assess fertility. Fam170b-/- males were found to produce normal litter sizes and had normal sperm counts, motility, and sperm morphology. In contrast, mating experiments revealed significantly reduced litter sizes and a reduced pregnancy rate from Fam170a-/- males compared with controls. Fam170a-/-;Fam170b-/- double knockout males also produced markedly reduced litter sizes, although not significantly different from Fam170a-/- alone, suggesting that Fam170b does not compensate for the absence of Fam170a. Fam170a-/- males exhibited abnormal spermiation, abnormal head morphology, and reduced progressive sperm motility. Thus, FAM170A has an important role in male fertility, as the loss of the protein leads to subfertility, while FAM170B is expendable. The molecular functions of FAM170A in spermatogenesis are as yet unknown; however, the protein localizes to the nucleus of elongating spermatids and may mediate its effects on spermatid head shaping and spermiation by regulating the expression of other genes. This work provides the first described role of FAM170A in reproduction and has implications for improving human male infertility diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darius J Devlin
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kaori Nozawa
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Toyko, Japan
| | - Martin M Matzuk
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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