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Yamanouchi K, Kato S, Tanaka Y, Ikeda M, Oshimo Y, Shiga T, Hatamoto K, Chambers J, Imamura T, Hiramatsu R, Uchida K, Matsuda F, Matsuwaki T, Kohsaka T. Identification and characterization of dystrophin-locus-derived testis-specific protein: A testis-specific gene within the intronic region of the rat dystrophin gene. J Reprod Dev 2024; 70:55-64. [PMID: 38246612 PMCID: PMC11017100 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2023-073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The mammalian X chromosome exhibits enrichment in genes associated with germ cell development. Previously, we generated a rat model of Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) characterized by an in-frame mutation in the dystrophin gene, situated on the X chromosome and responsible for encoding a protein crucial for muscle integrity. Male BMD rats are infertile owing to the absence of normal spermatids in the epididymis. Within the seminiferous tubules of BMD rats, elongated spermatids displayed abnormal morphology. To elucidate the cause of infertility, we identified a putative gene containing an open reading frame situated in the intronic region between exons 6 and 7 of the dystrophin gene, specifically deleted in male BMD rats. This identified gene, along with its encoded protein, exhibited specific detection within the testes, exclusively localized in round to elongated spermatids during spermiogenesis. Consequently, we designated the encoded protein as dystrophin-locus-derived testis-specific protein (DTSP). Given the absence of DTSP in the testes of BMD rats, we hypothesized that the loss of DTSP contributes to the infertility observed in male BMD rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keitaro Yamanouchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Shizuka Kato
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yukie Tanaka
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Masanari Ikeda
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yukina Oshimo
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takanori Shiga
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kei Hatamoto
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - James Chambers
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takuya Imamura
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hiramatsu
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Uchida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Fuko Matsuda
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuwaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kohsaka
- Faculty of Health Science, Butsuryo College of Osaka, Osaka 593-8328, Japan
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Kobayashi Y, Tomizawa SI, Ono M, Kuroha K, Minamizawa K, Natsume K, Dizdarević S, Dočkal I, Tanaka H, Kawagoe T, Seki M, Suzuki Y, Ogonuki N, Inoue K, Matoba S, Anastassiadis K, Mizuki N, Ogura A, Ohbo K. Tsga8 is required for spermatid morphogenesis and male fertility in mice. Development 2021; 148:dev.196212. [PMID: 33766931 DOI: 10.1242/dev.196212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During spermatogenesis, intricate gene expression is coordinately regulated by epigenetic modifiers, which are required for differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) contained among undifferentiated spermatogonia. We have previously found that KMT2B conveys H3K4me3 at bivalent and monovalent promoters in undifferentiated spermatogonia. Because these genes are expressed late in spermatogenesis or during embryogenesis, we expect that many of them are potentially programmed by KMT2B for future expression. Here, we show that one of the genes targeted by KMT2B, Tsga8, plays an essential role in spermatid morphogenesis. Loss of Tsga8 in mice leads to male infertility associated with abnormal chromosomal distribution in round spermatids, malformation of elongating spermatid heads and spermiation failure. Tsga8 depletion leads to dysregulation of thousands of genes, including the X-chromosome genes that are reactivated in spermatids, and insufficient nuclear condensation accompanied by reductions of TNP1 and PRM1, key factors for histone-to-protamine transition. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of spermatids rescued the infertility phenotype, suggesting competency of the spermatid genome for fertilization. Thus, Tsga8 is a KMT2B target that is vitally necessary for spermiogenesis and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kobayashi
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Tomizawa
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Michio Ono
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazushige Kuroha
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Keisuke Minamizawa
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Koji Natsume
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Selma Dizdarević
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Ivana Dočkal
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Tanaka
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki International University, Huis Ten Bosch, Sasebo, Nagasaki 859-3298, Japan
| | - Tatsukata Kawagoe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Masahide Seki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan
| | - Narumi Ogonuki
- Bioresource Engineering Division, Bioresource Research Center, RIKEN, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Kimiko Inoue
- Bioresource Engineering Division, Bioresource Research Center, RIKEN, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Shogo Matoba
- Bioresource Engineering Division, Bioresource Research Center, RIKEN, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | | | - Nobuhisa Mizuki
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Atsuo Ogura
- Bioresource Engineering Division, Bioresource Research Center, RIKEN, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Ohbo
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
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3
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Lu Y, Liao S, Tu W, Yang B, Liu S, Pei X, Tao D, Lu Y, Ma Y, Yang Y, Liu Y. DNA demethylation facilitates the specific transcription of the mouse X-linked Tsga8 gene in round spermatids†. Biol Reprod 2019; 100:994-1007. [PMID: 30541061 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Some X-linked genes necessary for spermiogenesis are specifically activated in the postmeiotic germ cells. However, the regulatory mechanism about this activation is not clearly understood. Here, we examined the potential mechanism controlling the transcriptional activation of the mouse testis specific gene A8 (Tsga8) gene in round spermatids. We observed that the Tsga8 expression was negatively correlated with the methylation level of the CpG sites in its core promoter. During spermatogenesis, the Tsga8 promoter was methylated in spermatogonia, and then demethylated in spermatocytes. The demethylation status of Tsga8 promoter was maintained through the postmeiotic germ cells, providing a potentially active chromatin for Tsga8 transcription. In vitro investigation showed that the E12 and Spz1 transcription factors can enhance the Tsga8 promoter activity by binding to the unmethylated E-box motif within the Tsga8 promoter. Additionally, the core Tsga8 promoter drove green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in the germ cells of Tsga8-GFP transgenic mice, and the GFP expression pattern was similar to that of endogenous Tsga8. Moreover, the DNA methylation profile of the Tsga8-promoter-driven transgene was consistent with that of the endogenous Tsga8 promoter, indicating the existence of a similar epigenetic modification for the Tsga8 promoter to ensure its spatiotemporal expression in vivo. Taken together, this study reports the details of a regulatory mechanism that includes DNA methylation and transcription factors to mediate the postmeiotic expression of an X-linked gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjie Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Shunyao Liao
- Diabetic Center and Institute of Transplantation, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Wenling Tu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shasha Liu
- Diabetic Center and Institute of Transplantation, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xue Pei
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Dachang Tao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yilu Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yongxin Ma
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yunqiang Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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Ellis PJI, Yu Y, Zhang S. Transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes and the search for offspring sex-specific antigens in sperm. Reproduction 2011; 142:609-19. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-11-0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to pre-select offspring sex via separation of X- and Y-bearing sperm would have profound ramifications for the animal husbandry industry. No fully satisfactory method is as yet available for any species, although flow sorting is commercially viable for cattle. The discovery of antigens that distinguish X- and Y-bearing sperm, i.e. offspring sex-specific antigens (OSSAs), would allow for batched immunological separation of sperm and thus enable a safer, more widely applicable and high-throughput means of sperm sorting. This review addresses the basic processes of spermatogenesis that have complicated the search for OSSAs, in particular the syncytial development of male germ cells, and the transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes during and after meiosis. We survey the various approaches taken to discover OSSA and propose that a whole-genome transcriptional approach to the problem is the most promising avenue for future research in the field.
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Zamudio NM, Scott HS, Wolski K, Lo CY, Law C, Leong D, Kinkel SA, Chong S, Jolley D, Smyth GK, de Kretser D, Whitelaw E, O'Bryan MK. DNMT3L is a regulator of X chromosome compaction and post-meiotic gene transcription. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18276. [PMID: 21483837 PMCID: PMC3069080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2010] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on the epigenetic regulator DNA methyltransferase 3-Like (DNMT3L), have demonstrated it is an essential regulator of paternal imprinting and early male meiosis. Dnmt3L is also a paternal effect gene, i.e., wild type offspring of heterozygous mutant sires display abnormal phenotypes suggesting the inheritance of aberrant epigenetic marks on the paternal chromosomes. In order to reveal the mechanisms underlying these paternal effects, we have assessed X chromosome meiotic compaction, XY chromosome aneuploidy rates and global transcription in meiotic and haploid germ cells from male mice heterozygous for Dnmt3L. XY bodies from Dnmt3L heterozygous males were significantly longer than those from wild types, and were associated with a three-fold increase in XY bearing sperm. Loss of a Dnmt3L allele resulted in deregulated expression of a large number of both X-linked and autosomal genes within meiotic cells, but more prominently in haploid germ cells. Data demonstrate that similar to embryonic stem cells, DNMT3L is involved in an auto-regulatory loop in germ cells wherein the loss of a Dnmt3L allele resulted in increased transcription from the remaining wild type allele. In contrast, however, within round spermatids, this auto-regulatory loop incorporated the alternative non-coding alternative transcripts. Consistent with the mRNA data, we have localized DNMT3L within spermatids and sperm and shown that the loss of a Dnmt3L allele results in a decreased DNMT3L content within sperm. These data demonstrate previously unrecognised roles for DNMT3L in late meiosis and in the transcriptional regulation of meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells. These data provide a potential mechanism for some cases of human Klinefelter's and Turner's syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha M. Zamudio
- The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
- The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hamish S. Scott
- The Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Katja Wolski
- The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chi-Yi Lo
- The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charity Law
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dillon Leong
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah A. Kinkel
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suyinn Chong
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Damien Jolley
- The Monash Institute of Health Services Research, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gordon K. Smyth
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - David de Kretser
- The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emma Whitelaw
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Moira K. O'Bryan
- The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
- The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: Moira.O'
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Good JM, Vanderpool D, Smith KL, Nachman MW. Extraordinary sequence divergence at Tsga8, an X-linked gene involved in mouse spermiogenesis. Mol Biol Evol 2010; 28:1675-86. [PMID: 21186189 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msq348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The X chromosome plays an important role in both adaptive evolution and speciation. We used a molecular evolutionary screen of X-linked genes potentially involved in reproductive isolation in mice to identify putative targets of recurrent positive selection. We then sequenced five very rapidly evolving genes within and between several closely related species of mice in the genus Mus. All five genes were involved in male reproduction and four of the genes showed evidence of recurrent positive selection. The most remarkable evolutionary patterns were found at Testis-specific gene a8 (Tsga8), a spermatogenesis-specific gene expressed during postmeiotic chromatin condensation and nuclear transformation. Tsga8 was characterized by extremely high levels of insertion-deletion variation of an alanine-rich repetitive motif in natural populations of Mus domesticus and M. musculus, differing in length from the reference mouse genome by up to 89 amino acids (27% of the total protein length). This population-level variation was coupled with striking divergence in protein sequence and length between closely related mouse species. Although no clear orthologs had previously been described for Tsga8 in other mammalian species, we have identified a highly divergent hypothetical gene on the rat X chromosome that shares clear orthology with the 5' and 3' ends of Tsga8. Further inspection of this ortholog verified that it is expressed in rat testis and shares remarkable similarity with mouse Tsga8 across several general features of the protein sequence despite no conservation of nucleotide sequence across over 60% of the rat-coding domain. Overall, Tsga8 appears to be one of the most rapidly evolving genes to have been described in rodents. We discuss the potential evolutionary causes and functional implications of this extraordinary divergence and the possible contribution of Tsga8 and the other four genes we examined to reproductive isolation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Good
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, AZ, USA.
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Stouffs K, Tournaye H, Liebaers I, Lissens W. Male infertility and the involvement of the X chromosome. Hum Reprod Update 2009; 15:623-37. [PMID: 19515807 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmp023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a worldwide problem, keeping many researchers puzzled. Besides environmental factors, much attention is paid to single gene defects. In this view, the sex chromosomes are particularly interesting since men only have a single copy of these chromosomes. The involvement of the Y chromosome in male infertility is obvious since the detection of Yq microdeletions. The role of the X chromosome, however, remains less understood. METHODS Articles were obtained by searching PubMed until December 2008. A first search attempted to identify genes located on the X chromosome potentially important for spermatogenesis. A second part of the study was focused on those genes for which the role has already been studied in infertile patients. RESULTS Multiple genes located on the X chromosome are expressed in testicular tissues. The function of many genes, especially the cancer-testis genes, has not been studied so far. There were striking differences between mouse and human genes. In the second part of the study, the results of mutation analyses of seven genes (AR, SOX3, USP26, NXF2, TAF7L, FATE and AKAP4) are described. Except for AR, no infertility causing mutations have, thus far, been described. It cannot be excluded that some of the observed changes should be considered as risk factors for impaired spermatogenesis. CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that, so far, the mutation analysis of X-linked genes in humans, presumed to be crucial for spermatogenesis or sperm quality, has been disappointing. Other approaches to learn more about male infertility are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien Stouffs
- Department of Embryology and Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
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Mizuno S, Sono Y, Matsuoka T, Matsumoto K, Saeki K, Hosoi Y, Fukuda A, Morimoto Y, Iritani A. Expression and subcellular localization of GSE protein in germ cells and preimplantation embryos. J Reprod Dev 2006; 52:429-38. [PMID: 16571911 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.18005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a novel gonad-specific expression gene (Gse) and investigated its expression during gametogenesis in the mouse testis and ovary. In this study, we generated a polyclonal antibody to GSE protein and determined the profiles of the protein's expression in germ cells and preimplantation embryos in detail using immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence staining. In a Western blot analysis, the anti-GSE antibody recognized long and short isoforms (approximately 27.6 kDa and 23.1 kDa) of the protein in the mouse testis and the long isoform in the ovary. In the mouse testis, GSE protein was expressed in spermatocytes I in the pachytene stage, round spermatids, and elongated spermatids. In the mouse ovary, the protein was located in the cytoplasm and nucleus of all oocytes regardless of the stage of the ovarian follicles. In preimplantation embryos from the pronuclear to blastocyst stage, however, GSE protein was mainly detected in the nuclei of cells. At the blastocyst stage, the protein was confirmed to have accumulated in the inner cell mass (ICM), whereas it had mostly disappeared from the trophectoderm (TE). These findings suggest that GSE protein may play a role in the establishment of nuclear totipotency and may be associated with early lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Mizuno
- The Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility: IVF Osaka Clinic, Higashi-Osaka, and Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University, Wakayama, Japan
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9
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Nipper RW, Chennothukuzhi V, Tutuncu L, Williams CJ, Gerton GL, Moss SB. Differential RNA expression and polyribosome loading of alternative transcripts of the Akap4 gene in murine spermatids. Mol Reprod Dev 2005; 70:397-405. [PMID: 15685631 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
An X chromosome-linked gene, Akap4, is expressed only during spermiogenesis and encodes the major fibrous sheath protein of the mouse sperm flagellum. All sperm contain the AKAP4 protein even though only X chromosome-bearing spermatids express the gene, indicating that the Akap4 mRNA and/or protein must be shared among the conjoined spermatids via the intercellular bridges. There are two mouse Akap4 cDNA clones, Akap82 and Fsc1, which represent mRNAs that arise by alternative processing of a single gene. Although Akap82 and Fsc1 encode identical mature proteins, they differ in their 5' UTRs. We hypothesized that the expression pattern of these two mRNAs might be relevant to the issue of mRNA and/or protein transport into adjacent spermatids. Expression of both transcripts began in round spermatids, but the amount of the Akap82 transcript in condensing spermatids increased twofold relative to Fsc1. Significantly, only the Akap82 transcript was found on polyribosomes and translated in spermatids. These results indicate that the Akap82 transcript and/or its protein must be shared among the conjoined X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatids. Although Fsc1 was not polysomal, both the Akap82 and Fsc1 transcripts were deadenylated during spermiogenesis, suggesting that deadenylation is not always correlated with loading of mRNAs onto polyribosomes in germ cells. The distinct 5' UTR sequences in Akap82 and Fsc1 did not differ in their ability to regulate translation of reporter constructs either in vivo or in vitro. Antisense RNA transcripts complementary to both the Akap82 and Fsc1 mRNAs were present, suggesting that translatability may be regulated by these RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick W Nipper
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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10
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Oka A, Mita A, Sakurai-Yamatani N, Yamamoto H, Takagi N, Takano-Shimizu T, Toshimori K, Moriwaki K, Shiroishi T. Hybrid breakdown caused by substitution of the X chromosome between two mouse subspecies. Genetics 2004; 166:913-24. [PMID: 15020476 PMCID: PMC1470736 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.166.2.913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid breakdown is a type of reproductive failure that appears after the F2 generation of crosses between different species or subspecies. It is caused by incompatibility between interacting genes. Genetic analysis of hybrid breakdown, particularly in higher animals, has been hampered by its complex nature (i.e., it involves more than two genes, and the phenotype is recessive). We studied hybrid breakdown using a new consomic strain, C57BL/6J-X(MSM), in which the X chromosome of C57BL/6J (derived mostly from Mus musculus domesticus) is substituted by the X chromosome of the MSM/Ms strain (M. m. molossinus). Males of this consomic strain are sterile, whereas F1 hybrids between C57BL/6J and MSM/Ms are completely fertile. The C57BL/6J-X(MSM) males showed reduced testis weight with variable defects in spermatogenesis and abnormal sperm head morphology. We conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for these traits to map the X-linked genetic factors responsible for the sterility. This analysis successfully detected at least three distinct loci for the sperm head morphology and one for the testis weight. This study revealed that incompatibility of interactions of X-linked gene(s) with autosomal and/or Y-linked gene(s) causes the hybrid breakdown between the genetically distant C57BL/6J and MSM/Ms strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Oka
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
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11
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Oka A, Mita A, Sakurai-Yamatani N, Yamamoto H, Takagi N, Takano-Shimizu T, Toshimori K, Moriwaki K, Shiroishi T. Hybrid Breakdown Caused by Substitution of the X Chromosome Between Two Mouse Subspecies. Genetics 2004. [DOI: 10.1093/genetics/166.2.913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hybrid breakdown is a type of reproductive failure that appears after the F2 generation of crosses between different species or subspecies. It is caused by incompatibility between interacting genes. Genetic analysis of hybrid breakdown, particularly in higher animals, has been hampered by its complex nature (i.e., it involves more than two genes, and the phenotype is recessive). We studied hybrid breakdown using a new consomic strain, C57BL/6J-XMSM, in which the X chromosome of C57BL/6J (derived mostly from Mus musculus domesticus) is substituted by the X chromosome of the MSM/Ms strain (M. m. molossinus). Males of this consomic strain are sterile, whereas F1 hybrids between C57BL/6J and MSM/Ms are completely fertile. The C57BL/6J-XMSM males showed reduced testis weight with variable defects in spermatogenesis and abnormal sperm head morphology. We conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for these traits to map the X-linked genetic factors responsible for the sterility. This analysis successfully detected at least three distinct loci for the sperm head morphology and one for the testis weight. This study revealed that incompatibility of interactions of X-linked gene(s) with autosomal and/or Y-linked gene(s) causes the hybrid breakdown between the genetically distant C57BL/6J and MSM/Ms strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Oka
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa-ken 240-0193, Japan
| | - Akihiko Mita
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
| | - Noriko Sakurai-Yamatani
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
| | - Hiromi Yamamoto
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
| | - Nobuo Takagi
- Division of Bioscience, Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Takano-Shimizu
- Department of Population Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Toshimori
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology (G1), Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba City, 260-8670, Japan
| | - Kazuo Moriwaki
- RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Shiroishi
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540, Japan
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa-ken 240-0193, Japan
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Abstract
The female reproductive tract is where competition between the sperm of different males takes place, aided and abetted by the female herself. Intense postcopulatory sexual selection fosters inter-sexual conflict and drives rapid evolutionary change to generate a startling diversity of morphological, behavioural and physiological adaptations. We identify three main issues that should be resolved to advance our understanding of postcopulatory sexual selection. We need to determine the genetic basis of different male fertility traits and female traits that mediate sperm selection; identify the genes or genomic regions that control these traits; and establish the coevolutionary trajectory of sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Birkhead
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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