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Gao H, Cao H, Li Z, Li L, Guo Y, Chen Y, Peng G, Zeng W, Du J, Dong W, Yang F. Exosome-derived Small RNAs in mouse Sertoli cells inhibit spermatogonial apoptosis. Theriogenology 2023; 200:155-167. [PMID: 36806925 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a highly complicated biological process that occurs in the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules. It is regulated by a complex network of endocrine and paracrine factors. Sertoli cells (SCs) play a key role in spermatogenesis due to their production of trophic, differentiation, and immune-modulating factors. However, many of the molecular pathways of SC action remain controversial and unclear. Recently, many studies have focused on exosomes as an important mechanism of intercellular communication. We found that the exosomes derived from mouse SCs inhibited the apoptosis of primary spermatogonia. A total of 1016 miRNAs in SCs and 556 miRNAs in exosomes were detected using miRNA high-throughput sequencing. A total of 294 miRNAs were differentially expressed between SCs and exosomes. Furthermore, 19 tsRNA families appeared in SCs, while 6 tsRNA families appeared in exosomes. A total of 57 and 1 miRNAs (RPM >4) and 14 and 1 tsRNAs were exclusively expressed in SCs and exosomes, respectively. MiR-10b is one of the top ten exosomes with a relatively large enrichment of miRNA. Overexpression of miR-10b downregulates the expression of the target KLF4 to reduce spermatogonial apoptosis in primary spermatogonia or the C18-4 cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Gao
- Center for Wildlife Biology of Qin-Mountains, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Heran Cao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Zhenpeng Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Long Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Yingjie Guo
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Yining Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Guofan Peng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Wenxian Zeng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Jian Du
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Wuzi Dong
- Center for Wildlife Biology of Qin-Mountains, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
| | - Fangxia Yang
- Center for Wildlife Biology of Qin-Mountains, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China; College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China.
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Tao L, Wang X, Zhong Y, Liu Q, Xia Q, Chen S, He X, Di R, Chu M. Combined approaches identify known and novel genes associated with sheep litter size and non-seasonal breeding. Anim Genet 2021; 52:857-867. [PMID: 34494299 DOI: 10.1111/age.13138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Improvement of ewe reproduction is considerable by appropriately increasing litter size and sustaining non-seasonal breeding. However, their genetic makeups have not been entirely elucidated. Genome-wide analyses of 821 individuals were performed by combining three genomic approaches (genome-wide association study, XP-nSL, and runs of homozygosity). Consequently, 35 candidate genes including three domestication genes (TSHR, GTF2A1, and KITLG) were identified. Other than the FecB mutation at BMPR1B, we described a significant association of a missense mutation rs406686139 at seasonal lambing-associated TSHR gene with litter size. Some promising novel genes may be relevant for sheep reproduction by multitude biological processes, such as FETUB functioning in fertilization, HNRNPA1 in oogenesis, DCUN1D1 in spermatogenesis, and HRG in fertility outcome. The present study suggests that improvement of ewe reproduction is attributed to selective breeding, and casts light on the genetic basis and improvement of sheep reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Tao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yingjie Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qiuyue Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qing Xia
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Si Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaoyun He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ran Di
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mingxing Chu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
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3
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Cao CH, Wei Y, Liu R, Lin XR, Luo JQ, Zhang QJ, Lin SR, Geng L, Ye SK, Shi Y, Xia X. Three-Dimensional Genome Interactions Identify Potential Adipocyte Metabolism-Associated Gene STON1 and Immune-Correlated Gene FSHR at the rs13405728 Locus in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:686054. [PMID: 34248847 PMCID: PMC8264658 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.686054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background rs13405728 was identified as one of the most prevalent susceptibility loci for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Han Chinese and Caucasian women. However, the target genes and potential mechanisms of the rs13405728 locus remain to be determined. Methods Three-dimensional (3D) genome interactions from the ovary tissue were characterized via high-through chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and Capture Hi-C technologies to identify putative targets at the rs13405728 locus. Combined analyses of eQTL, RNA-Seq, DNase-Seq, ChIP-Seq, and sing-cell sequencing were performed to explore the molecular roles of these target genes in PCOS. PCOS-like mice were applied to verify the expression patterns. Results Generally, STON1 and FSHR were identified as potential targets of the rs13405728 locus in 3D genomic interactions with epigenomic regulatory peaks, with STON1 (P=0.0423) and FSHR (P=0.0013) being highly expressed in PCOS patients. STON1 co-expressed genes were associated with metabolic processes (P=0.0008) in adipocytes (P=0.0001), which was validated in the fat tissue (P<0.0001) and ovary (P=0.0035) from fat-diet mice. The immune system process (GO:0002376) was enriched in FSHR co-expressed genes (P=0.0002) and PCOS patients (P=0.0002), with CD4 high expression in PCOS patients (P=0.0316) and PCOS-like models (P=0.0079). Meanwhile, FSHR expression was positively correlated with CD4 expression in PCOS patients (P=0.0252) and PCOS-like models (P=0.0178). Furthermore, androgen receptor (AR) was identified as the common transcription factor for STON1 and FSHR and positively correlated with the expression of STON1 (P=0.039) and FSHR (P=4e-06) in ovary tissues and PCOS-like mice. Conclusion Overall, we identified STON1 and FSHR as potential targets for the rs13405728 locus and their roles in the processes of adipocyte metabolism and CD4 immune expression in PCOS, which provides 3D genomic insight into the pathogenesis of PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can-hui Cao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ye Wei
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rang Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin-ran Lin
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jia-qi Luo
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiu-ju Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shou-ren Lin
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Geng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Si-kang Ye
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Shi
- Department of Ultrasonography, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xi Xia
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
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Guo XB, Zhai JW, Xia H, Yang JK, Zhou JH, Guo WB, Yang C, Xia M, Xue KY, Liu CD, Zhou QZ. Protective effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes against the reproductive toxicity of cyclophosphamide is associated with the p38MAPK/ERK and AKT signaling pathways. Asian J Androl 2021; 23:386-391. [PMID: 33565424 PMCID: PMC8269825 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_98_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenic dysfunction caused by cyclophosphamide (CP) chemotherapy has seriously influenced the life quality of patients. Unfortunately, treatments for CP-induced testicular spermatogenic dysfunction are limited, and the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. For the first time, here, we explored the effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSC-exos) on CP-induced testicular spermatogenic dysfunction in vitro and in vivo. BMSC-exos could be taken up by spermatogonia (GC1-spg cells). CP-injured GC1-spg cells and BMSC-exos were cocultured at various doses, and then, cell proliferation was measured using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, photophosphorylation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), and protein kinase B (AKT) proteins was evaluated by western blotting as well as apoptosis in GC1-spg cells measured using flow cytometry. Treatment with BMSC-exos enhanced cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis of CP-injured GCI-spg cells. Phosphorylated levels of ERK, AKT, and p38MAPK proteins were reduced in CP-injured spermatogonia when co-treated with BMSC-exos, indicating that BMSC-exos acted against the reproductive toxicity of CP via the p38MAPK/ERK and AKT signaling pathways. In experiments in vivo, CP-treated rats received BMSC-exos by injection into the tail vein, and testis morphology was compared between treated and control groups. Histology showed that transfusion of BMSC-exos inhibited the pathological changes in CP-injured testes. Thus, BMSC-exos could counteract the reproductive toxicity of CP via the p38MAPK/ERK and AKT signaling pathways. The findings provide a potential treatment for CP-induced male spermatogenic dysfunction using BMSC-exos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Bin Guo
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jia-Wen Zhai
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Hui Xia
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jian-Kun Yang
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jun-Hao Zhou
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Wen-Bin Guo
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Ming Xia
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Kang-Yi Xue
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Cun-Dong Liu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Qi-Zhao Zhou
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
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5
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Habas K, Brinkworth MH, Anderson D. A male germ cell assay and supporting somatic cells: its application for the detection of phase specificity of genotoxins in vitro. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2020; 23:91-106. [PMID: 32046612 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2020.1724577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Male germ stem cells are responsible for transmission of genetic information to the next generation. Some chemicals exert a negative impact on male germ cells, either directly, or indirectly affecting them through their action on somatic cells. Ultimately, these effects might inhibit fertility, and may exhibit negative consequences on future offspring. Genotoxic anticancer agents may interact with DNA in germ cells potentially leading to a heritable germline mutation. Experimental information in support of this theory has not always been reproducible and suitable in vivo studies remain limited. Thus, alternative male germ cell tests, which are now able to detect phase specificity of such agents, might be used by regulatory agencies to help evaluate the potential risk of mutation. However, there is an urgent need for such approaches for identification of male reproductive genotoxins since this area has until recently been dependent on in vivo studies. Many factors drive alternative approaches, including the (1) commitment to the principles of the 3R's (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), (2) time-consuming nature and high cost of animal experiments, and (3) new opportunities presented by new molecular analytical assays. There is as yet currently no apparent appropriate model of full mammalian spermatogenesis in vitro, under the REACH initiative, where new tests introduced to assess genotoxicity and mutagenicity need to avoid unnecessary testing on animals. Accordingly, a battery of tests used in conjunction with the high throughput STAPUT gravity sedimentation was recently developed for purification of male germ cells to investigate genotoxicity for phase specificity in germ cells. This system might be valuable for the examination of phases previously only available in mammals with large-scale studies of germ cell genotoxicity in vivo. The aim of this review was to focus on this alternative approach and its applications as well as on chemicals of known in vivo phase specificities used during this test system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Habas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | | | - Diana Anderson
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
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Balkin DM, Poranki M, Forester CM, Dorsey MJ, Slavotinek A, Pomerantz JH. TASP1 mutation in a female with craniofacial anomalies, anterior segment dysgenesis, congenital immunodeficiency and macrocytic anemia. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e818. [PMID: 31350873 PMCID: PMC6732342 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Threonine Aspartase 1 (Taspase 1) is a highly conserved site‐specific protease whose substrates are broad‐acting nuclear transcription factors that govern diverse biological programs, such as organogenesis, oncogenesis, and tumor progression. To date, no single base pair mutations in Taspase 1 have been implicated in human disease. Methods A female infant with a new pattern of diagnostic abnormalities was identified, including severe craniofacial anomalies, anterior and posterior segment dysgenesis, immunodeficiency, and macrocytic anemia. Trio‐based whole exome sequencing was performed to identify disease‐causing variants. Results Whole exome sequencing revealed a normal female karyotype (46,XX) without increased regions of homozygosity. The proband was heterozygous for a de novo missense variant, c.1027G>A predicting p.(Val343Met), in the TASP1 gene (NM_017714.2). This variant has not been observed in population databases and is predicted to be deleterious. Conclusion One human patient has been reported previously with a large TASP1 deletion and substantial evidence exists regarding the role of several known Taspase 1 substrates in human craniofacial and hematopoietic disorders. Moreover, Taspase 1 deficiency in mice results in craniofacial, ophthalmological and structural brain defects. Taken together, there exists substantial evidence to conclude that the TASP1 variant, p.(Val343Met), is pathogenic in this patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Balkin
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.,Craniofacial Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Menitha Poranki
- Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Craig M Forester
- Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology & Bone Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Morna J Dorsey
- Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology & Bone Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Anne Slavotinek
- Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jason H Pomerantz
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.,Craniofacial Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.,Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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7
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Development of an in vitro test system for assessment of male, reproductive toxicity. Toxicol Lett 2014; 225:86-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2013.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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8
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Ishida M, Okazaki E, Tsukamoto S, Kimura K, Aizawa A, Kito S, Imai H, Minami N. The promoter of the oocyte-specific gene, Oog1, functions in both male and female meiotic germ cells in transgenic mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68686. [PMID: 23894331 PMCID: PMC3718783 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Oog1 is an oocyte-specific gene whose expression is turned on in mouse oocytes at embryonic day (E) 15.5, concomitant with the time when most of the female germ cells stop proliferating and enter meiotic prophase. Here, we characterize the Oog1 promoter, and show that transgenic GFP reporter expression driven by the 2.7 kb and 3.9 kb regions upstream of the Oog1 transcription start site recapitulates the intrinsic Oog1 expression pattern. In addition, the 3.9 kb upstream region exhibits stronger transcriptional activity than does the 2.7 kb region, suggesting that regulatory functions might be conserved in the additional 1.2 kb region found within the 3.9 kb promoter. Interestingly, the longer promoter (3.9 kb) also showed strong activity in male germ cells, from late pachytene spermatocytes to elongated spermatids. This is likely due to the aberrant demethylation of two CpG sites in the proximal promoter region. One was highly methylated in the tissues in which GFP expression was suppressed, and another was completely demethylated only in Oog1pro3.9 male and female germ cells. These results suggest that aberrant demethylation of the proximal promoter region induced ectopic expression in male germ cells under the control of 3.9 kb Oog1 promoter. This is the first report indicating that sex-dependent gene expression is altered according to the length and the methylation status of the promoter region. Additionally, our results show that individual CpG sites are differentially methylated and play different roles in regulating promoter activity and gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miya Ishida
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Eriko Okazaki
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tsukamoto
- Laboratory of Animal and Genome Science Section, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan
| | - Koji Kimura
- Animal Reproduction Laboratory, National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Nasushiobara, Japan
| | | | - Seiji Kito
- Laboratory of Animal and Genome Science Section, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Imai
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Naojiro Minami
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
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9
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Coviello AD, Haring R, Wellons M, Vaidya D, Lehtimäki T, Keildson S, Lunetta KL, He C, Fornage M, Lagou V, Mangino M, Onland-Moret NC, Chen B, Eriksson J, Garcia M, Liu YM, Koster A, Lohman K, Lyytikäinen LP, Petersen AK, Prescott J, Stolk L, Vandenput L, Wood AR, Zhuang WV, Ruokonen A, Hartikainen AL, Pouta A, Bandinelli S, Biffar R, Brabant G, Cox DG, Chen Y, Cummings S, Ferrucci L, Gunter MJ, Hankinson SE, Martikainen H, Hofman A, Homuth G, Illig T, Jansson JO, Johnson AD, Karasik D, Karlsson M, Kettunen J, Kiel DP, Kraft P, Liu J, Ljunggren Ö, Lorentzon M, Maggio M, Markus MRP, Mellström D, Miljkovic I, Mirel D, Nelson S, Morin Papunen L, Peeters PHM, Prokopenko I, Raffel L, Reincke M, Reiner AP, Rexrode K, Rivadeneira F, Schwartz SM, Siscovick D, Soranzo N, Stöckl D, Tworoger S, Uitterlinden AG, van Gils CH, Vasan RS, Wichmann HE, Zhai G, Bhasin S, Bidlingmaier M, Chanock SJ, De Vivo I, Harris TB, Hunter DJ, Kähönen M, Liu S, Ouyang P, Spector TD, van der Schouw YT, Viikari J, Wallaschofski H, McCarthy MI, Frayling TM, Murray A, Franks S, Järvelin MR, de Jong FH, Raitakari O, Teumer A, Ohlsson C, Murabito JM, Perry JRB. A genome-wide association meta-analysis of circulating sex hormone-binding globulin reveals multiple Loci implicated in sex steroid hormone regulation. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002805. [PMID: 22829776 PMCID: PMC3400553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a glycoprotein responsible for the transport and biologic availability of sex steroid hormones, primarily testosterone and estradiol. SHBG has been associated with chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and with hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of 21,791 individuals from 10 epidemiologic studies and validated these findings in 7,046 individuals in an additional six studies. We identified twelve genomic regions (SNPs) associated with circulating SHBG concentrations. Loci near the identified SNPs included SHBG (rs12150660, 17p13.1, p = 1.8 × 10(-106)), PRMT6 (rs17496332, 1p13.3, p = 1.4 × 10(-11)), GCKR (rs780093, 2p23.3, p = 2.2 × 10(-16)), ZBTB10 (rs440837, 8q21.13, p = 3.4 × 10(-09)), JMJD1C (rs7910927, 10q21.3, p = 6.1 × 10(-35)), SLCO1B1 (rs4149056, 12p12.1, p = 1.9 × 10(-08)), NR2F2 (rs8023580, 15q26.2, p = 8.3 × 10(-12)), ZNF652 (rs2411984, 17q21.32, p = 3.5 × 10(-14)), TDGF3 (rs1573036, Xq22.3, p = 4.1 × 10(-14)), LHCGR (rs10454142, 2p16.3, p = 1.3 × 10(-07)), BAIAP2L1 (rs3779195, 7q21.3, p = 2.7 × 10(-08)), and UGT2B15 (rs293428, 4q13.2, p = 5.5 × 10(-06)). These genes encompass multiple biologic pathways, including hepatic function, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and T2D, androgen and estrogen receptor function, epigenetic effects, and the biology of sex steroid hormone-responsive cancers including breast and prostate cancer. We found evidence of sex-differentiated genetic influences on SHBG. In a sex-specific GWAS, the loci 4q13.2-UGT2B15 was significant in men only (men p = 2.5 × 10(-08), women p = 0.66, heterogeneity p = 0.003). Additionally, three loci showed strong sex-differentiated effects: 17p13.1-SHBG and Xq22.3-TDGF3 were stronger in men, whereas 8q21.12-ZBTB10 was stronger in women. Conditional analyses identified additional signals at the SHBG gene that together almost double the proportion of variance explained at the locus. Using an independent study of 1,129 individuals, all SNPs identified in the overall or sex-differentiated or conditional analyses explained ~15.6% and ~8.4% of the genetic variation of SHBG concentrations in men and women, respectively. The evidence for sex-differentiated effects and allelic heterogeneity highlight the importance of considering these features when estimating complex trait variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea D. Coviello
- Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Robin Haring
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Melissa Wellons
- Department of Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Dhananjay Vaidya
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sarah Keildson
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn L. Lunetta
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chunyan He
- Department of Public Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Myriam Fornage
- University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Vasiliki Lagou
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Massimo Mangino
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - N. Charlotte Onland-Moret
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Brian Chen
- Program on Genomics and Nutrition and the Center for Metabolic Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Joel Eriksson
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Melissa Garcia
- Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yong Mei Liu
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Annemarie Koster
- Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kurt Lohman
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ann-Kristin Petersen
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Prescott
- Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lisette Stolk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium of Healthy Aging, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth Vandenput
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Andrew R. Wood
- Genetics of Complex Traits, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Vivian Zhuang
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Aimo Ruokonen
- Institute of Diagnostics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Anneli Pouta
- National Institute for Health and Welfare and Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Reiner Biffar
- Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Gerostomatology, and Dental Materials, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Georg Brabant
- Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - David G. Cox
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052, Lyon, France
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yuhui Chen
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Cummings
- California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Longitudinal Studies Section, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marc J. Gunter
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan E. Hankinson
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hannu Martikainen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Albert Hofman
- Netherlands Consortium of Healthy Aging, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Georg Homuth
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas Illig
- Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Hannover Unified Biobank, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - John-Olov Jansson
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Andrew D. Johnson
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - David Karasik
- Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Magnus Karlsson
- Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences and Department of Orthopaedics, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Johannes Kettunen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Douglas P. Kiel
- Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraft
- Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jingmin Liu
- Women's Health Initiative Clinical Coordinating Center, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Östen Ljunggren
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mattias Lorentzon
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marcello Maggio
- Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Section of Geriatrics, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Dan Mellström
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Iva Miljkovic
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Daniel Mirel
- Gene Environment Initiative, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah Nelson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Laure Morin Papunen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Petra H. M. Peeters
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Inga Prokopenko
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Leslie Raffel
- Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Martin Reincke
- Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Alex P. Reiner
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Kathryn Rexrode
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fernando Rivadeneira
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium of Healthy Aging, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen M. Schwartz
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David Siscovick
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Nicole Soranzo
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Doris Stöckl
- Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Shelley Tworoger
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - André G. Uitterlinden
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium of Healthy Aging, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carla H. van Gils
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ramachandran S. Vasan
- Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - H.-Erich Wichmann
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- Klinikum Großhadern, Munich, Germany
| | - Guangju Zhai
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Discipline of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Shalender Bhasin
- Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Martin Bidlingmaier
- Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephen J. Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Immaculata De Vivo
- Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tamara B. Harris
- Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David J. Hunter
- Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland
| | - Simin Liu
- Program on Genomics and Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Pamela Ouyang
- Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tim D. Spector
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yvonne T. van der Schouw
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jorma Viikari
- Department of Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Henri Wallaschofski
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mark I. McCarthy
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M. Frayling
- Genetics of Complex Traits, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Murray
- Genetics of Complex Traits, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Franks
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marjo-Riitta Järvelin
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- National Institute of Health and Welfare, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Frank H. de Jong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Olli Raitakari
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital and Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Alexander Teumer
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Claes Ohlsson
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joanne M. Murabito
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John R. B. Perry
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Genetics of Complex Traits, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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10
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Chang YF, Lee-Chang JS, Panneerdoss S, MacLean JA, Rao MK. Isolation of Sertoli, Leydig, and spermatogenic cells from the mouse testis. Biotechniques 2012; 51:341-2, 344. [PMID: 22054547 DOI: 10.2144/000113764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A thorough understanding of the events during mammalian spermatogenesis requires studying specific molecular signatures of individual testicular cell populations as well as their interaction in co-cultures. However, most purification techniques to isolate specific testicular cell populations are time-consuming, require large numbers of animals, and/or are only able to isolate a few cell types. Here we describe a cost-effective and timesaving approach that uses a single protocol to enrich multiple testicular cell populations (Sertoli, Leydig, and several spermatogenic cell populations) from as few as one mouse. Our protocol combines rigorous enzymatic digestion of seminiferous tubules with counter-current centrifugal elutriation, yielding specific testicular cell populations with >80%-95% purity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Fu Chang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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11
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Greaves EA, Copeland NA, Coverley D, Ainscough JFX. Cancer associated variant expression and interaction of CIZ1 with cyclin A1 in differentiating male germ cells. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:2466-77. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.101097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
CIZ1 is a nuclear matrix associated DNA replication factor unique to higher eukaryotes, for which alternatively spliced isoforms have been associated with a range of disorders. In vitro the CIZ1 N-terminus interacts with cyclins E and A via distinct sites, enabling functional cooperation with cyclin A-Cdk2 to promote replication initiation. C-terminal sequences anchor CIZ1 to fixed sites on the nuclear matrix imposing spatial constraint on cyclin dependent kinase activity. Here we demonstrate that CIZ1 is predominantly expressed as predicted full-length product throughout mouse development, consistent with a ubiquitous role in cell and tissue renewal. CIZ1 is expressed in proliferating stem cells of the testis, but is notably down-regulated following commitment to differentiation. Significantly, CIZ1 is re-expressed at high levels in non-proliferative spermatocytes prior to meiotic division. Sequence analysis identifies at least seven alternatively spliced variants at this time, including a dominant cancer-associated form and a set of novel isoforms. Furthermore, we show that in these post-replicative cells CIZ1 interacts with the germ cell specific cyclin, A1, that has been implicated in DNA double-strand break repair. Consistent with this role, antibody depletion of CIZ1 reduces the capacity for testis extract to repair digested plasmid DNA in vitro. Together, the data imply novel post-replicative roles for CIZ1 in germ cell differentiation that may include meiotic recombination, a process intrinsic to genome stability and diversification.
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12
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Hermo L, Pelletier RM, Cyr DG, Smith CE. Surfing the wave, cycle, life history, and genes/proteins expressed by testicular germ cells. Part 4: intercellular bridges, mitochondria, nuclear envelope, apoptosis, ubiquitination, membrane/voltage-gated channels, methylation/acetylation, and transcription factors. Microsc Res Tech 2010; 73:364-408. [PMID: 19941288 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.20785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
As germ cells divide and differentiate from spermatogonia to spermatozoa, they share a number of structural and functional features that are common to all generations of germ cells and these features are discussed herein. Germ cells are linked to one another by large intercellular bridges which serve to move molecules and even large organelles from the cytoplasm of one cell to another. Mitochondria take on different shapes and features and topographical arrangements to accommodate their specific needs during spermatogenesis. The nuclear envelope and pore complex also undergo extensive modifications concomitant with the development of germ cell generations. Apoptosis is an event that is normally triggered by germ cells and involves many proteins. It occurs to limit the germ cell pool and acts as a quality control mechanism. The ubiquitin pathway comprises enzymes that ubiquitinate as well as deubiquitinate target proteins and this pathway is present and functional in germ cells. Germ cells express many proteins involved in water balance and pH control as well as voltage-gated ion channel movement. In the nucleus, proteins undergo epigenetic modifications which include methylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation, with each of these modifications signaling changes in chromatin structure. Germ cells contain specialized transcription complexes that coordinate the differentiation program of spermatogenesis, and there are many male germ cell-specific differences in the components of this machinery. All of the above features of germ cells will be discussed along with the specific proteins/genes and abnormalities to fertility related to each topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Hermo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montreal, QC Canada H3A 2B2.
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13
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Expression of a testis-specific form of Gal3st1 (CST), a gene essential for spermatogenesis, is regulated by the CTCF paralogous gene BORIS. Mol Cell Biol 2010; 30:2473-84. [PMID: 20231363 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01093-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, it was shown that the CTCF paralogous gene, BORIS (brother of the regulator of imprinted sites) is expressed in male germ cells, but its function in spermatogenesis has not been defined. To develop an understanding of the functional activities of BORIS, we generated BORIS knockout (KO) mice. Mice homozygous for the null allele had a defect in spermatogenesis that resulted in small testes associated with increased cell death. The defect was evident as early as postnatal day 21 and was manifested by delayed production of haploid cells. By gene expression profiling, we found that transcript levels for Gal3st1 (also known as cerebroside sulfotransferase [CST]), known to play a crucial role in meiosis, were dramatically reduced in BORIS KO testes. We found that CST is expressed in testis as a novel testis-specific isoform, CST form F(TS), that has a short exon 1f. We showed that BORIS bound to and activated the promoter of CST form F(TS). Mutation of the BORIS binding site in the promoter reduced the ability of BORIS to activate the promoter. These findings define transcriptional regulation of CST expression as a critical role for BORIS in spermatogenesis.
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14
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Horvath GC, Kistler MK, Kistler WS. RFX2 is a candidate downstream amplifier of A-MYB regulation in mouse spermatogenesis. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2009; 9:63. [PMID: 20003220 PMCID: PMC2797782 DOI: 10.1186/1471-213x-9-63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2009] [Accepted: 12/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background Mammalian spermatogenesis involves formation of haploid cells from the male germline and then a complex morphological transformation to generate motile sperm. Focusing on meiotic prophase, some tissue-specific transcription factors are known (A-MYB) or suspected (RFX2) to play important roles in modulating gene expression in pachytene spermatocytes. The current work was initiated to identify both downstream and upstream regulatory connections for Rfx2. Results Searches of pachytene up-regulated genes identified high affinity RFX binding sites (X boxes) in promoter regions of several new genes: Adam5, Pdcl2, and Spag6. We confirmed a strong promoter-region X-box for Alf, a germ cell-specific variant of general transcription factor TFIIA. Using Alf as an example of a target gene, we showed that its promoter is stimulated by RFX2 in transfected cells and used ChIP analysis to show that the promoter is occupied by RFX2 in vivo. Turning to upstream regulation of the Rfx2 promoter, we identified a cluster of three binding sites (MBS) for the MYB family of transcription factors. Because testis is one of the few sites of A-myb expression, and because spermatogenesis arrests in pachytene in A-myb knockout mice, the MBS cluster implicates Rfx2 as an A-myb target. Electrophoretic gel-shift, ChIP, and co-transfection assays all support a role for these MYB sites in Rfx2 expression. Further, Rfx2 expression was virtually eliminated in A-myb knockout testes. Immunohistology on testis sections showed that A-MYB expression is up-regulated only after pachytene spermatocytes have clearly moved away from the tubule wall, which correlates with onset of RFX2 expression, whereas B-MYB expression, by contrast, is prevalent only in earlier spermatocytes and spermatogonia. Conclusion With an expanding list of likely target genes, RFX2 is potentially an important transcriptional regulator in pachytene spermatocytes. Rfx2 itself is a good candidate to be regulated by A-MYB, which is essential for meiotic progression. If Alf is a genuine RFX2 target, then A-myb, Rfx2, and Alf may form part of a transcriptional network that is vital for completion of meiosis and preparation for post-meiotic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary C Horvath
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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15
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Li D, Raza A, DeJong J. Regulation of ALF promoter activity in Xenopus oocytes. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6664. [PMID: 19684851 PMCID: PMC2721981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2009] [Accepted: 07/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In this report we evaluate the use of Xenopus laevis oocytes as a matched germ cell system for characterizing the organization and transcriptional activity of a germ cell-specific X. laevis promoter. Principal Findings The promoter from the ALF transcription factor gene was cloned from X. laevis genomic DNA using a PCR-based genomic walking approach. The endogenous ALF gene was characterized by RACE and RT-PCR for transcription start site usage, and by sodium bisulfite sequencing to determine its methylation status in somatic and oocyte tissues. Homology between the X. laevis ALF promoter sequence and those from human, chimpanzee, macaque, mouse, rat, cow, pig, horse, dog, chicken and X. tropicalis was relatively low, making it difficult to use such comparisons to identify putative regulatory elements. However, microinjected promoter constructs were very active in oocytes and the minimal promoter could be narrowed by PCR-mediated deletion to a region as short as 63 base pairs. Additional experiments using a series of site-specific promoter mutants identified two cis-elements within the 63 base pair minimal promoter that were critical for activity. Both elements (A and B) were specifically recognized by proteins present in crude oocyte extracts based on oligonucleotide competition assays. The activity of promoter constructs in oocytes and in transfected somatic Xenopus XLK-WG kidney epithelial cells was quite different, indicating that the two cell types are not functionally equivalent and are not interchangeable as assay systems. Conclusions Overall the results provide the first detailed characterization of the organization of a germ cell-specific Xenopus promoter and demonstrate the feasibility of using immature frog oocytes as an assay system for dissecting the biochemistry of germ cell gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America
| | - Abbas Raza
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeff DeJong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Freiman RN. Specific variants of general transcription factors regulate germ cell development in diverse organisms. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2009; 1789:161-6. [PMID: 19437618 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2009.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Through the reductive divisions of meiosis, sexually reproducing organisms have gained the ability to produce specialized haploid cells called germ cells that fuse to establish the diploid genome of the resulting progeny. The totipotent nature of these germ cells is highlighted by their ability to provide a single fertilized egg cell with all the genetic information necessary to develop the complete repertoire of cell types of the future organism. Thus, the production of these germ cells must be tightly regulated to ensure the continued success of the germ line in future generations. One surprising germ cell development mechanism utilizes variation of the global transcriptional machinery, such as TFIID and TFIIA. Like histone variation, general transcription factor variation serves to produce gonadal-restricted or -enriched expression of selective transcriptional regulatory factors required for establishing and/or maintaining the germ line of diverse organisms. This strategy is observed among invertebrates and vertebrates, and perhaps plants, suggesting that a common theme in germ cell evolution is the diversification of selective promoter initiation factors to regulate critical gonadal-specific programs of gene expression required for sexual reproduction. This review discusses the identification and characterization of a subset of these specialized general transcription factors in diverse organisms that share a common goal of germ line regulation through transcriptional control at its most fundamental level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard N Freiman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Brown University, 70 Ship St., Box G-E4, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
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17
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Dehari H, Tchaikovskaya T, Rubashevsky E, Sellers R, Listowsky I. The proximal promoter governs germ cell-specific expression of the mouse glutathione transferase mGstm5 gene. Mol Reprod Dev 2009; 76:379-88. [PMID: 18932202 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
To explain the tissue-selective expression patterns of a distinct subclass of glutathione S-transferase (GST), transgenic mice expressing EGFP under control of a 2 kb promoter sequence in the 5'-flanking region of the mGstm5 gene were produced. The intent of the study was to establish whether the promoter itself or whether posttranscriptional mechanisms, particularly at the levels of mRNA translation and stability or protein targeting, based on unique properties of mGSTM5, determine the restricted expression pattern. Indeed, the transgene expression was limited to testis as the reporter was not detected in somatic tissues such as brain, kidney or liver, indicating that the mGstm5 proximal promoter is sufficient to target testis-specific expression of the gene. EGFP expression was also more restricted vis-a-vis the natural mGstm5 gene and exclusively found in germ but not in somatic cells. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) data were consistent with alternate transcription start sites in which the promoter region of the natural mGstm5 gene in somatic cells is part of exon 1 of the germ cell transcript. Thus, the primary transcription start site for mGstm5 is upstream of a TATA box in testis and downstream of this motif in somatic cells. The 5' flanking sequence of the mGstm5 gene imparts germ cell-specific transcription.
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18
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Zheng J, Xia X, Ding H, Yan A, Hu S, Gong X, Zong S, Zhang Y, Sheng HZ. Erasure of the paternal transcription program during spermiogenesis: the first step in the reprogramming of sperm chromatin for zygotic development. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:1463-76. [PMID: 18386827 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Male germ cells possess a unique epigenetic program and express a male-specific transcription profile. However, when its chromatin is passed onto the zygote, it expresses an transcription/epigenetic program characteristic of the zygote. The mechanism underlying this reprogramming process is not understood at present. In this study, we show that an extensive range of chromatin factors (CFs), including essential transcription factors and regulators, remodeling factors, histone deacetylases, heterochromatin-binding proteins, and topoisomerases, were removed from chromatin during spermiogenesis. This process will erase the paternal epigenetic program to generate a relatively naive chromatin, which is likely to be essential for installation of the zygotic developmental program after fertilization. We have also showed that transcription termination in male germ cells was temporally correlated with CF dissociation. A genome-wide CF dissociation will inevitably disassemble the transcription apparatus and regulatory mechanism and lead to transcription silence. Based on data presented in this and previous studies (Sun et al., Cell Research [2007] 17:117-134), we propose that paternal-zygotic transcription reprogramming begins with a genome-wide CF dissociation to erase the existing transcription program in later stages of spermatogenesis. This will be followed by assembling of the zygotic equivalent after fertilization. The transcription/epigenetic program of the male germ cell is transformed into a zygotic one using an erase-and-rebuild strategy similar to that used in the maternal-zygotic transition. It is also noted that transcription is terminated long after meiosis is completed and before chromatin becomes highly condensed during spermatogenesis. The temporal order of these events suggests that transcription silence does not have to be coupled to meiosis or chromatin condensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junke Zheng
- Center for Developmental Biology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Polymorphisms of the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor gene: association with maldescended testes and male infertility. Pharmacogenet Genomics 2008; 18:193-200. [PMID: 18300940 DOI: 10.1097/fpc.0b013e3282f4e98c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Maldescended testes are the most common genital anomaly in newborns and are associated with testicular malignancy and infertility. As the inguinoscrotal phase of testis descent is androgen-dependent and requires integrity of the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), we investigated whether nonsynonymous polymorphisms of the LHCGR gene are associated with maldescended testes. METHODS This was a retrospective case-control study including 278 patients with maldescended testes, 277 infertile men without maldescensus and 271 controls with normal sperm concentrations. Clinical and endocrinological workup of the patients was performed. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis was performed by GeneScan and TaqMan technology. RESULTS Men with maldescended testes had significantly lower testis volumes, higher serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) but similar testosterone levels compared with both the control groups. The insLQ polymorphism in exon 1 (rs4539842) and the N291S SNP in exon 10 (rs12470652), showing increased receptor sensitivity in vitro, were not differently distributed between patients and controls. The S312N SNP in exon 10 (rs2293275) was significantly less frequent in men with maldescended testes than in controls. This difference was confirmed when infertile men with and without maldescensus were considered together. CONCLUSIONS In men with maldescensus, a high LH drive maintains normal testosterone levels but this LH resistance is not associated with any particular LHCGR genotype. A significant association with the S312N polymorphism in exon 10 of the LHCGR is correlated to the spermatogenetic damage rather than to the maldescensus itself. Either the LHCGR itself or another genomic region linked to this SNP, possibly the germ cell-specific TFIIA-alpha/beta-like factor gene transcribed from the same genomic region in the opposite direction, is a risk factor for male infertility.
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20
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Ma W, Horvath GC, Kistler MK, Kistler WS. Expression patterns of SP1 and SP3 during mouse spermatogenesis: SP1 down-regulation correlates with two successive promoter changes and translationally compromised transcripts. Biol Reprod 2008; 79:289-300. [PMID: 18417714 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.107.067082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of their prominent roles in regulation of gene expression, it is important to understand how levels of Krüpple-like transcription factors SP1 and SP3 change in germ cells during spermatogenesis. Using immunological techniques, we found that both factors decreased sharply during meiosis. SP3 declined during the leptotene-to-pachytene transition, whereas SP1 fell somewhat later, as spermatocytes progressed beyond the early pachytene stage. SP3 reappeared for a period in round spermatids. For Sp1, the transition to the pachytene stage is accompanied by loss of the normal, 8.2-kb mRNA and appearance of a prevalent, 8.8-kb variant, which has not been well characterized. We have now shown that this pachytene-specific transcript contains a long, unspliced sequence from the first intron and that this sequence inhibits expression of a reporter, probably because of its many short open-reading frames. A second testis-specific Sp1 transcript in spermatids of 2.4 kb also has been reported previously. Like the 8.8-kb variant, it is compromised translationally. We have confirmed by Northern blotting that the 8.8-, 8.2-, and 2.4-kb variants account for the major testis Sp1 transcripts. Thus, the unexpected decline of SP1 protein in the face of continuing Sp1 transcription is explained, in large part, by poor translation of both novel testis transcripts. As part of this work, we also identified five additional, minor Sp1 cap sites by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends, including a trans-spliced RNA originating from the Glcci1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA
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21
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Thomas K, Wu J, Sung DY, Thompson W, Powell M, McCarrey J, Gibbs R, Walker W. SP1 transcription factors in male germ cell development and differentiation. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2007; 270:1-7. [PMID: 17462816 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2007.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factor SP1 is a zinc finger protein that has been implicated in regulating the expression of several genes involved in cellular differentiation and embryonic development. The zinc finger region of SP1 transcription factors binds to GC or GT-box elements present in the promoters of a number of male germ cell target genes that are developmentally expressed during spermatogenesis. The glutamine and serine/threonine-rich regions of the SP1 proteins recruit co-regulatory factors to the multi-protein preinitiation complex that are important for mediating transcriptional activation in male germ cells. Studies in our laboratory have identified several alternatively spliced transcripts encoding SP1 isoforms that display stage and cell-type-specific expression profiles in differentiating germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium of the testis. This review summarizes the expression patterns and functional significance of these SP1 transcription factor variants during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelwyn Thomas
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310-1495, United States.
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22
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Høiby T, Zhou H, Mitsiou DJ, Stunnenberg HG. A facelift for the general transcription factor TFIIA. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 1769:429-36. [PMID: 17560669 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbaexp.2007.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2007] [Revised: 04/20/2007] [Accepted: 04/24/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
TFIIA was classified as a general transcription factor when it was first identified. Since then it has been debated to what extent it can actually be regarded as "general". The most notable feature of TFIIA is the proteolytical cleavage of the TFIIAalphabeta into a TFIIAalpha and TFIIAbeta moiety which has long remained a mystery. Recent studies have showed that TFIIA is cleaved by Taspase1 which was initially identified as the protease for the proto-oncogene MLL. Cleavage of TFIIA does not appear to serve as a step required for its activation as the uncleaved TFIIA in the Taspase1 knock-outs adequately support bulk transcription. Instead, cleavage of TFIIA seems to affect its turn-over and may be a part of an intricate degradation mechanism that allows fine-tuning of cellular levels of TFIIA. Cleavage might also be responsible for switching transcription program as the uncleaved and cleaved TFIIA might have distinct promoter specificity during development and differentiation. This review will focus on functional characteristics of TFIIA and discuss novel insights in the role of this elusive transcription factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torill Høiby
- NCMLS, Department of Molecular Biology, 191, Radboud University of Nijmegen, PO Box 91001, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Kim M, Li D, Cui Y, Mueller K, Chears WC, DeJong J. Regulatory Factor Interactions and Somatic Silencing of the Germ Cell-specific ALF Gene. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:34288-98. [PMID: 16966320 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m607168200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Germ cell-specific genes are active in oocytes and spermatocytes but are silent in all other cell types. To understand the basis for this seemingly simple pattern of regulation, we characterized factors that recognize the promoter-proximal region of the germ cell-specific TFIIA alpha/beta-like factor (ALF) gene. Two of the protein-DNA complexes formed with liver extracts (C4 and C5) are due to the zinc finger proteins Sp1 and Sp3, respectively, whereas another complex (C6) is due to the transcription factor RFX1. Two additional complexes (C1 and C3) are due to the multivalent zinc finger protein CTCF, a factor that plays a role in gene silencing and chromatin insulation. An investigation of CTCF binding revealed a recognition site of only 17 bp that overlaps with the Sp1/Sp3 site. This site is predictive of other genomic CTCF sites and can be aligned to create a functional consensus. Studies on the activity of the ALF promoter in somatic 293 cells revealed mutations that result in increased reporter activity. In addition, RNAi-mediated down-regulation of CTCF is associated with activation of the endogenous ALF gene, and both CTCF and Sp3 repress the promoter in transient transfection assays. Overall, the results suggest a role for several factors, including the multivalent zinc finger chromatin insulator protein CTCF, in mediating somatic repression of the ALF gene. Release of such repression, perhaps in conjunction with other members of the CTCF, RFX, and Sp1 families of transcription factors, could be an important aspect of germ cell gene activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- MinJung Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
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24
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Lu Y, Platts AE, Ostermeier GC, Krawetz SA. K-SPMM: a database of murine spermatogenic promoters modules & motifs. BMC Bioinformatics 2006; 7:238. [PMID: 16670029 PMCID: PMC1463010 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-7-238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2006] [Accepted: 05/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the regulatory processes that coordinate the cascade of gene expression leading to male gamete development has proven challenging. Research has been hindered in part by an incomplete picture of the regulatory elements that are both characteristic of and distinctive to the broad population of spermatogenically expressed genes. Description K-SPMM, a database of murine Spermatogenic Promoters Modules and Motifs, has been developed as a web-based resource for the comparative analysis of promoter regions and their constituent elements in developing male germ cells. The system contains data on 7,551 genes and 11,715 putative promoter regions in Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids. K-SPMM provides a detailed portrait of promoter site components, ranging from broad distributions of transcription factor binding sites to graphical illustrations of dimeric modules with respect to individual transcription start sites. Binding sites are identified through their similarities to position weight matrices catalogued in either the JASPAR or the TRANSFAC transcription factor archives. A flexible search function allows sub-populations of promoters to be identified on the basis of their presence in any of the four cell-types, their association with a list of genes or their component transcription-factor families. Conclusion This system can now be used independently or in conjunction with other databases of gene expression as a powerful aid to research networks of co-regulation. We illustrate this with respect to the spermiogenically active protamine locus in which binding sites are predicted that align well with biologically foot-printed protein binding domains. Availability
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lu
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University, 5143 Cass Avenue, 431 State Hall, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Adrian E Platts
- Applied Genomics Technologies Center, Bioinformatics Group, BioSciences, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - G Charles Ostermeier
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 5240 Eugene Applebaum Building, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- Applied Genomics Technologies Center, Bioinformatics Group, BioSciences, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 5240 Eugene Applebaum Building, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Institute for Scientific Computing, Wayne State University, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
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Xiao L, Kim M, DeJong J. Developmental and cell type-specific regulation of core promoter transcription factors in germ cells of frogs and mice. Gene Expr Patterns 2006; 6:409-19. [PMID: 16412700 DOI: 10.1016/j.modgep.2005.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2005] [Revised: 09/09/2005] [Accepted: 09/13/2005] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
This article reports on the comparative cell type-specific expression profiles of selected core promoter-associated transcription factors during gametogenesis and embryogenesis in frogs and mice. In frogs we tested TBP, TRF2/TLF, TRF3, TFIIAalphabeta, and ALF, as well as variant forms of TAFs 4, 5, and 6. Four of these factors, TRF3, TAF4L, TAF5L, and the previously-characterized ALF gene, are preferentially expressed in testis and ovary. In mice we tested TBP, TRF2/TLF, TRF3, TFIIAalphabeta, and ALF. The results showed that while ALF was present in testis and ovary, as expected, TRF3 could only be detected in the ovary. RT-PCR experiments using RNAs from microdissected ovary tissue, together with in situ hybridization analysis, showed that TRF3 and ALF genes are specifically expressed in oocytes in both adult and prepubertal animals, whereas, their somatic counterparts, TBP and TFIIAalphabeta, are present in oocytes and in surrounding somatic cells of the follicle. Furthermore, both mice and frogs displayed a reduction in TRF3 and ALF transcript levels around the time of fertilization. In mice, transcripts from these genes could again be detected at low levels in embryonic reproductive tissues, but only reached maximal levels in adult animals. Finally, the results of protein-DNA interaction assays show that all combinations of core promoter complexes can be formed in vitro using recombinant TBP, TRF3, TFIIA, and ALF, including a TRF3-ALF complex. Overall, the diverse gene regulatory patterns observed here and in earlier reports indicate precise control over which transcription factor complexes can be formed in vivo during gametogenesis and early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Xiao
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Road, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
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26
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DeJong J. Basic mechanisms for the control of germ cell gene expression. Gene 2006; 366:39-50. [PMID: 16326034 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2005.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2005] [Revised: 09/23/2005] [Accepted: 10/10/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The patterns of gene expression in spermatocytes and oocytes are quite different from those in somatic cells. The messenger RNAs produced by these cells are not only required to support germ cell development but, in the case of oocytes, they are also used for maturation, fertilization, and early embryogenesis. Recent studies have begun to provide an explanation for how germ-cell-specific programs of gene expression are generated. Part of the answer comes from the observation that germ cells express core promoter-associated regulatory factors that are different from those expressed in somatic cells. These factors supplement or replace their somatic counterparts to direct expression during meiosis and gametogenesis. In addition, germ cell transcription involves the recognition and use of specialized core promoter sequences. Finally, transcription must occur on chromosomal DNA templates that are reorganized into new chromatin-packaging configurations using alternate histone subunits. This article will review recent advances in our understanding of the factors and mechanisms that control transcription in ovary and testis and will discuss models for germ cell gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff DeJong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States.
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27
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Catena R, Argentini M, Martianov I, Parello C, Brancorsini S, Parvinen M, Sassone-Corsi P, Davidson I. Proteolytic cleavage of ALF into alpha- and beta-subunits that form homologous and heterologous complexes with somatic TFIIA and TRF2 in male germ cells. FEBS Lett 2005; 579:3401-10. [PMID: 15927180 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.04.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2005] [Revised: 04/26/2005] [Accepted: 04/27/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Male germ cells specifically express paralogues of components of the general transcription apparatus including ALF a paralogue of TFIIAalpha/beta. We show that endogenous ALF is proteolytically cleaved to give alpha- and beta-subunits and we map the proteolytic cleavage site by mass spectrometry. Immunoprecipitations show that ALFalpha- and beta-subunits form a series of homologous and heterologous complexes with somatic TFIIA which is coexpressed in male germ cells. In addition, we show that ALF is coexpressed in late pachytene spermatocytes and in haploid round spermatids with transcription factor TRF2, and that these proteins form stable complexes in testis extracts. Our observations highlight how cleavage of ALF and coexpression with TFIIA and TRF2 increases the combinatorial possibilities for gene regulation at different developmental stages of spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Catena
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch Cédex, France
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28
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Abstract
The oocyte is a highly differentiated cell. It makes organelles specialized to its unique functions and progresses through a series of developmental stages to acquire a fertilization competent phenotype. This review will integrate the biology of the oocyte with what is known about oocyte-specific gene regulation and transcription factors involved in oocyte development. We propose that oogenesis is reliant on a dynamic gene regulatory network that includes oocyte-specific transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia L Song
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 69 Brown Street, Box G-J4, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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29
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Wang H, San Agustin JT, Witman GB, Kilpatrick DL. Novel role for a sterol response element binding protein in directing spermatogenic cell-specific gene expression. Mol Cell Biol 2004; 24:10681-8. [PMID: 15572673 PMCID: PMC533981 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.24.24.10681-10688.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2004] [Revised: 08/01/2004] [Accepted: 09/26/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm are highly specialized cells, and their formation requires the synthesis of a large number of unique mRNAs. However, little is known about the transcriptional mechanisms that direct male germ cell differentiation. Sterol response element binding protein 2gc (SREBP2gc) is a spermatogenic cell-enriched isoform of the ubiquitous transcription factor SREBP2, which in somatic cells is required for homeostatic regulation of cholesterol. SREBP2gc is selectively enriched in spermatocytes and spermatids, and, due to its novel structure, its synthesis is not subject to cholesterol feedback control. This suggested that SREBP2gc has unique cell- and stage-specific functions during spermatogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that this factor activates the promoter for the spermatogenesis-related gene proacrosin in a cell-specific manner. Multiple SREBP2gc response elements were identified within the 5'-flanking and proximal promoter regions of the proacrosin promoter. Mutating these elements greatly diminished in vivo expression of this promoter in spermatogenic cells of transgenic mice. These studies define a totally new function for an SREBP as a transactivator of male germ cell-specific gene expression. We propose that SREBP2gc is part of a cadre of spermatogenic cell-enriched isoforms of ubiquitously expressed transcriptional coregulators that were specifically adapted in concert to direct differentiation of the male germ cell lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wang
- Department of Physiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue N, Worcester, MA 01655-0127. USA
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30
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Han S, Xie W, Kim SH, Yue L, DeJong J. A Short Core Promoter Drives Expression of the ALF Transcription Factor in Reproductive Tissues of Male and Female Mice1. Biol Reprod 2004; 71:933-41. [PMID: 15151936 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.104.030247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The control of gene expression in reproductive tissues involves a number of unique germ cell-specific transcription factors. One such factor, ALF (TFIIA tau), encodes a protein similar to the large subunit of general transcription factor TFIIA. To understand how this factor is regulated, we characterized transgenic mice that contain the ALF promoter linked to either beta-galactosidase or green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporters. The results show that as little as 133 base pairs are sufficient to drive developmentally accurate and cell-specific expression. Transgene DNA was methylated and inactive in liver, but could be reactivated in vivo by system administration of 5-aza, 2'-deoxycytidine. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting allowed the identification of male germ cells that express the GFP transgene and provides a potential method to collect cells that might be under the control of a nonsomatic transcription system. Finally, we found that transcripts from the endogenous ALF gene and derived transgenes can also be detected in whole ovary and in germinal vesicle-stage oocytes of female mice. The ALF sequence falls into a class of germ cell promoters whose features include small size, high GC content, numerous CpG dinucleotides, and an apparent TATA-like element. Overall, the results define a unique core promoter that is active in both male and female reproductive tissues, and suggest mouse ALF may have a regulatory role in male and female gametogenic gene expression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- SangYoon Han
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
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31
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Sugiura S, Kashiwabara SI, Iwase S, Baba T. Expression of a testis-specific form of TBP-related factor 2 (TRF2) mRNA during mouse spermatogenesis. J Reprod Dev 2004; 49:107-11. [PMID: 14967955 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.49.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene encoding TATA-binding protein-related factor 2 (TRF2/TLF/TLP/TRP), essential for the progress of spermiogenesis, is abundantly expressed in mammalian testis. A sequence database search revealed that mouse TRF2 is encoded by two mRNAs containing the same protein-coding region and different 5'-untranslated regions. Northern blot analysis using DNA probes specific for the 5'-untranslated regions demonstrated that these two mRNAs are distinguished from each other by the expression patterns: ubiquitous and testis-specific expression. The ubiquitously expressed form of TRF2 mRNA was present at a very low level throughout testicular development, whereas expression of the testis-specific form was first detectable in the 14-day-old testis, and the mRNA level abundantly increased at the later stages of testicular development. Western blot analysis indicated that the TRF2 level increases during testicular development, which is consistent with the expression pattern of the testicular form of TRF2 mRNA. Thus, the presence of the testis-specific form of TRF2 mRNA may account for overexpression of the TRF2 gene in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Sugiura
- Institute of Applied Biochemistry, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, Japan
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Dadoune JP, Siffroi JP, Alfonsi MF. Transcription in haploid male germ cells. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 2004; 237:1-56. [PMID: 15380665 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(04)37001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major modifications in chromatin organization occur in spermatid nuclei, resulting in a high degree of DNA packaging within the spermatozoon head. However, before arrest of transcription during midspermiogenesis, high levels of mRNA are found in round spermatids. Some transcripts are the product of genes expressed ubiquitously, whereas some are generated from male germ cell-specific gene homologs of somatic cell genes. Others are transcript variants derived from genes with expression regulated in a testis-specific fashion. The haploid genome of spermatids also initiates the transcription of testis-specific genes. Various general transcription factors, distinct promoter elements, and specific transcription factors are involved in transcriptional regulation. After meiosis, spermatids are genetically but not phenotypically different, because of transcript and protein sharing through cytoplasmic bridges connecting spermatids of the same generation. Interestingly, different types of mRNAs accumulate in the sperm cell nucleus, raising the question of their origin and of a possible role after fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Dadoune
- Laboratoire de Cytologie et Histologie, Centre Universitaire des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris, France
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De Cesare D, Fimia GM, Brancorsini S, Parvinen M, Sassone-Corsi P. Transcriptional Control in Male Germ Cells: General Factor TFIIA Participates in CREM-Dependent Gene Activation. Mol Endocrinol 2003; 17:2554-65. [PMID: 14512522 DOI: 10.1210/me.2003-0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression in haploid male germ cells follows a number of specific rules that differ from somatic cells. In this physiological context, transcriptional control mediated by the activator CREM (cAMP-responsive element modulator) represents an established paradigm. In somatic cells activation by CREM requires its phosphorylation at a unique regulatory site (Ser117) and subsequent interaction with the ubiquitous coactivator CBP (cAMP response element binding protein-binding protein). In testis, CREM transcriptional activity is controlled through interaction with a tissue-specific partner, ACT (activator of CREM in testis), which confers a powerful, phosphorylation-independent activation capacity. In addition to specialized transcription factors and coactivators, a variety of general factors of the basal transcriptional machinery, and their distinct tissue-specific isoforms, are highly expressed in testis, supporting the general notion that testis-specific gene expression requires specialized mechanisms. Here, we describe that CREM interacts with transcription factor IIA (TFIIA), a general transcription factor that stimulates RNA polymerase II-directed transcription. This association was identified by a two-hybrid screen, using a testis-derived cDNA library, and confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. The interaction is restricted to the activator isoforms of CREM and does not require Ser117. Importantly, CREM does not interact with TFIIAtau-ALF, a testis-specific TFIIA homolog. CREM and TFIIA are expressed in a spatially and temporally coordinated fashion during the differentiation program of germ cells. The two proteins also colocalize intracellularly in spermatocyte and spermatid cells. These findings contribute to the understanding of the highly specialized rules of transcriptional regulation in haploid germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario De Cesare
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch, Strasbourg, France
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Han S, Xie W, Hammes SR, DeJong J. Expression of the germ cell-specific transcription factor ALF in Xenopus oocytes compensates for translational inactivation of the somatic factor TFIIA. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:45586-93. [PMID: 12923189 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m302884200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of germ cell-specific general transcription factor and coactivator variants has suggested that reproductive tissues control gene expression somewhat differently than somatic tissues. One of these factors, ALF (TFIIAtau), was first described as a testis-specific counterpart of the large (alpha/beta) subunit of TFIIA. Here we characterize endogenous ALF and TFIIA activities in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. ALF is present in both testis and ovary in this organism, and it completely replaces TFIIA in immature oocytes. When oocytes undergo progesterone-induced maturation, ALF activity disappears, and TFIIA activity is restored. Reactivation occurs through the translational up-regulation of two maternal TFIIAalpha/beta mRNAs and involves polyadenylation of a conserved 3'-untranslated region module. The effects of ALF overexpression and ALF immunodepletion on a thymidine kinase promoter construct demonstrate that this factor serves as an active replacement for TFIIA. In contrast, overexpression of TFIIA inhibits transcription, indicating that the somatic factor fails to function properly in the context of the oocyte transcription machinery. Overall, the results show that the translationally regulated reciprocal expression of ALF and TFIIA allows for the production of an active TFIIA-like general transcription factor throughout oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- SangYoon Han
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
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Upadhyaya AB, DeJong J. Expression of human TFIIA subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies regions with conserved and species-specific functions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2003; 1625:88-97. [PMID: 12527429 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4781(02)00541-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor TFIIA stabilizes the interaction between the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and promoter DNA and facilitates activator function. In yeast, TFIIA is composed of large (TOA1) and small (TOA2) subunits that interact to form a beta-barrel domain and a helix bundle domain. Here we report plasmid shuffle experiments showing that the human subunits (TFIIAalpha/beta, ALF, and TFIIAgamma) are not able to support growth in yeast and that the failure is associated with morphological abnormalities related to cell division. To determine the regions responsible for species specificity, we examined a series of chimeric yeast-human subunits. The results showed that yeast-human hybrids that contained the N-termini of TFIIAgamma or TFIIAalpha/beta were viable, presumably because they could form a functional interspecies alpha-helical bundle. Likewise, a TOA1 hybrid that contained the nonconserved internal region from TFIIAalpha/beta also had no effect on TFIIA function. However, hybrids that contained the acidic region III or C-terminal region IV from TFIIAalpha/beta grew more slowly than the wild-type TOA1 subunit, and if both regions were exchanged, this effect was far more severe. Although these hybrids exchanged sequences which are involved in beta-barrel formation and interactions with TBP, they were all active in a TBP-dependent mobility shift assay. The results suggest that the growth phenotypes of these hybrids might be due to a failure to interact with components of the yeast transcription machinery other than TBP. Finally, we show that sequences from region III of TFIIA large subunits fall into classes that are either highly acidic or that are divergent and nonacidic, and provide the first evidence to suggest that, at least in yeast, this region is important for TFIIA function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok B Upadhyaya
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
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Kashiwabara SI, Noguchi J, Zhuang T, Ohmura K, Honda A, Sugiura S, Miyamoto K, Takahashi S, Inoue K, Ogura A, Baba T. Regulation of spermatogenesis by testis-specific, cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase TPAP. Science 2002; 298:1999-2002. [PMID: 12471261 DOI: 10.1126/science.1074632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a highly specialized process of cellular differentiation to produce spermatozoa. This differentiation process accompanies morphological changes that are controlled by a number of genes expressed in a stage-specific manner during spermatogenesis. Here we show that in mice, the absence of a testis-specific, cytoplasmic polyadenylate [poly(A)] polymerase, TPAP, results in the arrest of spermiogenesis. TPAP-deficient mice display impaired expression of haploid-specific genes that are required for the morphogenesis of germ cells. The TPAP deficiency also causes incomplete elongation of poly(A) tails of particular transcription factor messenger RNAs. Although the overall cellular level of the transcription factor TAF10 is unaffected, TAF10 is insufficiently transported into the nucleus of germ cells. We propose that TPAP governs germ cell morphogenesis by modulating specific transcription factors at posttranscriptional and posttranslational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichi Kashiwabara
- Institute of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
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Upadhyaya AB, Khan M, Mou TC, Junker M, Gray DM, DeJong J. The germ cell-specific transcription factor ALF. Structural properties and stabilization of the TATA-binding protein (TBP)-DNA complex. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:34208-16. [PMID: 12107178 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m204808200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The assembly and stability of the RNA polymerase II transcription preinitiation complex on a eukaryotic core promoter involves the effects of TFIIA on the interaction between TATA-binding protein (TBP) and DNA. To extend our understanding of these interactions, we characterized properties of ALF, a germ cell-specific TFIIA-like factor. ALF was able to stabilize the binding of TBP to DNA, but it could not stabilize TBP mutants A184E, N189E, E191R, and R205E nor could it facilitate binding of the TBP-like factor TRF2/TLF to a consensus TATA element. However, phosphorylation of ALF with casein kinase II resulted in the partial restoration of complex formation using mutant TBPs. Studies of ALF-TBP complexes formed on the Adenovirus Major Late (AdML) promoter revealed protection of the TATA box and upstream sequences from -38 to -20 (top strand) and -40 to -22 (bottom strand). The half-life and apparent K(D) of this complex was determined to be 650 min and 4.8 +/- 2.7 nm, respectively. The presence of ALF or TFIIA did not significantly alter the ability of TBP to bind TATA elements from several testis-specific genes. Finally, analysis of the distinct, nonhomologous internal regions of ALF and TFIIAalpha/beta using circular dichroism spectroscopy provided the first evidence to suggest that these domains are unordered, a result consistent with other genetic and biochemical properties. Overall, the results show that while the sequence and regulation of the ALF gene are distinct from its somatic cell counterpart TFIIAalpha/beta, the TFIIAgamma-dependent interactions of these factors with TBP are nearly indistinguishable in vitro. Thus, a role for ALF in the assembly and stabilization of initiation complexes in germ cells is likely to be similar or identical to the role of TFIIA in somatic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok B Upadhyaya
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Road, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
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Xie W, Han S, Khan M, DeJong J. Regulation of ALF gene expression in somatic and male germ line tissues involves partial and site-specific patterns of methylation. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:17765-74. [PMID: 11889132 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m200954200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
ALF (TFIIAalpha/beta-like factor) is a germ cell-specific counterpart of the large (alpha/beta) subunit of general transcription factor TFIIA. Here we isolated homologous GC-rich promoters from the mouse and human ALF genes and used promoter deletion analysis to identify sequences active in COS-7 and 293 cells. Further, bisulfite sequence analysis of the mouse ALF promoter showed that all 21 CpG dinucleotides between -179 and +207 were partially methylated in five somatic tissues, brain, heart, liver, lung, and muscle, and in epididymal spermatozoa from adult mice. In contrast, DNA from prepubertal mouse testis and from purified spermatocytes were unmethylated except at C(+19)G and C(+170)G. We also found that ALF expression correlates with a strong promoter-proximal DNase I-hypersensitive site present in nuclei from testis but not from liver. Finally we show that in vitro methylation of the ALF promoter inhibits activity and that 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment reactivates the endogenous ALF gene in a panel of seven different mouse and human somatic cell lines. Overall the results show that silencing in somatic cells is methylation-dependent and reversible and that a unique CpG-specific methylation pattern at the ALF promoter precedes expression in pachytene spermatocytes. This pattern is transient as remethylation of the ALF promoter in haploid germ cell DNA has occurred by the time spermatozoa are present in the epididymis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wensheng Xie
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
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Dass B, Attaya EN, Michelle Wallace A, MacDonald CC. Overexpression of the CstF-64 and CPSF-160 polyadenylation protein messenger RNAs in mouse male germ cells. Biol Reprod 2001; 64:1722-9. [PMID: 11369601 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod64.6.1722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNAs for several components of the transcriptional apparatus are greatly overexpressed in postmeiotic male germ cells in rodents (Schmidt and Schibler, Development 1995; 121:2373-2383). Because of the tight coupling of polyadenylation and transcription, we examined expression in germ cells of mRNAs for key polyadenylation factors. The mRNA for the 64 000 M(r) subunit of the cleavage stimulation factor (CstF-64) was expressed at least 250-fold greater in mouse testicular RNA than in liver RNA. RNA blot analysis showed that the mRNA for the 160 000 M(r) subunit of the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor was similarly overexpressed, as was the mRNA for the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. General transcription factors, such as the TATA-binding protein and transcription factor IIH, and splicing factors, such as components of the small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, were also expressed in meiotic and postmeiotic germ cells. The X-linked CstF-64 protein is expressed before and after but not during meiosis in the mouse (Wallace et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1999; 96:6763-6768), which suggests that overexpression of mRNA transcription and processing factors plays an essential role in postmeiotic germ cell mRNA metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Dass
- Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry and Southwest Cancer Center at University Medical Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430
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Martina JA, Bonangelino CJ, Aguilar RC, Bonifacino JS. Stonin 2: an adaptor-like protein that interacts with components of the endocytic machinery. J Cell Biol 2001; 153:1111-20. [PMID: 11381094 PMCID: PMC2174325 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.153.5.1111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocytosis of cell surface proteins is mediated by a complex molecular machinery that assembles on the inner surface of the plasma membrane. Here, we report the identification of two ubiquitously expressed human proteins, stonin 1 and stonin 2, related to components of the endocytic machinery. The human stonins are homologous to the Drosophila melanogaster stoned B protein and exhibit a modular structure consisting of an NH(2)-terminal proline-rich domain, a central region of homology specific to the stonins, and a COOH-terminal region homologous to the mu subunits of adaptor protein (AP) complexes. Stonin 2, but not stonin 1, interacts with the endocytic machinery proteins Eps15, Eps15R, and intersectin 1. These interactions occur via two NPF motifs in the proline-rich domain of stonin 2 and Eps15 homology domains of Eps15, Eps15R, and intersectin 1. Stonin 2 also interacts indirectly with the adaptor protein complex, AP-2. In addition, stonin 2 binds to the C2B domains of synaptotagmins I and II. Overexpression of GFP-stonin 2 interferes with recruitment of AP-2 to the plasma membrane and impairs internalization of the transferrin, epidermal growth factor, and low density lipoprotein receptors. These observations suggest that stonin 2 is a novel component of the general endocytic machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A. Martina
- Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Cecilia J. Bonangelino
- Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Rubén C. Aguilar
- Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Juan S. Bonifacino
- Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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