1
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Alavattam KG, Esparza JM, Hu M, Shimada R, Kohrs AR, Abe H, Munakata Y, Otsuka K, Yoshimura S, Kitamura Y, Yeh YH, Hu YC, Kim J, Andreassen PR, Ishiguro KI, Namekawa SH. ATF7IP2/MCAF2 directs H3K9 methylation and meiotic gene regulation in the male germline. Genes Dev 2024; 38:115-130. [PMID: 38383062 PMCID: PMC10982687 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351569.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) plays emerging roles in gene regulation, beyond its accumulation on pericentric constitutive heterochromatin. It remains a mystery why and how H3K9me3 undergoes dynamic regulation in male meiosis. Here, we identify a novel, critical regulator of H3K9 methylation and spermatogenic heterochromatin organization: the germline-specific protein ATF7IP2 (MCAF2). We show that in male meiosis, ATF7IP2 amasses on autosomal and X-pericentric heterochromatin, spreads through the entirety of the sex chromosomes, and accumulates on thousands of autosomal promoters and retrotransposon loci. On the sex chromosomes, which undergo meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), the DNA damage response pathway recruits ATF7IP2 to X-pericentric heterochromatin, where it facilitates the recruitment of SETDB1, a histone methyltransferase that catalyzes H3K9me3. In the absence of ATF7IP2, male germ cells are arrested in meiotic prophase I. Analyses of ATF7IP2-deficient meiosis reveal the protein's essential roles in the maintenance of MSCI, suppression of retrotransposons, and global up-regulation of autosomal genes. We propose that ATF7IP2 is a downstream effector of the DDR pathway in meiosis that coordinates the organization of heterochromatin and gene regulation through the spatial regulation of SETDB1-mediated H3K9me3 deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris G Alavattam
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Jasmine M Esparza
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Mengwen Hu
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Ryuki Shimada
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Anna R Kohrs
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
| | - Hironori Abe
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Munakata
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Kai Otsuka
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Saori Yoshimura
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yuka Kitamura
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Yu-Han Yeh
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 49229, USA
| | - Jihye Kim
- Laboratory of Chromosome Dynamics, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Paul R Andreassen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 49229, USA
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
| | - Kei-Ichiro Ishiguro
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan;
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA;
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 49229, USA
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2
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Ascenção C, Sims JR, Dziubek A, Comstock W, Fogarty EA, Badar J, Freire R, Grimson A, Weiss RS, Cohen PE, Smolka MB. A TOPBP1 allele causing male infertility uncouples XY silencing dynamics from sex body formation. eLife 2024; 12:RP90887. [PMID: 38391183 PMCID: PMC10942628 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is a critical feature of meiotic prophase I progression in males. While the ATR kinase and its activator TOPBP1 are key drivers of MSCI within the specialized sex body (SB) domain of the nucleus, how they promote silencing remains unclear given their multifaceted meiotic functions that also include DNA repair, chromosome synapsis, and SB formation. Here we report a novel mutant mouse harboring mutations in the TOPBP1-BRCT5 domain. Topbp1B5/B5 males are infertile, with impaired MSCI despite displaying grossly normal events of early prophase I, including synapsis and SB formation. Specific ATR-dependent events are disrupted, including phosphorylation and localization of the RNA:DNA helicase Senataxin. Topbp1B5/B5 spermatocytes initiate, but cannot maintain ongoing, MSCI. These findings reveal a non-canonical role for the ATR-TOPBP1 signaling axis in MSCI dynamics at advanced stages in pachynema and establish the first mouse mutant that separates ATR signaling and MSCI from SB formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolline Ascenção
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Jennie R Sims
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Alexis Dziubek
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - William Comstock
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Elizabeth A Fogarty
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Jumana Badar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Raimundo Freire
- Fundación Canaria del Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de CanariasSanta Cruz de TenerifeSpain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La LagunaLa LagunaSpain
- Universidad Fernando Pessoa CanariasLas Palmas de Gran CanariaSpain
| | - Andrew Grimson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Robert S Weiss
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Marcus B Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
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3
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Ascencao CFR, Sims JR, Dziubek A, Comstock W, Fogarty EA, Badar J, Freire R, Grimson A, Weiss RS, Cohen PE, Smolka M. A TOPBP1 Allele Causing Male Infertility Uncouples XY Silencing Dynamics From Sex Body Formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.31.543071. [PMID: 37398453 PMCID: PMC10312512 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.31.543071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is a critical feature of meiotic prophase I progression in males. While the ATR kinase and its activator TOPBP1 are key drivers of MSCI within the specialized sex body (SB) domain of the nucleus, how they promote silencing remains unclear given their multifaceted meiotic functions that also include DNA repair, chromosome synapsis and SB formation. Here we report a novel mutant mouse harboring mutations in the TOPBP1-BRCT5 domain. Topbp1 B5/B5 males are infertile, with impaired MSCI despite displaying grossly normal events of early prophase I, including synapsis and SB formation. Specific ATR-dependent events are disrupted including phosphorylation and localization of the RNA:DNA helicase Senataxin. Topbp1 B5/B5 spermatocytes initiate, but cannot maintain ongoing, MSCI. These findings reveal a non-canonical role for the ATR-TOPBP1 signaling axis in MSCI dynamics at advanced stages in pachynema and establish the first mouse mutant that separates ATR signaling and MSCI from SB formation.
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4
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Alavattam KG, Esparza JM, Hu M, Shimada R, Kohrs AR, Abe H, Munakata Y, Otsuka K, Yoshimura S, Kitamura Y, Yeh YH, Hu YC, Kim J, Andreassen PR, Ishiguro KI, Namekawa SH. ATF7IP2/MCAF2 directs H3K9 methylation and meiotic gene regulation in the male germline. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.30.560314. [PMID: 37873266 PMCID: PMC10592865 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.30.560314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
H3K9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) plays emerging roles in gene regulation, beyond its accumulation on pericentric constitutive heterochromatin. It remains a mystery why and how H3K9me3 undergoes dynamic regulation in male meiosis. Here, we identify a novel, critical regulator of H3K9 methylation and spermatogenic heterochromatin organization: the germline-specific protein ATF7IP2 (MCAF2). We show that, in male meiosis, ATF7IP2 amasses on autosomal and X pericentric heterochromatin, spreads through the entirety of the sex chromosomes, and accumulates on thousands of autosomal promoters and retrotransposon loci. On the sex chromosomes, which undergo meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), the DNA damage response pathway recruits ATF7IP2 to X pericentric heterochromatin, where it facilitates the recruitment of SETDB1, a histone methyltransferase that catalyzes H3K9me3. In the absence of ATF7IP2, male germ cells are arrested in meiotic prophase I. Analyses of ATF7IP2-deficient meiosis reveal the protein's essential roles in the maintenance of MSCI, suppression of retrotransposons, and global upregulation of autosomal genes. We propose that ATF7IP2 is a downstream effector of the DDR pathway in meiosis that coordinates the organization of heterochromatin and gene regulation through the spatial regulation of SETDB1-mediated H3K9me3 deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris G. Alavattam
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Jasmine M. Esparza
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Mengwen Hu
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ryuki Shimada
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Anna R. Kohrs
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
| | - Hironori Abe
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Munakata
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Kai Otsuka
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Saori Yoshimura
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yuka Kitamura
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Yu-Han Yeh
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 49229, USA
| | - Jihye Kim
- Laboratory of Chromosome Dynamics, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Paul R. Andreassen
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 49229, USA
| | - Kei-ichiro Ishiguro
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Satoshi H. Namekawa
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 49229, USA
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5
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Kirsanov O, Johnson TA, Niedenberger BA, Malachowski TN, Hale BJ, Chen Q, Lackford B, Wang J, Singh A, Schindler K, Hermann BP, Hu G, Geyer CB. Retinoic acid is dispensable for meiotic initiation but required for spermiogenesis in the mammalian testis. Development 2023; 150:dev201638. [PMID: 37350382 PMCID: PMC10357014 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is the proposed mammalian 'meiosis inducing substance'. However, evidence for this role comes from studies in the fetal ovary, where germ cell differentiation and meiotic initiation are temporally inseparable. In the postnatal testis, these events are separated by more than 1 week. Exploiting this difference, we discovered that, although RA is required for spermatogonial differentiation, it is dispensable for the subsequent initiation, progression and completion of meiosis. Indeed, in the absence of RA, the meiotic transcriptome program in both differentiating spermatogonia and spermatocytes entering meiosis was largely unaffected. Instead, transcripts encoding factors required during spermiogenesis were aberrant during preleptonema, and the subsequent spermatid morphogenesis program was disrupted such that no sperm were produced. Taken together, these data reveal a RA-independent model for male meiotic initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Kirsanov
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Taylor A. Johnson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Bryan A. Niedenberger
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Taylor N. Malachowski
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Benjamin J. Hale
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Qing Chen
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Brad Lackford
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Anukriti Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Brian P. Hermann
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Guang Hu
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Christopher B. Geyer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
- East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
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6
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Abe H, Yeh YH, Munakata Y, Ishiguro KI, Andreassen PR, Namekawa SH. Active DNA damage response signaling initiates and maintains meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7212. [PMID: 36443288 PMCID: PMC9705562 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is an essential process in the male germline. While genetic experiments have established that the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway directs MSCI, due to limitations to the experimental systems available, mechanisms underlying MSCI remain largely unknown. Here we establish a system to study MSCI ex vivo, based on a short-term culture method, and demonstrate that active DDR signaling is required both to initiate and maintain MSCI via a dynamic and reversible process. DDR-directed MSCI follows two layers of modifications: active DDR-dependent reversible processes and irreversible histone post-translational modifications. Further, the DDR initiates MSCI independent of the downstream repressive histone mark H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), thereby demonstrating that active DDR signaling is the primary mechanism of silencing in MSCI. By unveiling the dynamic nature of MSCI, and its governance by active DDR signals, our study highlights the sex chromosomes as an active signaling hub in meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Abe
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA ,grid.274841.c0000 0001 0660 6749Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811 Japan
| | - Yu-Han Yeh
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Yasuhisa Munakata
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Kei-Ichiro Ishiguro
- grid.274841.c0000 0001 0660 6749Department of Chromosome Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811 Japan
| | - Paul R. Andreassen
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Division of Experimental Hematology & Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229 USA
| | - Satoshi H. Namekawa
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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7
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Kazi S, Castañeda JM, Savolainen A, Xu Y, Liu N, Qiao H, Ramirez‐Solis R, Nozawa K, Yu Z, Matzuk MM, Prunskaite‐Hyyryläinen R. MRNIP interacts with sex body chromatin to support meiotic progression, spermatogenesis, and male fertility in mice. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22479. [PMID: 35920200 PMCID: PMC9544956 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101168rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Meiosis has a principal role in sexual reproduction to generate haploid gametes in both sexes. During meiosis, the cell nucleus hosts a dynamic environment where some genes are transcriptionally activated, and some are inactivated at the same time. This becomes possible through subnuclear compartmentalization. The sex body, sequestering X and Y chromosomes during male meiosis and creating an environment for the meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is one of the best known and studied subnuclear compartments. Herein, we show that MRNIP forms droplet-like accumulations that fuse together to create a distinct subnuclear compartment that partially overlaps with the sex body chromatin during diplotene. We demonstrate that Mrnip-/- spermatocytes have impaired DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, they display reduced sex body formation and defective MSCI. We show that Mrnip-/- undergoes critical meiocyte loss at the diplotene stage. Furthermore, we determine that DNA DSBs (induced by SPO11) and synapsis initiation (facilitated by SYCP1) precede Mrnip expression in testes. Altogether, our findings indicate that in addition to an emerging role in DNA DSB repair, MRNIP has an essential function in spermatogenesis during meiosis I by forming drop-like accumulations interacting with the sex body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samina Kazi
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular MedicineUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | | | - Audrey Savolainen
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular MedicineUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Yiding Xu
- Department of Comparative BiosciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Ning Liu
- Department of Comparative BiosciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Huanyu Qiao
- Department of Comparative BiosciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | | | - Kaori Nozawa
- Department of Pathology & ImmunologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Zhifeng Yu
- Department of Pathology & ImmunologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
- Center for Drug DiscoveryBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Martin M. Matzuk
- Department of Pathology & ImmunologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
- Center for Drug DiscoveryBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
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8
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Chen J, Gao C, Luo M, Zheng C, Lin X, Ning Y, Ma L, He W, Xie D, Liu K, Hong K, Han C. MicroRNA-202 safeguards meiotic progression by preventing premature SEPARASE-mediated REC8 cleavage. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54298. [PMID: 35712867 PMCID: PMC9346496 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202154298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are believed to play important roles in mammalian spermatogenesis but the in vivo functions of single miRNAs in this highly complex developmental process remain unclear. Here, we report that miR-202, a member of the let-7 family, plays an important role in spermatogenesis by phenotypic evaluation of miR-202 knockout (KO) mice. Loss of miR-202 results in spermatocyte apoptosis and perturbation of the zygonema-to-pachynema transition. Multiple processes during meiosis prophase I including synapsis and crossover formation are disrupted, and inter-sister chromatid synapses are detected. Moreover, we demonstrate that Separase mRNA is a miR-202 direct target and provides evidence that miR-202 upregulates REC8 by repressing Separase expression. Therefore, we have identified miR-202 as a new regulating noncoding gene that acts on the established SEPARASE-REC8 axis in meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
| | - Chenxu Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Mengcheng Luo
- Department of Tissue and EmbryologyHubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated DiseaseSchool of Basic Medical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Chunwei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
| | - Xiwen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
| | - Yan Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Longfei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wei He
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Kui Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility RegulationCenter of Assisted Reproduction and EmbryologyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyLi Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Kai Hong
- Department of UrologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Chunsheng Han
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijingChina
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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9
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Pereira C, Arroyo-Martinez GA, Guo MZ, Downey MS, Kelly ER, Grive KJ, Mahadevaiah SK, Sims JR, Faca VM, Tsai C, Schiltz CJ, Wit N, Jacobs H, Clark NL, Freire R, Turner J, Lyndaker AM, Brieno-Enriquez MA, Cohen PE, Smolka MB, Weiss RS. Multiple 9-1-1 complexes promote homolog synapsis, DSB repair, and ATR signaling during mammalian meiosis. eLife 2022; 11:68677. [PMID: 35133274 PMCID: PMC8824475 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA damage response mechanisms have meiotic roles that ensure successful gamete formation. While completion of meiotic double-strand break (DSB) repair requires the canonical RAD9A-RAD1-HUS1 (9A-1-1) complex, mammalian meiocytes also express RAD9A and HUS1 paralogs, RAD9B and HUS1B, predicted to form alternative 9-1-1 complexes. The RAD1 subunit is shared by all predicted 9-1-1 complexes and localizes to meiotic chromosomes even in the absence of HUS1 and RAD9A. Here, we report that testis-specific disruption of RAD1 in mice resulted in impaired DSB repair, germ cell depletion, and infertility. Unlike Hus1 or Rad9a disruption, Rad1 loss in meiocytes also caused severe defects in homolog synapsis, impaired phosphorylation of ATR targets such as H2AX, CHK1, and HORMAD2, and compromised meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Together, these results establish critical roles for both canonical and alternative 9-1-1 complexes in meiotic ATR activation and successful prophase I completion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew Z Guo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
| | | | - Emma R Kelly
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Elmira College
| | | | | | - Jennie R Sims
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
| | - Vitor M Faca
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, FMRP, University of São Paulo
| | - Charlton Tsai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
| | | | - Niek Wit
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute
| | - Heinz Jacobs
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute
| | | | - Raimundo Freire
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna
- Universidad Fernando Pessoa Canarias
| | - James Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute
| | - Amy M Lyndaker
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Elmira College
| | - Miguel A Brieno-Enriquez
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
| | - Marcus B Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
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10
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Zhang K, Tarczykowska A, Gupta DK, Pendlebury DF, Zuckerman C, Nandakumar J, Shibuya H. The TERB1 MYB domain suppresses telomere erosion in meiotic prophase I. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110289. [PMID: 35081355 PMCID: PMC8867601 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The meiosis-specific telomere-binding protein TERB1 anchors telomeres to the nuclear envelope and drives chromosome movements for the pairing of homologous chromosomes. TERB1 has an MYB-like DNA-binding (MYB) domain, which is a hallmark of telomeric DNA-binding proteins. Here, we demonstrate that the TERB1 MYB domain has lost its canonical DNA-binding activity. The analysis of Terb1 point mutant mice expressing TERB1 lacking its MYB domain showed that the MYB domain is dispensable for telomere localization of TERB1 and the downstream TERB2-MAJIN complex, the promotion of homologous pairing, and even fertility. Instead, the TERB1 MYB domain regulates the enrichment of cohesin and promotes the remodeling of axial elements in the early-to-late pachytene transition, which suppresses telomere erosion. Considering its conservation across metazoan phyla, the TERB1 MYB domain is likely to be important for the maintenance of telomeric DNA and thus for genomic integrity by suppressing meiotic telomere erosion over long evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-41390, Sweden
| | - Agata Tarczykowska
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-41390, Sweden
| | - Deepesh Kumar Gupta
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-41390, Sweden
| | - Devon F Pendlebury
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Cassandra Zuckerman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jayakrishnan Nandakumar
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hiroki Shibuya
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-41390, Sweden.
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11
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Cdc42 activity in Sertoli cells is essential for maintenance of spermatogenesis. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109885. [PMID: 34706238 PMCID: PMC8604081 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are highly polarized testicular supporting cells that simultaneously nurture multiple stages of germ cells during spermatogenesis. Proper localization of polarity protein complexes within Sertoli cells, including those responsible for blood-testis barrier formation, is vital for spermatogenesis. However, the mechanisms and developmental timing that underlie Sertoli cell polarity are poorly understood. We investigate this aspect of testicular function by conditionally deleting Cdc42, encoding a Rho GTPase involved in regulating cell polarity, specifically in Sertoli cells. Sertoli Cdc42 deletion leads to increased apoptosis and disrupted polarity of juvenile and adult testes but does not affect fetal and postnatal testicular development. The onset of the first wave of spermatogenesis occurs normally, but it fails to progress past round spermatid stages, and by young adulthood, conditional knockout males exhibit a complete loss of spermatogenic cells. These findings demonstrate that Cdc42 is essential for Sertoli cell polarity and for maintaining steady-state sperm production. Sertoli cells of the testicular seminiferous tubule must be highly polarized to simultaneously sustain multiple stages of germ cells during spermatogenesis. Heinrich et al. use a Sertoli-specific conditional deletion mouse model to address the roles of CDC42-mediated apicobasal cell polarity in promoting testis development and spermatogenesis.
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12
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The male germline-specific protein MAPS is indispensable for pachynema progression and fertility. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025421118. [PMID: 33602822 PMCID: PMC7923350 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025421118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized cell division that creates haploid germ cells from diploid progenitors. Through differential RNA expression analyses, we previously identified a number of mouse genes that were dramatically elevated in spermatocytes, relative to their very low expression in spermatogonia and somatic organs. Here, we investigated in detail 1700102P08Rik, one of these genes, and independently conclude that it encodes a male germline-specific protein, in agreement with a recent report. We demonstrated that it is essential for pachynema progression in spermatocytes and named it male pachynema-specific (MAPS) protein. Mice lacking Maps (Maps -/- ) suffered from pachytene arrest and spermatocyte death, leading to male infertility, whereas female fertility was not affected. Interestingly, pubertal Maps -/- spermatocytes were arrested at early pachytene stage, accompanied by defects in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, crossover formation, and XY body formation. In contrast, adult Maps -/- spermatocytes only exhibited partially defective crossover but nonetheless were delayed or failed in progression from early to mid- and late pachytene stage, resulting in cell death. Furthermore, we report a significant transcriptional dysregulation in autosomes and XY chromosomes in both pubertal and adult Maps -/- pachytene spermatocytes, including failed meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Further experiments revealed that MAPS overexpression in vitro dramatically decreased the ubiquitination levels of cellular proteins. Conversely, in Maps -/- pachytene cells, protein ubiquitination was dramatically increased, likely contributing to the large-scale disruption in gene expression in pachytene cells. Thus, MAPS is a protein essential for pachynema progression in male mice, possibly in mammals in general.
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13
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Robert N, Yan C, Si-Jiu Y, Bo L, He H, Pengfei Z, Hongwei X, Jian Z, Shijie L, Qian Z. Expression of Rad51 and the histo-morphological evaluation of testis of the sterile male cattle-yak. Theriogenology 2021; 172:239-254. [PMID: 34298284 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic recombination is key to the repair of DNA double-strand break damage, provide a link between homologs for proper chromosome segregation as well as ensure genetic diversity in organisms. Defects in recombination often lead to sterility. The ubiquitously expressed Rad51 and the meiosis-specific DMC1 are two closely related recombinases that catalyze the key strand invasion and exchange step of meiotic recombination. This study cloned and sequenced the coding region of cattle-yak Rad51 and determined its mRNA and protein expression levels, evaluated its molecular and evolutionary relationship as well as evaluated the histo-morphological structure of testes in the yellow cattle, yak and the sterile cattle-yak hybrid. The Rad51 gene was amplified using PCR, cloned and sequenced using testicular cDNA from yak and cattle-yak. Real-time PCR was used to examine the expression levels of Rad51/DMC1 mRNA in the cattle, yak and cattle-yak testis while western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the protein expression and localization of Rad51/DMC1 protein in the testicular tissue sections. The results revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of Rad51 and DMC1 are extremely low in the male cattle-yak testis with a corresponding higher incidence of germ cell apoptosis. There was also thinning of the germinal epithelium possibly due to the depletion of the germ cells leading to the widening of the lumen area of the cattle-yak seminiferous tubule. Our findings provide support for the hypothesis that the low expression of Rad51 and DMC1 may contribute to the male hybrid sterility in the cattle-yak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niayale Robert
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Cui Yan
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China; Gansu Province Livestock Embryo Engineering Research Center, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Yu Si-Jiu
- Gansu Province Livestock Embryo Engineering Research Center, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Liao Bo
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Honghong He
- Gansu Province Livestock Embryo Engineering Research Center, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhao Pengfei
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xu Hongwei
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhang Jian
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Li Shijie
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhang Qian
- Laboratory of Animal Anatomy & Tissue Embryology, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
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14
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Heinrich A, Potter SJ, Guo L, Ratner N, DeFalco T. Distinct Roles for Rac1 in Sertoli Cell Function during Testicular Development and Spermatogenesis. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107513. [PMID: 32294451 PMCID: PMC7213061 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are supporting cells of the testicular seminiferous tubules, which provide a nurturing environment for spermatogenesis. Adult Sertoli cells are polarized so that they can simultaneously support earlier-stage spermatogenic cells (e.g., spermatogonia) basally and later-stage cells (e.g., spermatids) apically. To test the consequences of disrupting cell polarity in Sertoli cells, we perform a Sertoli-specific conditional deletion of Rac1, which encodes a Rho GTPase required for apicobasal cell polarity. Rac1 conditional knockout adults exhibit spermatogenic arrest at the round spermatid stage, with severe disruption of Sertoli cell polarity, and show increased germline and Sertoli cell apoptosis. Thus, Sertoli Rac1 function is critical for the progression of spermatogenesis but, surprisingly, is dispensable for fetal testicular development, adult maintenance of undifferentiated spermatogonia, and meiotic entry. Our data indicate that Sertoli Rac1 function is required only for certain aspects of spermatogenesis and reveal that there are distinct requirements for cell polarity during cellular differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Heinrich
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sarah J Potter
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Li Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Nancy Ratner
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Tony DeFalco
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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15
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Dereli I, Stanzione M, Olmeda F, Papanikos F, Baumann M, Demir S, Carofiglio F, Lange J, de Massy B, Baarends WM, Turner J, Rulands S, Tóth A. Four-pronged negative feedback of DSB machinery in meiotic DNA-break control in mice. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:2609-2628. [PMID: 33619545 PMCID: PMC7969012 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In most taxa, halving of chromosome numbers during meiosis requires that homologous chromosomes (homologues) pair and form crossovers. Crossovers emerge from the recombination-mediated repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). DSBs are generated by SPO11, whose activity requires auxiliary protein complexes, called pre-DSB recombinosomes. To elucidate the spatiotemporal control of the DSB machinery, we focused on an essential SPO11 auxiliary protein, IHO1, which serves as the main anchor for pre-DSB recombinosomes on chromosome cores, called axes. We discovered that DSBs restrict the DSB machinery by at least four distinct pathways in mice. Firstly, by activating the DNA damage response (DDR) kinase ATM, DSBs restrict pre-DSB recombinosome numbers without affecting IHO1. Secondly, in their vicinity, DSBs trigger IHO1 depletion mainly by another DDR kinase, ATR. Thirdly, DSBs enable homologue synapsis, which promotes the depletion of IHO1 and pre-DSB recombinosomes from synapsed axes. Finally, DSBs and three DDR kinases, ATM, ATR and PRKDC, enable stage-specific depletion of IHO1 from all axes. We hypothesize that these four negative feedback pathways protect genome integrity by ensuring that DSBs form without excess, are well-distributed, and are restricted to genomic locations and prophase stages where DSBs are functional for promoting homologue pairing and crossover formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihsan Dereli
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine at the TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marcello Stanzione
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine at the TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabrizio Olmeda
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Frantzeskos Papanikos
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine at the TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marek Baumann
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine at the TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sevgican Demir
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine at the TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabrizia Carofiglio
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julian Lange
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Bernard de Massy
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, 34396 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Willy M Baarends
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - James Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Steffen Rulands
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD), Pfotenhauer Strasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Attila Tóth
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine at the TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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16
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Larose H, Kent T, Ma Q, Shami AN, Harerimana N, Li JZ, Hammoud SS, Handel MA. Regulation of meiotic progression by Sertoli-cell androgen signaling. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:2841-2862. [PMID: 33026960 PMCID: PMC7851862 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-05-0334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling in Sertoli cells is known to be important for germ-cell progression through meiosis, but the extent to which androgens indirectly regulate specific meiotic stages is not known. Here, we combine synchronization of spermatogenesis, cytological analyses and single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) in the Sertoli-cell androgen receptor knockout (SCARKO) mutant and control mice, and demonstrate that SCARKO mutant spermatocytes exhibited normal expression and localization of key protein markers of meiotic prophase events, indicating that initiation of meiotic prophase is not androgen dependent. However, spermatocytes from SCARKO testes failed to acquire competence for the meiotic division phase. ScRNAseq analysis of wild-type and SCARKO mutant testes revealed a molecular transcriptomic block in an early meiotic prophase state (leptotene/zygotene) in mutant germ cells, and identified several misregulated genes in SCARKO Sertoli cells, many of which have been previously implicated in male infertility. Together, our coordinated cytological and scRNAseq analyses identified germ-cell intrinsic and extrinsic genes responsive to Sertoli-cell androgen signaling that promotes cellular states permissive for the meiotic division phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Larose
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Travis Kent
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
| | - Qianyi Ma
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | | | | | - Jun Z Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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17
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Bondarieva A, Raveendran K, Telychko V, Rao HBDP, Ravindranathan R, Zorzompokou C, Finsterbusch F, Dereli I, Papanikos F, Tränkner D, Schleiffer A, Fei JF, Klimova A, Ito M, Kulkarni DS, Roeder I, Hunter N, Tóth A. Proline-rich protein PRR19 functions with cyclin-like CNTD1 to promote meiotic crossing over in mouse. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3101. [PMID: 32555348 PMCID: PMC7303132 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16885-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Orderly chromosome segregation is enabled by crossovers between homologous chromosomes in the first meiotic division. Crossovers arise from recombination-mediated repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Multiple DSBs initiate recombination, and most are repaired without crossover formation, although one or more generate crossovers on each chromosome. Although the underlying mechanisms are ill-defined, the differentiation and maturation of crossover-specific recombination intermediates requires the cyclin-like CNTD1. Here, we identify PRR19 as a partner of CNTD1. We find that, like CNTD1, PRR19 is required for timely DSB repair and the formation of crossover-specific recombination complexes. PRR19 and CNTD1 co-localise at crossover sites, physically interact, and are interdependent for accumulation, indicating a PRR19-CNTD1 partnership in crossing over. Further, we show that CNTD1 interacts with a cyclin-dependent kinase, CDK2, which also accumulates in crossover-specific recombination complexes. Thus, the PRR19-CNTD1 complex may enable crossover differentiation by regulating CDK2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Bondarieva
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kavya Raveendran
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Vladyslav Telychko
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - H B D Prasada Rao
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ramya Ravindranathan
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Chrysoula Zorzompokou
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Friederike Finsterbusch
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ihsan Dereli
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Frantzeskos Papanikos
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Tränkner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Schleiffer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ji-Feng Fei
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anna Klimova
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Masaru Ito
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Dhananjaya S Kulkarni
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ingo Roeder
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Neil Hunter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Attila Tóth
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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18
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Serra N, Velte EK, Niedenberger BA, Kirsanov O, Geyer CB. The mTORC1 component RPTOR is required for maintenance of the foundational spermatogonial stem cell pool in mice†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:429-439. [PMID: 30202948 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of the spermatogonial populations must be finely coordinated in the mammalian testis, as dysregulation of these processes can lead to subfertility, infertility, or the formation of tumors. There are wide gaps in our understanding of how these spermatogonial populations are formed and maintained, and our laboratory has focused on identifying the molecular and cellular pathways that direct their development. Others and we have shown, using a combination of pharmacologic inhibitors and genetic models, that activation of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) is important for spermatogonial differentiation in vivo. Here, we extend those studies to directly test the germ cell-autonomous requirement for mTORC1 in spermatogonial differentiation. We created germ cell conditional knockout mice for "regulatory associated protein of MTOR, complex 1" (Rptor), which encodes an essential component of mTORC1. While germ cell KO mice were viable and healthy, they had smaller testes than littermate controls, and no sperm were present in their cauda epididymides. We found that an initial cohort of Rptor KO spermatogonia proliferated, differentiated, and entered meiosis (which they were unable to complete). However, no self-renewing spermatogonia were formed, and thus the entire germline was lost by adulthood, resulting in Sertoli cell-only testes. These results reveal the cell autonomous requirement for RPTOR in the formation or maintenance of the foundational self-renewing spermatogonial stem cell pool in the mouse testis and underscore complex roles for mTORC1 and its constituent proteins in male germ cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Serra
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ellen K Velte
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bryan A Niedenberger
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Oleksander Kirsanov
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher B Geyer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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19
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The Initiation of Meiotic Sex Chromosome Inactivation Sequesters DNA Damage Signaling from Autosomes in Mouse Spermatogenesis. Curr Biol 2020; 30:408-420.e5. [PMID: 31902729 PMCID: PMC7076562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is an essential event in the mammalian male germline. MSCI is directed by a DNA damage response (DDR) pathway centered on the phosphorylation of histone variant H2AX at serine 139 (termed γH2AX). The failure to initiate MSCI is linked to complete meiotic arrest and elimination of germ cells; however, the mechanisms underlying this arrest and elimination remain unknown. To address this question, we established a new separation-of-function mouse model for H2ax that shows specific and complete defects in MSCI. The genetic change is a point mutation in which another H2AX amino acid residue important in the DDR, tyrosine 142 (Y142), is converted to alanine (H2ax-Y142A). In H2ax-Y142A meiosis, the establishment of DDR signals on the chromosome-wide domain of the sex chromosomes is impaired. The initiation of MSCI is required for stage progression, which enables crossover formation, suggesting that the establishment of MSCI permits the timely progression of male meiosis. Our results suggest that normal meiotic progression requires the removal of ATR-mediated DDR signaling from autosomes. We propose a novel biological function for MSCI: the initiation of MSCI sequesters DDR factors from autosomes to the sex chromosomes at the onset of the pachytene stage, and the subsequent formation of an isolated XY nuclear compartment-the XY body-sequesters DDR factors to permit meiotic progression from the mid-pachytene stage onward. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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20
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Lam KWG, Brick K, Cheng G, Pratto F, Camerini-Otero RD. Cell-type-specific genomics reveals histone modification dynamics in mammalian meiosis. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3821. [PMID: 31444359 PMCID: PMC6707301 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11820-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is the specialized cell division during which parental genomes recombine to create genotypically unique gametes. Despite its importance, mammalian meiosis cannot be studied in vitro, greatly limiting mechanistic studies. In vivo, meiocytes progress asynchronously through meiosis and therefore the study of specific stages of meiosis is a challenge. Here, we describe a method for isolating pure sub-populations of nuclei that allows for detailed study of meiotic substages. Interrogating the H3K4me3 landscape revealed dynamic chromatin transitions between substages of meiotic prophase I, both at sites of genetic recombination and at gene promoters. We also leveraged this method to perform the first comprehensive, genome-wide survey of histone marks in meiotic prophase, revealing a heretofore unappreciated complexity of the epigenetic landscape at meiotic recombination hotspots. Ultimately, this study presents a straightforward, scalable framework for interrogating the complexities of mammalian meiosis. Meiotic DSB formation, repair and recombination occur in a continuum of substages termed leptonema, zygonema, pachynema, and diplonema. Here, authors develop a method for isolating pure sub-populations of nuclei that allows for detailed study of meiotic substages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan-Wood Gabriel Lam
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kevin Brick
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gang Cheng
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Florencia Pratto
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - R Daniel Camerini-Otero
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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21
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Hu J, Sun F, Handel MA. Nuclear localization of EIF4G3 suggests a role for the XY body in translational regulation during spermatogenesis in mice. Biol Reprod 2019; 98:102-114. [PMID: 29161344 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (EIF4G) is an important scaffold protein in the translation initiation complex. In mice, mutation of the Eif4g3 gene causes male infertility, with arrest of meiosis at the end of meiotic prophase. This study documents features of the developmental expression and subcellular localization of EIF4G3 that might contribute to its highly specific role in meiosis and spermatogenesis. Quite unexpectedly, EIF4G3 is located in the nucleus of spermatocytes, where it is highly enriched in the XY body, the chromatin domain formed by the transcriptionally inactive sex chromosomes. Moreover, many other, but not all, translation-related proteins are also localized in the XY body. These unanticipated observations implicate roles for the XY body in controlling mRNA metabolism and/or "poising" protein translation complexes before the meiotic division phase in spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fengyun Sun
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
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22
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Zhang J, Fujiwara Y, Yamamoto S, Shibuya H. A meiosis-specific BRCA2 binding protein recruits recombinases to DNA double-strand breaks to ensure homologous recombination. Nat Commun 2019; 10:722. [PMID: 30760716 PMCID: PMC6374363 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08676-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination (HR) repairs DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to maintain genomic integrity. Recombinase recruited to the DSBs by the mediator protein BRCA2 catalyzes the homology-directed repair. During meiotic HR, programmed DSBs are introduced genome-wide but their repair mechanisms, including the regulation of BRCA2, have remained largely elusive. Here we identify a meiotic localizer of BRCA2, MEILB2/HSF2BP, that localizes to the site of meiotic DSBs in mice. Disruption of Meilb2 abolishes the localization of RAD51 and DMC1 recombinases in spermatocytes, leading to errors in DSB repair and male sterility. MEILB2 directly binds to BRCA2 and regulates its association to meiotic DSBs. We map the MEILB2-binding domain within BRCA2 that is distinct from the canonical DNA-binding domain but is sufficient to localize to meiotic DSBs in a MEILB2-dependent manner. We conclude that localization of BRCA2 to meiotic DSBs is mediated by MEILB2, which is an integral mechanism to repair abundant meiotic DSBs. Homology directed repair of meiotic double-strand breaks functions via recruitment and assembly of strand-exchange proteins called recombinases. Here the authors reveal and characterize a BRCA2 interactor regulating meiotic recombinases that localizes to chromosomal axes and facilitates the repair of meiotic DSBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, SE-40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yasuhiro Fujiwara
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Shohei Yamamoto
- Graduate Program in Bioscience, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroki Shibuya
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, SE-40530, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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23
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Shu complex SWS1-SWSAP1 promotes early steps in mouse meiotic recombination. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3961. [PMID: 30305635 PMCID: PMC6180034 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06384-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The DNA-damage repair pathway homologous recombination (HR) requires factors that promote the activity of strand-exchange protein RAD51 and its meiosis-specific homolog DMC1. Here we show that the Shu complex SWS1-SWSAP1, a candidate for one such HR regulator, is dispensable for mouse viability but essential for male and female fertility, promoting the assembly of RAD51 and DMC1 on early meiotic HR intermediates. Only a fraction of mutant meiocytes progress to form crossovers, which are crucial for chromosome segregation, demonstrating crossover homeostasis. Remarkably, loss of the DNA damage checkpoint kinase CHK2 rescues fertility in females without rescuing crossover numbers. Concomitant loss of the BRCA2 C terminus aggravates the meiotic defects in Swsap1 mutant spermatocytes, suggesting an overlapping role with the Shu complex during meiotic HR. These results demonstrate an essential role for SWS1-SWSAP1 in meiotic progression and emphasize the complex interplay of factors that ensure recombinase function. Homologous recombination ensures genome integrity during meiotic recombination. Here the authors reveal that factors SWS1 and SWSAP1 are critical for meiotic homologues recombination, particularly in promoting assembly of RAD51 and DMC1 on early recombination intermediates.
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24
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Maezawa S, Hasegawa K, Alavattam KG, Funakoshi M, Sato T, Barski A, Namekawa SH. SCML2 promotes heterochromatin organization in late spermatogenesis. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.217125. [PMID: 30097555 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.217125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis involves the progressive reorganization of heterochromatin. However, the mechanisms that underlie the dynamic remodeling of heterochromatin remain unknown. Here, we identify SCML2, a germline-specific Polycomb protein, as a critical regulator of heterochromatin organization in spermatogenesis. We show that SCML2 accumulates on pericentromeric heterochromatin (PCH) in male germ cells, where it suppresses PRC1-mediated monoubiquitylation of histone H2A at Lysine 119 (H2AK119ub) and promotes deposition of PRC2-mediated H3K27me3 during meiosis. In postmeiotic spermatids, SCML2 is required for heterochromatin organization, and the loss of SCML2 leads to the formation of ectopic patches of facultative heterochromatin. Our data suggest that, in the absence of SCML2, the ectopic expression of somatic lamins drives this process. Furthermore, the centromere protein CENP-V is a specific marker of PCH in postmeiotic spermatids, and SCML2 is required for CENP-V localization on PCH. Given the essential functions of PRC1 and PRC2 for genome-wide gene expression in spermatogenesis, our data suggest that heterochromatin organization and spermatogenesis-specific gene expression are functionally linked. We propose that SCML2 coordinates the organization of heterochromatin and gene expression through the regulation of Polycomb complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Maezawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 49267, USA.,Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazuteru Hasegawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 49267, USA
| | - Kris G Alavattam
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 49267, USA
| | - Mayuka Funakoshi
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Taiga Sato
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Artem Barski
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 49267, USA.,Division of Allergy and Immunology, Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 49267, USA
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25
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Niedenberger BA, Cook K, Baena V, Serra ND, Velte EK, Agno JE, Litwa KA, Terasaki M, Hermann BP, Matzuk MM, Geyer CB. Dynamic cytoplasmic projections connect mammalian spermatogonia in vivo. Development 2018; 145:dev161323. [PMID: 29980567 PMCID: PMC6110146 DOI: 10.1242/dev.161323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Throughout the male reproductive lifespan, spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) produce committed progenitors that proliferate and then remain physically connected in growing clones via short cylindrical intercellular bridges (ICBs). These ICBs, which enlarge in meiotic spermatocytes, have been demonstrated to provide a conduit for postmeiotic haploid spermatids to share sex chromosome-derived gene products. In addition to ICBs, spermatogonia exhibit multiple thin cytoplasmic projections. Here, we have explored the nature of these projections in mice and find that they are dynamic, span considerable distances from their cell body (≥25 μm), either terminate or physically connect multiple adjacent spermatogonia, and allow for sharing of macromolecules. Our results extend the current model that subsets of spermatogonia exist as isolated cells or clones, and support a model in which spermatogonia of similar developmental fates are functionally connected through a shared dynamic cytoplasm mediated by thin cytoplasmic projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan A Niedenberger
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Kenneth Cook
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Valentina Baena
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Nicholas D Serra
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Ellen K Velte
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Julio E Agno
- Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Karen A Litwa
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Mark Terasaki
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Brian P Hermann
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Martin M Matzuk
- Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christopher B Geyer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
- East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
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26
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Pacheco S, Maldonado-Linares A, Marcet-Ortega M, Rojas C, Martínez-Marchal A, Fuentes-Lazaro J, Lange J, Jasin M, Keeney S, Fernández-Capetillo O, Garcia-Caldés M, Roig I. ATR is required to complete meiotic recombination in mice. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2622. [PMID: 29977027 PMCID: PMC6033890 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04851-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Precise execution of recombination during meiosis is essential for forming chromosomally-balanced gametes. Meiotic recombination initiates with the formation and resection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Cellular responses to meiotic DSBs are critical for efficient repair and quality control, but molecular features of these remain poorly understood, particularly in mammals. Here we report that the DNA damage response protein kinase ATR is crucial for meiotic recombination and completion of meiotic prophase in mice. Using a hypomorphic Atr mutation and pharmacological inhibition of ATR in vivo and in cultured spermatocytes, we show that ATR, through its effector kinase CHK1, promotes efficient RAD51 and DMC1 assembly at RPA-coated resected DSB sites and establishment of interhomolog connections during meiosis. Furthermore, our findings suggest that ATR promotes local accumulation of recombination markers on unsynapsed axes during meiotic prophase to favor homologous chromosome synapsis. These data reveal that ATR plays multiple roles in mammalian meiotic recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarai Pacheco
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Andros Maldonado-Linares
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Marina Marcet-Ortega
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Cristina Rojas
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Ana Martínez-Marchal
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Judit Fuentes-Lazaro
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Julian Lange
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Maria Jasin
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Scott Keeney
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | | | - Montserrat Garcia-Caldés
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Ignasi Roig
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain.
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain.
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27
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Hays E, Majchrzak N, Daniel V, Ferguson Z, Brown S, Hathorne K, La Salle S. Spermatogenesis associated 22 is required for DNA repair and synapsis of homologous chromosomes in mouse germ cells. Andrology 2017; 5:299-312. [PMID: 28297563 DOI: 10.1111/andr.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Analysis of the N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced repro42 mutation previously identified spermatogenesis associated 22 (Spata22) as a gene required for meiotic progression and fertility in both male and female mice, but its specific contribution to the process was unclear. Here, we report on a novel, null allele of Spata22 (Spata22Gt ) and confirm its requirement for germ cell development. Similar to repro42 mutant mice, histological and mating analyses indicate that gametogenesis is profoundly affected in Spata22Gt/Gt males and females, resulting in infertility. Cytological examination confirms that germ cells do not progress beyond zygonema and meiotic arrest is linked to impairment of both synapsis and DNA repair. Analysis of SPATA22 distribution reveals that it localizes to foci associated with meiotic chromosomes during prophase I and that the number of foci peaks at zygonema; there are also more SPATA22 foci in oocytes than in spermatocytes. Furthermore, SPATA22 co-localizes with a number of proteins involved in meiotic recombination, including RAD51, DMC1, and MLH1, and is present until mid-pachynema, suggesting a role in resolution of recombination intermediates. In fact, SPATA22 co-localizes with MLH1 in more than 20% of foci at pachynema. Analysis of Spata22Gt/Gt meiocytes confirms that SPATA22 is required for localization of MEIOB but not RPA (two proteins known to interact with SPATA22), and immunoblotting corroborates that production of MEIOB is indeed decreased in the absence of SPATA22. Together, these data suggest that SPATA22 is required for both meiotic recombination and synapsis during meiosis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hays
- Department of Biochemistry, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - N Majchrzak
- Chicago College of Pharmacy, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - V Daniel
- Department of Biochemistry, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - Z Ferguson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - S Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - K Hathorne
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - S La Salle
- Department of Biochemistry, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
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28
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Marcet-Ortega M, Pacheco S, Martínez-Marchal A, Castillo H, Flores E, Jasin M, Keeney S, Roig I. p53 and TAp63 participate in the recombination-dependent pachytene arrest in mouse spermatocytes. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006845. [PMID: 28617799 PMCID: PMC5491309 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
To protect germ cells from genomic instability, surveillance mechanisms ensure meiosis occurs properly. In mammals, spermatocytes that display recombination defects experience a so-called recombination-dependent arrest at the pachytene stage, which relies on the MRE11 complex—ATM—CHK2 pathway responding to unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Here, we asked if p53 family members—targets of ATM and CHK2—participate in this arrest. We bred double-mutant mice combining a mutation of a member of the p53 family (p53, TAp63, or p73) with a Trip13 mutation. Trip13 deficiency triggers a recombination-dependent response that arrests spermatocytes in pachynema before they have incorporated the testis-specific histone variant H1t into their chromatin. We find that deficiency for either p53 or TAp63, but not p73, allowed spermatocytes to progress further into meiotic prophase despite the presence of numerous unrepaired DSBs. Even so, the double mutant spermatocytes apoptosed at late pachynema because of sex body deficiency; thus p53 and TAp63 are dispensable for arrest caused by sex body defects. These data affirm that recombination-dependent and sex body-deficient arrests occur via genetically separable mechanisms. Meiosis is a specialized cell division that generates haploid gametes by halving chromosome content through two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation. At the onset of the first meiotic division, SPO11 protein introduces double-strand breaks (DSBs) throughout the genome. These DSBs are repaired through homologous recombination, which promotes pairing and synapsis of the homologous chromosomes. Some DSBs will become repaired as crossovers, providing a physical connection between the homologous chromosomes which promotes correct chromosome segregation. In fact, recombination defects can lead to formation of aneuploid gametes, one of the major causes of miscarriages and chromosome abnormalities in humans. To protect germ cells from genomic instability and to produce balanced gametes, surveillance mechanisms ensure that meiosis occurs properly. It is known that in the presence of unrepaired DSBs a control mechanism promotes a spermatogenic block at the pachytene stage. Here we describe that, downstream MRE11-ATM-CHK2 pathway, p53 and TAp63 are the effectors responsible for activating recombination-dependent arrest in mouse spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Marcet-Ortega
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Cytology and Histology Unit, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarai Pacheco
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Cytology and Histology Unit, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Martínez-Marchal
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Cytology and Histology Unit, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helena Castillo
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Cytology and Histology Unit, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elsa Flores
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Maria Jasin
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Scott Keeney
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ignasi Roig
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Cytology and Histology Unit, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
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29
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Gómez-H L, Felipe-Medina N, Sánchez-Martín M, Davies OR, Ramos I, García-Tuñón I, de Rooij DG, Dereli I, Tóth A, Barbero JL, Benavente R, Llano E, Pendas AM. C14ORF39/SIX6OS1 is a constituent of the synaptonemal complex and is essential for mouse fertility. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13298. [PMID: 27796301 PMCID: PMC5095591 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic recombination generates crossovers between homologous chromosomes that are essential for genome haploidization. The synaptonemal complex is a ‘zipper'-like protein assembly that synapses homologue pairs together and provides the structural framework for processing recombination sites into crossovers. Humans show individual differences in the number of crossovers generated across the genome. Recently, an anonymous gene variant in C14ORF39/SIX6OS1 was identified that influences the recombination rate in humans. Here we show that C14ORF39/SIX6OS1 encodes a component of the central element of the synaptonemal complex. Yeast two-hybrid analysis reveals that SIX6OS1 interacts with the well-established protein synaptonemal complex central element 1 (SYCE1). Mice lacking SIX6OS1 are defective in chromosome synapsis at meiotic prophase I, which provokes an arrest at the pachytene-like stage and results in infertility. In accordance with its role as a modifier of the human recombination rate, SIX6OS1 is essential for the appropriate processing of intermediate recombination nodules before crossover formation. The synaptonemal complex is a meiosis-specific proteinaceous structure that supports homologous chromosome pairs during meiosis. Here, the authors show that SIX6OS1 (of previously unknown function) is part of the synaptonemal complex central element and upon deletion in mice, causes defective chromosome synapsis and infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gómez-H
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Natalia Felipe-Medina
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Manuel Sánchez-Martín
- Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.,Transgenic Facility, Nucleus platform, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Owen R Davies
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Isabel Ramos
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Tuñón
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Dirk G de Rooij
- Reproductive Biology Group, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ihsan Dereli
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Attila Tóth
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - José Luis Barbero
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Ricardo Benavente
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Elena Llano
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca), 37007 Salamanca, Spain.,Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alberto M Pendas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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30
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Finsterbusch F, Ravindranathan R, Dereli I, Stanzione M, Tränkner D, Tóth A. Alignment of Homologous Chromosomes and Effective Repair of Programmed DNA Double-Strand Breaks during Mouse Meiosis Require the Minichromosome Maintenance Domain Containing 2 (MCMDC2) Protein. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006393. [PMID: 27760146 PMCID: PMC5070785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Orderly chromosome segregation during the first meiotic division requires meiotic recombination to form crossovers between homologous chromosomes (homologues). Members of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase family have been implicated in meiotic recombination. In addition, they have roles in initiation of DNA replication, DNA mismatch repair and mitotic DNA double-strand break repair. Here, we addressed the function of MCMDC2, an atypical yet conserved MCM protein, whose function in vertebrates has not been reported. While we did not find an important role for MCMDC2 in mitotically dividing cells, our work revealed that MCMDC2 is essential for fertility in both sexes due to a crucial function in meiotic recombination. Meiotic recombination begins with the introduction of DNA double-strand breaks into the genome. DNA ends at break sites are resected. The resultant 3-prime single-stranded DNA overhangs recruit RAD51 and DMC1 recombinases that promote the invasion of homologous duplex DNAs by the resected DNA ends. Multiple strand invasions on each chromosome promote the alignment of homologous chromosomes, which is a prerequisite for inter-homologue crossover formation during meiosis. We found that although DNA ends at break sites were evidently resected, and they recruited RAD51 and DMC1 recombinases, these recombinases were ineffective in promoting alignment of homologous chromosomes in the absence of MCMDC2. Consequently, RAD51 and DMC1 foci, which are thought to mark early recombination intermediates, were abnormally persistent in Mcmdc2-/- meiocytes. Importantly, the strand invasion stabilizing MSH4 protein, which marks more advanced recombination intermediates, did not efficiently form foci in Mcmdc2-/- meiocytes. Thus, our work suggests that MCMDC2 plays an important role in either the formation, or the stabilization, of DNA strand invasion events that promote homologue alignment and provide the basis for inter-homologue crossover formation during meiotic recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramya Ravindranathan
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ihsan Dereli
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marcello Stanzione
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Tränkner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Attila Tóth
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- * E-mail:
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31
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Meiotic DNA break formation requires the unsynapsed chromosome axis-binding protein IHO1 (CCDC36) in mice. Nat Cell Biol 2016; 18:1208-1220. [PMID: 27723721 DOI: 10.1038/ncb3417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are induced by SPO11 during meiosis to initiate recombination-mediated pairing and synapsis of homologous chromosomes. Germline genome integrity requires spatiotemporal control of DSB formation, which involves the proteinaceous chromosome axis along the core of each meiotic chromosome. In particular, a component of unsynapsed axes, HORMAD1, promotes DSB formation in unsynapsed regions where DSB formation must occur to ensure completion of synapsis. Despite its importance, the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. We identify CCDC36 as a direct interactor of HORMAD1 (IHO1) that is essential for DSB formation. Underpinning this function, IHO1 and conserved SPO11-auxiliary proteins MEI4 and REC114 assemble chromatin-bound recombinosomes that are predicted activators of DSB formation. HORMAD1 is needed for robust recruitment of IHO1 to unsynapsed axes and efficient formation and/or stabilization of these recombinosomes. Thus, we propose that HORMAD1-IHO1 interaction provides a mechanism for the selective promotion of DSB formation along unsynapsed chromosome axes.
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32
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Regulatory complexity revealed by integrated cytological and RNA-seq analyses of meiotic substages in mouse spermatocytes. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:628. [PMID: 27519264 PMCID: PMC4983049 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2865-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The continuous and non-synchronous nature of postnatal male germ-cell development has impeded stage-specific resolution of molecular events of mammalian meiotic prophase in the testis. Here the juvenile onset of spermatogenesis in mice is analyzed by combining cytological and transcriptomic data in a novel computational analysis that allows decomposition of the transcriptional programs of spermatogonia and meiotic prophase substages. Results Germ cells from testes of individual mice were obtained at two-day intervals from 8 to 18 days post-partum (dpp), prepared as surface-spread chromatin and immunolabeled for meiotic stage-specific protein markers (STRA8, SYCP3, phosphorylated H2AFX, and HISTH1T). Eight stages were discriminated cytologically by combinatorial antibody labeling, and RNA-seq was performed on the same samples. Independent principal component analyses of cytological and transcriptomic data yielded similar patterns for both data types, providing strong evidence for substage-specific gene expression signatures. A novel permutation-based maximum covariance analysis (PMCA) was developed to map co-expressed transcripts to one or more of the eight meiotic prophase substages, thereby linking distinct molecular programs to cytologically defined cell states. Expression of meiosis-specific genes is not substage-limited, suggesting regulation of substage transitions at other levels. Conclusions This integrated analysis provides a general method for resolving complex cell populations. Here it revealed not only features of meiotic substage-specific gene expression, but also a network of substage-specific transcription factors and relationships to potential target genes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2865-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Hernández-Hernández A, Lilienthal I, Fukuda N, Galjart N, Höög C. CTCF contributes in a critical way to spermatogenesis and male fertility. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28355. [PMID: 27345455 PMCID: PMC4921845 DOI: 10.1038/srep28355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is an architectural protein that governs chromatin organization and gene expression in somatic cells. Here, we show that CTCF regulates chromatin compaction necessary for packaging of the paternal genome into mature sperm. Inactivation of Ctcf in male germ cells in mice (Ctcf-cKO mice) resulted in impaired spermiogenesis and infertility. Residual spermatozoa in Ctcf-cKO mice displayed abnormal head morphology, aberrant chromatin compaction, impaired protamine 1 incorporation into chromatin and accelerated histone depletion. Thus, CTCF regulates chromatin organization during spermiogenesis, contributing to the functional organization of mature sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ingrid Lilienthal
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Berzelius väg 35, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nanaho Fukuda
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Berzelius väg 35, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Niels Galjart
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Erasmus MC, 2040 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christer Höög
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Berzelius väg 35, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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Pacheco S, Marcet-Ortega M, Lange J, Jasin M, Keeney S, Roig I. The ATM signaling cascade promotes recombination-dependent pachytene arrest in mouse spermatocytes. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005017. [PMID: 25768017 PMCID: PMC4358828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Most mutations that compromise meiotic recombination or synapsis in mouse spermatocytes result in arrest and apoptosis at the pachytene stage of the first meiotic prophase. Two main mechanisms are thought to trigger arrest: one independent of the double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate meiotic recombination, and another activated by persistent recombination intermediates. Mechanisms underlying the recombination-dependent arrest response are not well understood, so we sought to identify factors involved by examining mutants deficient for TRIP13, a conserved AAA+ ATPase required for the completion of meiotic DSB repair. We find that spermatocytes with a hypomorphic Trip13 mutation (Trip13mod/mod) arrest with features characteristic of early pachynema in wild type, namely, fully synapsed chromosomes without incorporation of the histone variant H1t into chromatin. These cells then undergo apoptosis, possibly in response to the arrest or in response to a defect in sex body formation. However, TRIP13-deficient cells that additionally lack the DSB-responsive kinase ATM progress further, reaching an H1t-positive stage (i.e., similar to mid/late pachynema in wild type) despite the presence of unrepaired DSBs. TRIP13-deficient spermatocytes also progress to an H1t-positive stage if ATM activity is attenuated by hypomorphic mutations in Mre11 or Nbs1 or by elimination of the ATM-effector kinase CHK2. These mutant backgrounds nonetheless experience an apoptotic block to further spermatogenic progression, most likely caused by failure to form a sex body. DSB numbers are elevated in Mre11 and Nbs1 hypomorphs but not Chk2 mutants, thus delineating genetic requirements for the ATM-dependent negative feedback loop that regulates DSB numbers. The findings demonstrate for the first time that ATM-dependent signaling enforces the normal pachytene response to persistent recombination intermediates. Our work supports the conclusion that recombination defects trigger spermatocyte arrest via pathways than are genetically distinct from sex body failure-promoted apoptosis and confirm that the latter can function even when recombination-dependent arrest is inoperative. Implications of these findings for understanding the complex relationships between spermatocyte arrest and apoptosis are discussed. Meiosis is the specialized cell division by which haploid cells are produced. As germ cells enter the first meiotic prophase, programmed double-stranded breaks (DSBs) are formed throughout the genome. Repair of these DSBs by homologous recombination is crucial for proper segregation of homologous chromosomes at the end of the first meiotic division, and thus, for the production of haploid gametes. Moreover, failure to correctly repair these DSBs can have deleterious effects on the genomic integrity of offspring. To ensure that meiocytes that fail to repair meiotic DSBs do not complete meiosis, recombination is tightly controlled. However, the signaling pathway(s) tying meiotic recombination to meiotic progression in mouse spermatocytes is not known. We report here that the ATM-signaling pathway, composed of the MRE11 complex, ATM and CHK2, is responsible for activation of the recombination-dependent arrest that occurs in Trip13 mutant mouse spermatocytes, which accumulate unrepaired DSBs during meiotic prophase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarai Pacheco
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Cytology and Histology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Marina Marcet-Ortega
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Cytology and Histology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Julian Lange
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria Jasin
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Scott Keeney
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SK); (IR)
| | - Ignasi Roig
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Cytology and Histology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- * E-mail: (SK); (IR)
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35
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Tang MCW, Jacobs SA, Mattiske DM, Soh YM, Graham AN, Tran A, Lim SL, Hudson DF, Kalitsis P, O’Bryan MK, Wong LH, Mann JR. Contribution of the two genes encoding histone variant h3.3 to viability and fertility in mice. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1004964. [PMID: 25675407 PMCID: PMC4335506 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Histones package DNA and regulate epigenetic states. For the latter, probably the most important histone is H3. Mammals have three near-identical H3 isoforms: canonical H3.1 and H3.2, and the replication-independent variant H3.3. This variant can accumulate in slowly dividing somatic cells, replacing canonical H3. Some replication-independent histones, through their ability to incorporate outside S-phase, are functionally important in the very slowly dividing mammalian germ line. Much remains to be learned of H3.3 functions in germ cell development. Histone H3.3 presents a unique genetic paradigm in that two conventional intron-containing genes encode the identical protein. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the developmental effects of null mutations in each of these genes. H3f3a mutants were viable to adulthood. Females were fertile, while males were subfertile with dysmorphic spermatozoa. H3f3b mutants were growth-deficient, dying at birth. H3f3b heterozygotes were also growth-deficient, with males being sterile because of arrest of round spermatids. This sterility was not accompanied by abnormalities in sex chromosome inactivation in meiosis I. Conditional ablation of H3f3b at the beginning of folliculogenesis resulted in zygote cleavage failure, establishing H3f3b as a maternal-effect gene, and revealing a requirement for H3.3 in the first mitosis. Simultaneous ablation of H3f3a and H3f3b in folliculogenesis resulted in early primary oocyte death, demonstrating a crucial role for H3.3 in oogenesis. These findings reveal a heavy reliance on H3.3 for growth, gametogenesis, and fertilization, identifying developmental processes that are particularly susceptible to H3.3 deficiency. They also reveal partial redundancy in function of H3f3a and H3f3b, with the latter gene being generally the most important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. W. Tang
- Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shelley A. Jacobs
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Deidre M. Mattiske
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yu May Soh
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alison N. Graham
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - An Tran
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shu Ly Lim
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Damien F. Hudson
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Kalitsis
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Moira K. O’Bryan
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lee H. Wong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeffrey R. Mann
- Genetics Theme, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Broering TJ, Alavattam KG, Sadreyev RI, Ichijima Y, Kato Y, Hasegawa K, Camerini-Otero RD, Lee JT, Andreassen PR, Namekawa SH. BRCA1 establishes DNA damage signaling and pericentric heterochromatin of the X chromosome in male meiosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 205:663-75. [PMID: 24914237 PMCID: PMC4050732 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201311050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The major role of BRCA1 in meiosis is not in meiotic recombination but instead in promotion of the dramatic chromatin changes required for formation and function of the XY body. During meiosis, DNA damage response (DDR) proteins induce transcriptional silencing of unsynapsed chromatin, including the constitutively unsynapsed XY chromosomes in males. DDR proteins are also implicated in double strand break repair during meiotic recombination. Here, we address the function of the breast cancer susceptibility gene Brca1 in meiotic silencing and recombination in mice. Unlike in somatic cells, in which homologous recombination defects of Brca1 mutants are rescued by 53bp1 deletion, the absence of 53BP1 did not rescue the meiotic failure seen in Brca1 mutant males. Further, BRCA1 promotes amplification and spreading of DDR components, including ATR and TOPBP1, along XY chromosome axes and promotes establishment of pericentric heterochromatin on the X chromosome. We propose that BRCA1-dependent establishment of X-pericentric heterochromatin is critical for XY body morphogenesis and subsequent meiotic progression. In contrast, BRCA1 plays a relatively minor role in meiotic recombination, and female Brca1 mutants are fertile. We infer that the major meiotic role of BRCA1 is to promote the dramatic chromatin changes required for formation and function of the XY body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Broering
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Kris G Alavattam
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Ruslan I Sadreyev
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Yosuke Ichijima
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Yasuko Kato
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Kazuteru Hasegawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - R Daniel Camerini-Otero
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Paul R Andreassen
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229Division of Reproductive Sciences and Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
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Rogon C, Ulbricht A, Hesse M, Alberti S, Vijayaraj P, Best D, Adams IR, Magin TM, Fleischmann BK, Höhfeld J. HSP70-binding protein HSPBP1 regulates chaperone expression at a posttranslational level and is essential for spermatogenesis. Mol Biol Cell 2014; 25:2260-71. [PMID: 24899640 PMCID: PMC4116300 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-02-0742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular chaperones play key roles during growth, development, and stress survival. The ability to induce chaperone expression enables cells to cope with the accumulation of nonnative proteins under stress and complete developmental processes with an increased requirement for chaperone assistance. Here we generate and analyze transgenic mice that lack the cochaperone HSPBP1, a nucleotide-exchange factor of HSP70 proteins and inhibitor of chaperone-assisted protein degradation. Male HSPBP1(-/-) mice are sterile because of impaired meiosis and massive apoptosis of spermatocytes. HSPBP1 deficiency in testes strongly reduces the expression of the inducible, antiapoptotic HSP70 family members HSPA1L and HSPA2, the latter of which is essential for synaptonemal complex disassembly during meiosis. We demonstrate that HSPBP1 affects chaperone expression at a posttranslational level by inhibiting the ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of inducible HSP70 proteins. We further provide evidence that the cochaperone BAG2 contributes to HSP70 stabilization in tissues other than testes. Our findings reveal that chaperone expression is determined not only by regulated transcription, but also by controlled degradation, with degradation-inhibiting cochaperones exerting essential prosurvival functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Rogon
- Institut für Zellbiologie and Bonner Forum Biomedizin, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Ulbricht
- Institut für Zellbiologie and Bonner Forum Biomedizin, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Hesse
- Institut für Physiologie I, Life and Brain Centre, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Alberti
- Institut für Zellbiologie and Bonner Forum Biomedizin, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Preethi Vijayaraj
- Abteilung für Zellbiochemie, Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Diana Best
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Ian R Adams
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas M Magin
- Abteilung für Zellbiochemie, Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd K Fleischmann
- Institut für Physiologie I, Life and Brain Centre, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jörg Höhfeld
- Institut für Zellbiologie and Bonner Forum Biomedizin, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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Bhattacharyya T, Reifova R, Gregorova S, Simecek P, Gergelits V, Mistrik M, Martincova I, Pialek J, Forejt J. X chromosome control of meiotic chromosome synapsis in mouse inter-subspecific hybrids. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004088. [PMID: 24516397 PMCID: PMC3916230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid sterility (HS) belongs to reproductive isolation barriers that safeguard the integrity of species in statu nascendi. Although hybrid sterility occurs almost universally among animal and plant species, most of our current knowledge comes from the classical genetic studies on Drosophila interspecific crosses or introgressions. With the house mouse subspecies Mus m. musculus and Mus m. domesticus as a model, new research tools have become available for studies of the molecular mechanisms and genetic networks underlying HS. Here we used QTL analysis and intersubspecific chromosome substitution strains to identify a 4.7 Mb critical region on Chromosome X (Chr X) harboring the Hstx2 HS locus, which causes asymmetrical spermatogenic arrest in reciprocal intersubspecific F1 hybrids. Subsequently, we mapped autosomal loci on Chrs 3, 9 and 13 that can abolish this asymmetry. Combination of immunofluorescent visualization of the proteins of synaptonemal complexes with whole-chromosome DNA FISH on pachytene spreads revealed that heterosubspecific, unlike consubspecific, homologous chromosomes are predisposed to asynapsis in F1 hybrid male and female meiosis. The asynapsis is under the trans- control of Hstx2 and Hst1/Prdm9 hybrid sterility genes in pachynemas of male but not female hybrids. The finding concurred with the fertility of intersubpecific F1 hybrid females homozygous for the Hstx2Mmm allele and resolved the apparent conflict with the dominance theory of Haldane's rule. We propose that meiotic asynapsis in intersubspecific hybrids is a consequence of cis-acting mismatch between homologous chromosomes modulated by the trans-acting Hstx2 and Prdm9 hybrid male sterility genes. Genomes of newly emerging species restrict their gene exchange with related taxa in order to secure integrity. Hybrid sterility is one of the reproductive isolation mechanisms restricting gene flow between closely related, sexually reproducing organisms. We showed that hybrid sterility between two closely related mouse subspecies is executed by a failure of meiotic synapsis of orthologous chromosomes in F1 hybrid males. The asynapsis of orthologous chromosomes occurred in meiosis of male and female hybrids, though only males were sterile due to trans-acting male-specific hybrid sterility genes. We located one of the two major hybrid sterility genes to a 4.7 Mb interval on Chromosome X, showed that it controls male sterility by modulating the extent of meiotic asynapsis and using the inter-subspecific chromosome substitution strains we refuted the simple interpretation of dominance theory of Haldane's rule. A new working hypothesis posits male sterility of mouse inter-subsubspecific F1 hybrids as a consequence of meiotic chromosome asynapsis caused by the cis-acting mismatch between orthologous chromosomes modulated by the trans-acting hybrid male sterility genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmoy Bhattacharyya
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Group, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Reifova
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Group, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sona Gregorova
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Group, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Simecek
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Group, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Gergelits
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Group, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Mistrik
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Martincova
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Pialek
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Forejt
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Group, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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Fukuda N, Fukuda T, Sinnamon J, Hernandez-Hernandez A, Izadi M, Raju CS, Czaplinski K, Percipalle P. The transacting factor CBF-A/Hnrnpab binds to the A2RE/RTS element of protamine 2 mRNA and contributes to its translational regulation during mouse spermatogenesis. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003858. [PMID: 24146628 PMCID: PMC3798277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During spermatogenesis, mRNA localization and translation are believed to be regulated in a stage-specific manner. We report here that the Protamine2 (Prm2) mRNA transits through chromatoid bodies of round spermatids and localizes to cytosol of elongating spermatids for translation. The transacting factor CBF-A, also termed Hnrnpab, contributes to temporal regulation of Prm2 translation. We found that CBF-A co-localizes with the Prm2 mRNA during spermatogenesis, directly binding to the A2RE/RTS element in the 3′ UTR. Although both p37 and p42 CBF-A isoforms interacted with RTS, they associated with translationally repressed and de-repressed Prm2 mRNA, respectively. Only p42 was found to interact with the 5′cap complex, and to co-sediment with the Prm2 mRNA in polysomes. In CBF-A knockout mice, expression of protamine 2 (PRM2) was reduced and the Prm2 mRNA was prematurely translated in a subset of elongating spermatids. Moreover, a high percentage of sperm from the CBF-A knockout mouse showed abnormal DNA morphology. We suggest that CBF-A plays an important role in spermatogenesis by regulating stage-specific translation of testicular mRNAs. During eukaryotic gene expression, a fraction of newly exported mRNA molecules is transported to the cellular periphery for translation. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood even though they likely affect specialized functions in many cell types including oligodendrocyets, neurons and germ cells. We discovered that the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein CBF-A, interacts with a conserved sequence, the RNA trafficking sequence (RTS), located in the untranslated region of transported mRNAs. This interaction facilitates transport of myelin basic protein mRNA and dendritic mRNAs in oligodendrocytes and neurons, respectively. Here we investigated whether RTS-recognition by CBF-A coordinates transport and localized translation of the Protamine 2 mRNA in spermatogenic cells. During spermatogenesis the Protamine 2 mRNAs is synthesized and kept in a silent form to be translated at later stages. We show that by interacting with the RTS of the Protamine 2 mRNA both CBF-A isoforms contribute to regulate the transcript at the translational level. In a CBF-A knockout mouse model, we demonstrate that the interplay between the CBF-A isoforms in translation regulation of the Protamine 2 mRNA and other testicular transcripts has an impact on spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanaho Fukuda
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomoyuki Fukuda
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Sinnamon
- Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Manizheh Izadi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Kevin Czaplinski
- Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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40
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Bi J, Li Y, Sun F, Saalbach A, Klein C, Miller DJ, Hess R, Nowak RA. Basigin null mutant male mice are sterile and exhibit impaired interactions between germ cells and Sertoli cells. Dev Biol 2013; 380:145-56. [PMID: 23727514 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Revised: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Basigin (BSG) is a multifunctional glycoprotein that plays an important role in male reproduction since male knockout (KO) mice are sterile. The Bsg KO testis lacks elongated spermatids and mature spermatozoa, a phenotype similar to that of alpha-mannosidase IIx (MX) KO mice. MX regulates formation of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) terminated N-glycans that participate in germ cell-Sertoli cell adhesion. Results showed that Bsg KO spermatocytes displayed normal homologous chromosome synapsis and progression through meiosis. However, only punctate expression of the round spermatid marker SP-10 in the acrosomal granule of germ cells of Bsg KO mice was detected indicating that spermatogenesis in Bsg KO mice was arrested at the early round spermatid stages. We observed a large increase in the number of germ cells undergoing apoptosis in Bsg KO testes. Using lectin blotting, we determined that GlcNAc terminated N-glycans are linked to BSG. GlcNAc terminated N-glycans were significantly reduced in Bsg KO testes. These observations indicate that BSG may act as a germ cell-Sertoli cell attachment molecule. Loss of BSG significantly reduced adhesion between GC-2 and SF7 cells. Moreover, wild type testes showed strong expression of N-cadherin (CDH2) while expression was greatly reduced in the testes of Bsg KO mice. In addition, the integrity of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) was compromised in Bsg KO testes. In conclusion, although some Bsg KO spermatogonia can undergo normal progression to the spermatocyte stage, BSG-mediated germ cell-Sertoli cell interactions appear to be necessary for integrity of the BTB and spermatocyte progression to mature spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Bi
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
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41
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Deregulated sex chromosome gene expression with male germ cell-specific loss of Dicer1. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46359. [PMID: 23056286 PMCID: PMC3464243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, non-coding RNAs that mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing by inhibiting mRNA translation and promoting mRNA decay. DICER1, an RNase III endonuclease encoded by Dicer1, is required for processing short 21-22 nucleotide miRNAs from longer double-stranded RNA precursors. Here, we investigate the loss of Dicer1 in mouse postnatal male germ cells to determine how disruptions in the miRNA biogenesis pathway may contribute to infertility. Reduced levels of Dicer1 transcripts and DICER1 were confirmed in germ cell knock-out (GCKO) testes by postnatal day 18 (P18). Compared to wild-type (WT) at 8 weeks, GCKO males had no change in body weight; yet showed significant reductions in testis mass and sperm number. Histology and fertility tests confirmed spermatogenic failure in GCKO males. Array analyses at P18 showed that in comparison to WT testes, 75% of miRNA genes and 37% of protein coding genes were differentially expressed in GCKO testes. Among these, 96% of miRNA genes were significantly down-regulated, while 4% miRNA genes were overexpressed. Interestingly, we observed preferential overexpression of genes encoded on the sex chromosomes in GCKO testes, including more than 80% of previously identified targets of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Compared to WT, GCKO mice showed higher percentages of germ cells at early meiotic stages (leptotene and zygotene) but lower percentages at later stages (pachytene, diplotene and metaphase I) providing evidence that deletion of Dicer1 leads to disruptions in meiotic progression. Therefore, deleting Dicer1 in early postnatal germ cells resulted in deregulation of transcripts encoded by genes on the sex chromosomes, impaired meiotic progression and led to spermatogenic failure and infertility.
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Wang J, Gu H, Lin H, Chi T. Essential roles of the chromatin remodeling factor BRG1 in spermatogenesis in mice. Biol Reprod 2012; 86:186. [PMID: 22495890 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.111.097097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian spermatogenesis is a complex process that involves spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression and meiotic recombination, both of which require the modulation of chromatin structure. Proteins important for chromatin regulation during spermatogenesis remain poorly understood. Here we addressed the role of BRG1, the catalytic subunit of the mammalian Swi/Snf-like BAF chromatin-remodeling complex, during spermatogenesis in mice. BRG1 expression is dynamically regulated in the male germline, being weakly detectable in spermatogonia, highly expressed in pachytene spermatocytes, and turned off in maturing round spermatids. This expression pattern overlaps that of Brm, the Brg1 homolog. While Brm knockout males are known to be fertile, germline-specific Brg1 deletion completely arrests spermatogenesis at the midpachytene stage, which is associated with spermatocyte apoptosis and apparently also with impaired homologous recombination and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. However, Brg1 is dispensable for gammaH2AX formation during meiotic recombination, contrary to its reported role in DNA repair in somatic cells. Our study reveals the essential role of Brg1 in meiosis and underscores the differences in the mechanisms of DNA repair between germ cells and somatic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguan Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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La Salle S, Palmer K, O'Brien M, Schimenti JC, Eppig J, Handel MA. Spata22, a novel vertebrate-specific gene, is required for meiotic progress in mouse germ cells. Biol Reprod 2012; 86:45. [PMID: 22011390 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.111.095752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced repro42 mutation, identified by a forward genetics strategy, causes both male and female infertility, with no other apparent phenotypes. Positional cloning led to the discovery of a nonsense mutation in Spata22, a hitherto uncharacterized gene conserved among bony vertebrates. Expression of both transcript and protein is restricted predominantly to germ cells of both sexes. Germ cells of repro42 mutant mice express Spata22 transcript, but not SPATA22 protein. Gametogenesis is profoundly affected by the mutation, and germ cells in repro42 mutant mice do not progress beyond early meiotic prophase, with subsequent germ cell loss in both males and females. The Spata22 gene is essential for one or more key events of early meiotic prophase, as homologous chromosomes of mutant germ cells do not achieve normal synapsis or repair meiotic DNA double-strand breaks. The repro42 mutation thus identifies a novel mammalian germ cell-specific gene required for meiotic progression.
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44
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Homolka D, Jansa P, Forejt J. Genetically enhanced asynapsis of autosomal chromatin promotes transcriptional dysregulation and meiotic failure. Chromosoma 2011; 121:91-104. [PMID: 22002499 PMCID: PMC3260437 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-011-0346-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Revised: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 10/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
During meiosis, pairing of homologous chromosomes and their synapsis are essential prerequisites for normal male gametogenesis. Even limited autosomal asynapsis often leads to spermatogenic impairment, the mechanism of which is not fully understood. The present study was aimed at deliberately increasing the size of partial autosomal asynapsis and analysis of its impact on male meiosis. For this purpose, we studied the effect of t(12) haplotype encompassing four inversions on chromosome 17 on mouse autosomal translocation T(16;17)43H (abbreviated T43H). The T43H/T43H homozygotes were fully fertile in both sexes, while +/T43H heterozygous males, but not females, were sterile with meiotic arrest at late pachynema. Inclusion of the t(12) haplotype in trans to the T43H translocation resulted in enhanced asynapsis of the translocated autosome, ectopic phosphorylation of histone H2AX, persistence of RAD51 foci, and increased gene silencing around the translocation break. Increase was also on colocalization of unsynapsed chromatin with sex body. Remarkably, we found that transcriptional silencing of the unsynapsed autosomal chromatin precedes silencing of sex chromosomes. Based on the present knowledge, we conclude that interference of meiotic silencing of unsynapsed autosomes with meiotic sex chromosome inactivation is the most likely cause of asynapsis-related male sterility.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Homolka
- Department of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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45
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Bolcun-Filas E, Bannister LA, Barash A, Schimenti KJ, Hartford SA, Eppig JJ, Handel MA, Shen L, Schimenti JC. A-MYB (MYBL1) transcription factor is a master regulator of male meiosis. Development 2011; 138:3319-30. [PMID: 21750041 DOI: 10.1242/dev.067645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The transcriptional regulation of mammalian meiosis is poorly characterized, owing to few genetic and ex vivo models. From a genetic screen, we identify the transcription factor MYBL1 as a male-specific master regulator of several crucial meiotic processes. Spermatocytes bearing a novel separation-of-function allele (Mybl1(repro9)) had subtle defects in autosome synapsis in pachynema, a high incidence of unsynapsed sex chromosomes, incomplete double-strand break repair on synapsed pachytene chromosomes and a lack of crossing over. MYBL1 protein appears in pachynema, and its mutation caused specific alterations in expression of diverse genes, including some translated postmeiotically. These data, coupled with chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-chip) experiments and bioinformatic analysis of promoters, identified direct targets of MYBL1 regulation. The results reveal that MYBL1 is a master regulator of meiotic genes that are involved in multiple processes in spermatocytes, particularly those required for cell cycle progression through pachynema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Bolcun-Filas
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Vertebrate Genomics, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Ichijima Y, Ichijima M, Lou Z, Nussenzweig A, Camerini-Otero RD, Chen J, Andreassen PR, Namekawa SH. MDC1 directs chromosome-wide silencing of the sex chromosomes in male germ cells. Genes Dev 2011; 25:959-71. [PMID: 21536735 DOI: 10.1101/gad.2030811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Chromosome-wide inactivation is an epigenetic signature of sex chromosomes. The mechanism by which the chromosome-wide domain is recognized and gene silencing is induced remains unclear. Here we identify an essential mechanism underlying the recognition of the chromosome-wide domain in the male germline. We show that mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 (MDC1), a binding partner of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX), defines the chromosome-wide domain, initiates meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), and leads to XY body formation. Importantly, MSCI consists of two genetically separable steps. The first step is the MDC1-independent recognition of the unsynapsed axis by DNA damage response (DDR) factors such as ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR), TOPBP1, and γH2AX. The second step is the MDC1-dependent chromosome-wide spreading of DDR factors to the entire chromatin. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, in somatic cells, MDC1-dependent amplification of the γH2AX signal occurs following replicative stress and is associated with transcriptional silencing. We propose that a common DDR pathway underlies both MSCI and the response of somatic cells to replicative stress. These results establish that the DDR pathway centered on MDC1 triggers epigenetic silencing of sex chromosomes in germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Ichijima
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
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Oka A, Mita A, Takada Y, Koseki H, Shiroishi T. Reproductive isolation in hybrid mice due to spermatogenesis defects at three meiotic stages. Genetics 2010; 186:339-51. [PMID: 20610405 PMCID: PMC2940298 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.110.118976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2010] [Accepted: 06/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early in the process of speciation, reproductive failures occur in hybrid animals between genetically diverged populations. The sterile hybrid animals are often males in mammals and they exhibit spermatogenic disruptions, resulting in decreased number and/or malformation of mature sperms. Despite the generality of this phenomenon, comparative study of phenotypes in hybrid males from various crosses has not been done, and therefore the comprehensive genetic basis of the disruption is still elusive. In this study, we characterized the spermatogenic phenotype especially during meiosis in four different cases of reproductive isolation: B6-ChrX(MSM), PGN-ChrX(MSM), (B6 × Mus musculus musculus-NJL/Ms) F(1), and (B6 × Mus spretus) F(1). The first two are consomic strains, both bearing the X chromosome of M. m. molossinus; in B6-ChrX(MSM), the genetic background is the laboratory strain C57BL/6J (predominantly M. m. domesticus), while in PGN-ChrX(MSM) the background is the PGN2/Ms strain purely derived from wild M. m. domesticus. The last two cases are F(1) hybrids between mouse subspecies or species. Each of the hybrid males exhibited cell-cycle arrest and/or apoptosis at either one or two of three distinct meiotic stages: premeiotic stage, zygotene-to-pachytene stage of prophase I, and metaphase I. This study shows that the sterility in hybrid males is caused by spermatogenic disruptions at multiple stages, suggesting that the responsible genes function in different cellular processes. Furthermore, the stages with disruptions are not correlated with the genetic distance between the respective parental strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Oka
- Transdsciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan 105-0001, Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan 411-8540 and RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan 230-0045
| | - Akihiko Mita
- Transdsciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan 105-0001, Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan 411-8540 and RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan 230-0045
| | - Yuki Takada
- Transdsciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan 105-0001, Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan 411-8540 and RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan 230-0045
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Transdsciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan 105-0001, Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan 411-8540 and RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan 230-0045
| | - Toshihiko Shiroishi
- Transdsciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan 105-0001, Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan 411-8540 and RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan 230-0045
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48
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Sun F, Palmer K, Handel MA. Mutation of Eif4g3, encoding a eukaryotic translation initiation factor, causes male infertility and meiotic arrest of mouse spermatocytes. Development 2010; 137:1699-707. [PMID: 20430745 PMCID: PMC2860251 DOI: 10.1242/dev.043125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ENU-induced repro8 mutation was identified in a screen to uncover genes that control mouse gametogenesis. repro8 causes male-limited infertility, with failure of spermatocytes to exit meiotic prophase via the G2/MI transition. The repro8 mutation is in the Eif4g3 gene, encoding eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4, gamma 3. Mutant germ cells appear to execute events of meiotic prophase normally, and many proteins characteristic of the prophase-to-metaphase transition are not obviously depleted. However, activity of CDC2A (CDK1) kinase is dramatically reduced in mutant spermatocytes. Strikingly, HSPA2, a chaperone protein for CDC2A kinase, is absent in mutant spermatocytes in spite of the presence of Hspa2 transcript, consistent with the observation that the repro8 phenotype is markedly similar to the phenotype of the Hspa2 knockout. Thus, EIF4G3 is required for HSPA2 translation in spermatocytes, a finding that provides the first genetic evidence for selective translational control of meiotic exit in mammalian spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyun Sun
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Kristina Palmer
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Mary Ann Handel
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
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Wojtasz L, Daniel K, Roig I, Bolcun-Filas E, Xu H, Boonsanay V, Eckmann CR, Cooke HJ, Jasin M, Keeney S, McKay MJ, Toth A. Mouse HORMAD1 and HORMAD2, two conserved meiotic chromosomal proteins, are depleted from synapsed chromosome axes with the help of TRIP13 AAA-ATPase. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000702. [PMID: 19851446 PMCID: PMC2758600 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2009] [Accepted: 09/25/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic crossovers are produced when programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) are repaired by recombination from homologous chromosomes (homologues). In a wide variety of organisms, meiotic HORMA-domain proteins are required to direct DSB repair towards homologues. This inter-homologue bias is required for efficient homology search, homologue alignment, and crossover formation. HORMA-domain proteins are also implicated in other processes related to crossover formation, including DSB formation, inhibition of promiscuous formation of the synaptonemal complex (SC), and the meiotic prophase checkpoint that monitors both DSB processing and SCs. We examined the behavior of two previously uncharacterized meiosis-specific mouse HORMA-domain proteins—HORMAD1 and HORMAD2—in wild-type mice and in mutants defective in DSB processing or SC formation. HORMADs are preferentially associated with unsynapsed chromosome axes throughout meiotic prophase. We observe a strong negative correlation between SC formation and presence of HORMADs on axes, and a positive correlation between the presumptive sites of high checkpoint-kinase ATR activity and hyper-accumulation of HORMADs on axes. HORMADs are not depleted from chromosomes in mutants that lack SCs. In contrast, DSB formation and DSB repair are not absolutely required for depletion of HORMADs from synapsed axes. A simple interpretation of these findings is that SC formation directly or indirectly promotes depletion of HORMADs from chromosome axes. We also find that TRIP13 protein is required for reciprocal distribution of HORMADs and the SYCP1/SC-component along chromosome axes. Similarities in mouse and budding yeast meiosis suggest that TRIP13/Pch2 proteins have a conserved role in establishing mutually exclusive HORMAD-rich and synapsed chromatin domains in both mouse and yeast. Taken together, our observations raise the possibility that involvement of meiotic HORMA-domain proteins in the regulation of homologue interactions is conserved in mammals. Generation of haploid gametes in most organisms requires that homologues become connected via crossovers during meiosis. Efficient formation of crossovers depends on HORMA-domain proteins in diverse taxa. These proteins ensure that programmed meiotic DSBs are preferentially repaired from homologues, rather than from sister chromatids. This inter-homologue bias is crucial for homology search and crossovers formation. HORMA-domain proteins have been also implicated in DSB formation, in suppression of synaptonemal complex formation between non-homologous chromosomes, and in the meiotic prophase checkpoint that monitors DSB repair. Despite the importance of HORMA-domain proteins in various organisms, a role for these proteins in mammalian meiosis hasn't been reported. We examined the behaviour of meiotic mouse HORMA-domain proteins—HORMAD1 and HORMAD2—in wild-type and meiotic mutants. HORMAD1/2 preferentially accumulate on unsynapsed chromosome axes. Our data suggest that HORMAD1/2 depletion from chromosomes is a response to synaptonemal complex formation and it that is a conserved process supported by TRIP13/Pch2 AAA-ATPase. Assuming that HORMA-domain functions are conserved in mammals, we speculate that depletion of HORMADs from axes might contribute to the down-regulation of inter-homologue bias and the prophase checkpoint once homology search is completed and synaptonemal complexes form between aligned homologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Wojtasz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Daniel
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ignasi Roig
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Huiling Xu
- Divisions of Radiation Oncology and Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Verawan Boonsanay
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Howard J. Cooke
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Jasin
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Scott Keeney
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael J. McKay
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Australian National University and the Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Attila Toth
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Isolation and short-term culture of mouse spermatocytes for analysis of meiosis. Methods Mol Biol 2009; 558:279-97. [PMID: 19685331 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-103-5_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding meiosis is facilitated by in vitro experimental approaches, but this has not been easily applicable to mammalian meiocytes. Available methods for in vitro analysis of mammalian oocytes are generally limited to experimental analysis of the late prophase period. Short-term cultures of male germ cells have been useful for analysis of earlier meiotic prophase pathways, as well as onset of the meiotic division phase, but no studies have achieved reliable spermatogenesis in vitro. Here we describe a method for preparing highly enriched pachytene spermatocytes from mouse testicular cell suspensions using cell-size fractionation by sedimentation through a bovine serum albumin gradient at unit gravity. We also provide a procedure for short-term culture of spermatocytes and the pharmacological induction of the prophase-to-division phase transition.
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