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Sutovsky P, Hamilton LE, Zigo M, Ortiz D’Avila Assumpção ME, Jones A, Tirpak F, Agca Y, Kerns K, Sutovsky M. Biomarker-based human and animal sperm phenotyping: the good, the bad and the ugly†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:1135-1156. [PMID: 38640912 PMCID: PMC11180624 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioae061] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Conventional, brightfield-microscopic semen analysis provides important baseline information about sperm quality of an individual; however, it falls short of identifying subtle subcellular and molecular defects in cohorts of "bad," defective human and animal spermatozoa with seemingly normal phenotypes. To bridge this gap, it is desirable to increase the precision of andrological evaluation in humans and livestock animals by pursuing advanced biomarker-based imaging methods. This review, spiced up with occasional classic movie references but seriously scholastic at the same time, focuses mainly on the biomarkers of altered male germ cell proteostasis resulting in post-testicular carryovers of proteins associated with ubiquitin-proteasome system. Also addressed are sperm redox homeostasis, epididymal sperm maturation, sperm-seminal plasma interactions, and sperm surface glycosylation. Zinc ion homeostasis-associated biomarkers and sperm-borne components, including the elements of neurodegenerative pathways such as Huntington and Alzheimer disease, are discussed. Such spectrum of biomarkers, imaged by highly specific vital fluorescent molecular probes, lectins, and antibodies, reveals both obvious and subtle defects of sperm chromatin, deoxyribonucleic acid, and accessory structures of the sperm head and tail. Introduction of next-generation image-based flow cytometry into research and clinical andrology will soon enable the incorporation of machine and deep learning algorithms with the end point of developing simple, label-free methods for clinical diagnostics and high-throughput phenotyping of spermatozoa in humans and economically important livestock animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
| | - Lauren E Hamilton
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
| | - Michal Zigo
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
| | - Mayra E Ortiz D’Avila Assumpção
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexis Jones
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
| | - Filip Tirpak
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
| | - Yuksel Agca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Karl Kerns
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Miriam Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
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2
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Viana Neto AM, Guerreiro DD, Martins JAM, Vasconcelos FÁR, Melo RÉBF, Velho ALMCS, Neila-Montero M, Montes-Garrido R, Nagano CS, Araújo AA, Moura AA. Sperm traits and seminal plasma proteome of locally adapted hairy rams subjected to intermittent scrotal insulation. Anim Reprod Sci 2024; 263:107439. [PMID: 38447240 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The present study evaluated the effects of heat stress on reproductive parameters of hairy rams. Six animals were subjected to scrotal insulation during four consecutive nights (6 PM - 6 AM). Day (D) 0 was the first day of insulation. Scrotal circumference increased from 30.5 ± 0.3 cm (at pre-insulation) to 31.8 ± 0.4 cm on D4, decreased 3.9 cm on D28, returning to 30.6 ± 0.6 cm on D57. Sperm concentration decreased from 3.7 ± 0.12 ×109 sperm/mL before insulation to 2.6 ± 0.1 ×109 on D23, returning to normal on D57. Sperm motility averaged 75 ± 2.9% before insulation, was undetectable on D23, and became normal on D77. Sperm with normal morphology reached 5.9 ± 2.6% on D35 but recovered (86.8 ± 2.1%) on D91. Sperm DNA integrity decreased from 86.5 ± 4.7% before insulation to 11.1 ± 3.7% on D63, returning to pre-insulation values on D120. Sperm BSP immunostaining was reduced after scrotal insulation. Variations in seminal protein abundances coincided with changes in sperm parameters. Seminal plasma superoxide dismutase, carboxypeptidase Q-precursor and NPC intracellular cholesterol transporter 2 decreased on D18, returning to normal after D28. Albumin, inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase precursor, EGF-like repeat and discoid I-like domain-containing protein 3 and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor increased after insulation. In summary, intermittent scrotal insulation drastically altered ram sperm attributes and seminal proteins, especially those associated with oxidative stress. Knowledge of animal´s response to thermal stress is vital in the scenario of climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Denise D Guerreiro
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Jorge A M Martins
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Cariri, Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil
| | | | - R Évila B F Melo
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | - Marta Neila-Montero
- Itra-ULE, Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Rafael Montes-Garrido
- Itra-ULE, Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Celso S Nagano
- Department of Fisheries Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Airton A Araújo
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; School of Veterinary Medicine, Ceará State University, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Arlindo A Moura
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
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3
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Bollwein H, Malama E. Review: Evaluation of bull fertility. Functional and molecular approaches. Animal 2023; 17 Suppl 1:100795. [PMID: 37567681 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
With the term "assisted reproduction technologies" in modern cattle farming, one could imply the collection of techniques that aim at the optimal use of bovine gametes to produce animals of high genetic value in a time- and cost-efficient manner. The accurate characterisation of sperm quality plays a critical role for the efficiency of several assisted reproduction-related procedures, such as sperm processing, in vitro embryo production and artificial insemination. Bull fertility is ultimately a collective projection of the ability of a series of ejaculates to endure sperm processing stress, and achieve fertilisation of the oocyte and production of a viable and well-developing embryo. In this concept, the assessment of sperm functional and molecular characteristics is key to bull fertility diagnostics and prognostics. Among others, functional features linked to sperm plasma membrane, acrosome and DNA integrity are usually assessed as a measure of the ability of sperm to express the phenotypes that will allow them to maintain their homeostasis and orchestrate-in a strict temporal manner-the course of events that will enable the delivery of their genetic content to the oocyte upon fertilisation. Nevertheless, measures of sperm functionality are not always adequate indicators of bull fertility. Nowadays, advancements in the field of molecular biology have facilitated the profiling of several biomolecules in male gametes. The molecular profiling of bovine sperm offers a deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying sperm physiology and, thus, can reveal novel candidate markers for bull fertility prognosis. In this review, the importance of three organelles (the nucleus, the plasma membrane and the acrosome) for the characterisation of sperm fertilising capacity and bull fertility is discussed at functional and molecular levels. In particular, information about sperm head morphometry, chromatin structure, viability as well as the ability of sperm to capacitate and undergo the acrosome reaction are presented in relation to the cryotolerance of male gametes and bull fertility. Finally, major spermatozoal coding and non-coding RNAs, and proteins that are involved in the above-mentioned aspects of sperm functionality are also summarised.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bollwein
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Department for Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - E Malama
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Department for Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Singh R, Deb R, Sengar GS, Raja TV, Kumar S, Singh U, Das AK, Alex R, Kumar A, Tyagi S, Pal P, Patil NV. Differentially expressed microRNAs in biochemically characterized Frieswal TM crossbred bull semen. Anim Biotechnol 2023; 34:25-38. [PMID: 34106815 DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2021.1932519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
In addition to the transmission of paternal genome, spermatozoa also carry coding as well as noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) into the female oocyte during the process of biological fertilization. Based on RNA deep sequencing, a total 28 number of differentially expressed miRNAs were cataloged in categorized FrieswalTM crossbred (Holstein Friesian X Sahiwal) bull semen on the basis of conception rate (CR) in field progeny testing program. Validation of selected miRNAs viz. bta-mir-182, bta-let-7b, bta-mir-34c and bta-mir-20a revealed that, superior bull semen having comparatively (p < .05) lower level of all the miRNAs in contrast to inferior bull semen. Additionally, it was illustrated that, bta-mir-20a and bta-mir-34c miRNAs are negatively (p < .01) correlated with seminal plasma catalase (CAT) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) level. Interactome studies identified that bta-mir-140, bta-mir-342, bta-mir-1306 and bta-mir-217 can target few of the important solute carrier (SLC) proteins viz. SLC30A3, SLC39A9, SLC31A1 and SLC38A2, respectively. Interestingly, it was noticed that all the SLCs were significantly (p < .05) expressed at higher level in superior quality bull semen and they are negatively correlated (p < .01) with their corresponding miRNAs as mentioned. This study may reflect the role of miRNAs in regulating few of the candidate genes and thus may influence the bull semen quality traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani Singh
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Rajib Deb
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Gyanendra Singh Sengar
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - T V Raja
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Sushil Kumar
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Umesh Singh
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - A K Das
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Rani Alex
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Amod Kumar
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Shrikant Tyagi
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
| | - Prasanna Pal
- Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - N V Patil
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, India
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5
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Hussain T, Kandeel M, Metwally E, Murtaza G, Kalhoro DH, Yin Y, Tan B, Chughtai MI, Yaseen A, Afzal A, Kalhoro MS. Unraveling the harmful effect of oxidative stress on male fertility: A mechanistic insight. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1070692. [PMID: 36860366 PMCID: PMC9968806 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1070692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is a widely debated issue that affects males globally. There are several mechanisms involved. Oxidative stress is accepted to be the main contributing factor, with sperm quality and quantity affected by the overproduction of free radicals. Excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) cannot be controlled by the antioxidant system and, thus, potentially impact male fertility and hamper sperm quality parameters. Mitochondria are the driving force of sperm motility; irregularities in their function may lead to apoptosis, alterations to signaling pathway function, and, ultimately, compromised fertility. Moreover, it has been observed that the prevalence of inflammation may arrest sperm function and the production of cytokines triggered by the overproduction of ROS. Further, oxidative stress interacts with seminal plasma proteomes that influence male fertility. Enhanced ROS production disturbs the cellular constituents, particularly DNA, and sperms are unable to impregnate the ovum. Here, we review the latest information to better understand the relationship between oxidative stress and male infertility, the role of mitochondria, the cellular response, inflammation and fertility, and the interaction of seminal plasma proteomes with oxidative stress, as well as highlight the influence of oxidative stress on hormones; collectively, all of these factors are assumed to be important for the regulation of male infertility. This article may help improve our understanding of male infertility and the strategies to prevent it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarique Hussain
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Animal Sciences Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College (NIAB-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan
- *Correspondence: Tarique Hussain, ; Bie Tan,
| | - Mahmoud Kandeel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelshikh University, Kafrelshikh, Egypt
| | - Elsayed Metwally
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Ghulam Murtaza
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Dildar Hussain Kalhoro
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Yulong Yin
- Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bie Tan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- *Correspondence: Tarique Hussain, ; Bie Tan,
| | - Muhammad Ismail Chughtai
- Animal Sciences Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College (NIAB-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Anjaleena Yaseen
- Animal Sciences Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College (NIAB-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ali Afzal
- Department of Zoology, Minhaj University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saleem Kalhoro
- Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand
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6
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Donnellan EM, Perrier JP, Keogh K, Štiavnická M, Collins CM, Dunleavy EM, Sellem E, Bernecic NC, Lonergan P, Kenny DA, Fair S. Identification of differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs in spermatozoa of bulls of varying fertility. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:993561. [PMID: 36277068 PMCID: PMC9581129 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.993561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Bulls used in artificial insemination, with apparently normal semen quality, can vary significantly in their field fertility. This study aimed to characterize the transcriptome of spermatozoa from high (HF) and low (LF) fertility bulls at the mRNA and miRNA level in order to identify potential novel markers of fertility. Holstein-Friesian bulls were assigned to either the HF or LF group (n = 10 per group) based on an adjusted national fertility index from a minimum of 500 inseminations. Total RNA was extracted from a pool of frozen-thawed spermatozoa from three different ejaculates per bull, following which mRNA-seq and miRNA-seq were performed. Six mRNAs and 13 miRNAs were found differentially expressed (P < 0.05, FC > 1.5) between HF and LF bulls. Of particular interest, the gene pathways targeted by the 13 differentially expressed miRNAs were related to embryonic development and gene expression regulation. Previous studies reported that disruptions to protamine 1 mRNA (PRM1) had deleterious consequences for sperm chromatin structure and fertilizing ability. Notably, PRM1 exhibited a higher expression in spermatozoa from LF than HF bulls. In contrast, Western Blot analysis revealed a decrease in PRM1 protein abundance for spermatozoa from LF bulls; this was not associated with increased protamine deficiency (measured by the degree of chromatin compaction) or DNA fragmentation, as assessed by flow cytometry analyses. However, protamine deficiency was positively and moderately correlated with the percentage of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation, irrespective of fertility group. This study has identified potential biomarkers that could be used for improving semen quality assessments of bull fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eimear M. Donnellan
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Department of Biological Sciences, Biomaterials Research Cluster, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Jean-Philippe Perrier
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Department of Biological Sciences, Biomaterials Research Cluster, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Kate Keogh
- Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Ireland
| | - Miriam Štiavnická
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Department of Biological Sciences, Biomaterials Research Cluster, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | | | - Elaine M. Dunleavy
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, Biomedical Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Eli Sellem
- ALLICE, Innovation and Development, Paris, France
| | - Naomi C. Bernecic
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Department of Biological Sciences, Biomaterials Research Cluster, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Patrick Lonergan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David A. Kenny
- Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Ireland
| | - Sean Fair
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Department of Biological Sciences, Biomaterials Research Cluster, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland,*Correspondence: Sean Fair
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7
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Werry N, Russell SJ, Gillis DJ, Miller S, Hickey K, Larmer S, Lohuis M, Librach C, LaMarre J. Characteristics of miRNAs Present in Bovine Sperm and Associations With Differences in Fertility. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:874371. [PMID: 35663333 PMCID: PMC9160602 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.874371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Small non-coding RNAs have been linked to different phenotypes in bovine sperm, however attempts to identify sperm-borne molecular biomarkers of male fertility have thus far failed to identify a robust profile of expressed miRNAs related to fertility. We hypothesized that some differences in bull fertility may be reflected in the levels of different miRNAs in sperm. To explore such differences in fertility that are not due to differences in visible metrics of sperm quality, we employed Next Generation Sequencing to compare the miRNA populations in Bos taurus sperm from bulls with comparable motility and morphology but varying Sire Conception Rates. We identified the most abundant miRNAs in both populations (miRs -34b-3p; -100-5p; -191-5p; -30d-4p; -21-5p) and evaluated differences in the overall levels and specific patterns of isomiR expression. We also explored correlations between specific pairs of miRNAs in each population and identified 10 distinct pairs of miRNAs that were positively correlated in bulls with higher fertility and negatively correlated in comparatively less fertile individuals. Furthermore, 8 additional miRNA pairs demonstrated the opposite trend; negatively correlated in high fertility animals and positively correlated in less fertile bulls. Finally, we performed pathway analysis to identify potential roles of miRNAs present in bull sperm in the regulation of specific genes that impact spermatogenesis and embryo development. Together, these results present a comprehensive picture of the bovine sperm miRNAome that suggests multiple potential roles in fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Werry
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Daniel J. Gillis
- School of Computer Science, The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Clifford Librach
- CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan LaMarre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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8
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Ureña I, González C, Ramón M, Gòdia M, Clop A, Calvo JH, Carabaño MJ, Serrano M. Exploring the ovine sperm transcriptome by RNAseq techniques. I Effect of seasonal conditions on transcripts abundance. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264978. [PMID: 35286314 PMCID: PMC8920283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the cell molecular changes occurring as a results of climatic circumstances is crucial in the current days in which climate change and global warming are one of the most serious challenges that living organisms have to face. Sperm are one of the mammals’ cells most sensitive to heat, therefore evaluating the impact of seasonal changes in terms of its transcriptional activity can contribute to elucidate how these cells cope with heat stress events. We sequenced the total sperm RNA from 64 ejaculates, 28 collected in summer and 36 collected in autumn, from 40 Manchega rams. A highly rich transcriptome (11,896 different transcripts) with 90 protein coding genes that exceed an average number of 5000 counts were found. Comparing transcriptome in the summer and autumn ejaculates, 236 significant differential abundance genes were assessed, most of them (228) downregulated. The main functions that these genes are related to sexual reproduction and negative regulation of protein metabolic processes and kinase activity. Sperm response to heat stress supposes a drastic decrease of the transcriptional activity, and the upregulation of only a few genes related with the basic functions to maintain the organisms’ homeostasis and surviving. Rams’ spermatozoids carry remnant mRNAs which are retrospectively indicators of events occurring along the spermatogenesis process, including abiotic factors such as environmental temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ureña
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, CSIC-INIA, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen González
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, CSIC-INIA, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marta Gòdia
- Animal Genomics Group, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alex Clop
- Animal Genomics Group, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jorge H. Calvo
- Unidad de Tecnología en Producción Animal, CITA, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Magdalena Serrano
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, CSIC-INIA, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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9
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Zhu Y, Bu D, Ma L. Integration of Multiplied Omics, a Step Forward in Systematic Dairy Research. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12030225. [PMID: 35323668 PMCID: PMC8955540 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12030225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to their unique multi-gastric digestion system highly adapted for rumination, dairy livestock has complicated physiology different from monogastric animals. However, the microbiome-based mechanism of the digestion system is congenial for biology approaches. Different omics and their integration have been widely applied in the dairy sciences since the previous decade for investigating their physiology, pathology, and the development of feed and management protocols. The rumen microbiome can digest dietary components into utilizable sugars, proteins, and volatile fatty acids, contributing to the energy intake and feed efficiency of dairy animals, which has become one target of the basis for omics applications in dairy science. Rumen, liver, and mammary gland are also frequently targeted in omics because of their crucial impact on dairy animals’ energy metabolism, production performance, and health status. The application of omics has made outstanding contributions to a more profound understanding of the physiology, etiology, and optimizing the management strategy of dairy animals, while the multi-omics method could draw information of different levels and organs together, providing an unprecedented broad scope on traits of dairy animals. This article reviewed recent omics and multi-omics researches on physiology, feeding, and pathology on dairy animals and also performed the potential of multi-omics on systematic dairy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingkun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
- School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dengpan Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
- Joint Laboratory on Integrated Crop-Tree-Livestock Systems of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), and World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (D.B.); (L.M.)
| | - Lu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
- Correspondence: (D.B.); (L.M.)
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10
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Ugur MR, Guerreiro DD, Moura AA, Memili E. Identification of biomarkers for bull fertility using functional genomics. Anim Reprod 2022; 19:e20220004. [PMID: 35573862 PMCID: PMC9083437 DOI: 10.1590/1984-3143-ar2022-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Prediction of bull fertility is critical for the sustainability of both dairy and beef cattle production. Even though bulls produce ample amounts of sperm with normal parameters, some bulls may still suffer from subpar fertility. This causes major economic losses in the cattle industry because using artificial insemination, semen from one single bull can be used to inseminate hundreds of thousands of cows. Although there are several traditional methods to estimate bull fertility, such methods are not sufficient to explain and accurately predict the subfertility of individual bulls. Since fertility is a complex trait influenced by a number of factors including genetics, epigenetics, and environment, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive methodological approach to clarify uncertainty in male subfertility. The present review focuses on molecular and functional signatures of bull sperm associated with fertility. Potential roles of functional genomics (proteome, small noncoding RNAs, lipidome, metabolome) on determining male fertility and its potential as a fertility biomarker are discussed. This review provides a better understanding of the molecular signatures of viable and fertile sperm cells and their potential to be used as fertility biomarkers. This information will help uncover the underlying reasons for idiopathic subfertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Arlindo A. Moura
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brasil; Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brasil
| | - Erdogan Memili
- Mississippi State University, USA; Prairie View A&M University, USA
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11
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Sahoo B, Choudhary RK, Sharma P, Choudhary S, Gupta MK. Significance and Relevance of Spermatozoal RNAs to Male Fertility in Livestock. Front Genet 2021; 12:768196. [PMID: 34956322 PMCID: PMC8696160 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.768196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock production contributes to a significant part of the economy in developing countries. Although artificial insemination techniques brought substantial improvements in reproductive efficiency, male infertility remains a leading challenge in livestock. Current strategies for the diagnosis of male infertility largely depend on the evaluation of semen parameters and fail to diagnose idiopathic infertility in most cases. Recent evidences show that spermatozoa contains a suit of RNA population whose profile differs between fertile and infertile males. Studies have also demonstrated the crucial roles of spermatozoal RNA (spRNA) in spermatogenesis, fertilization, and early embryonic development. Thus, the spRNA profile may serve as unique molecular signatures of fertile sperm and may play pivotal roles in the diagnosis and treatment of male fertility. This manuscript provides an update on various spRNA populations, including protein-coding and non-coding RNAs, in livestock species and their potential role in semen quality, particularly sperm motility, freezability, and fertility. The contribution of seminal plasma to the spRNA population is also discussed. Furthermore, we discussed the significance of rare non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in spermatogenic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijayalaxmi Sahoo
- Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela, India
| | - Ratan K Choudhary
- College of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, India
| | - Paramajeet Sharma
- College of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, India
| | - Shanti Choudhary
- College of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, India
| | - Mukesh Kumar Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela, India
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12
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Winter E, Cisilotto J, Silva AH, Rosolen D, Fabichak AP, Rode MP, Creczynski-Pasa TB. MicroRNAs: Potential biomarkers for reproduction, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic in domestic animals. Res Vet Sci 2021; 142:117-132. [PMID: 34942556 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules involved in a wide range of biological processes through the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Most studies evaluated microRNA expression in human, and despite fewer studies in veterinary medicine, this topic is one of the most exciting areas of modern veterinary medicine. miRNAs showed to be part of the pathogenesis of diseases and reproduction physiology in animals, making them biomarkers candidates. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge regarding miRNAs' role in reproduction and animal diseases, diagnostic and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Winter
- Department of Agriculture, Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Curitibanos, 89520000, SC, Brazil.
| | - Júlia Cisilotto
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacy, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil
| | - Adny Henrique Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacy, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil
| | - Daiane Rosolen
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacy, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Fabichak
- Department of Agriculture, Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Curitibanos, 89520000, SC, Brazil
| | - Michele Patricia Rode
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacy, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil
| | - Tânia Beatriz Creczynski-Pasa
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacy, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil
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13
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Guo Q, Jiang Y, Bai H, Chen G, Chang G. miR-301a-5p Regulates TGFB2 during Chicken Spermatogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111695. [PMID: 34828300 PMCID: PMC8621736 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The process of spermatogenesis is complex and systemic, requiring the cooperation of many regulators. However, little is known about how micro RNAs (miRNAs) regulate spermatogenesis in poultry. In this study, we investigated key miRNAs and their target genes that are involved in spermatogenesis in chickens. Next-generation sequencing was conducted to determine miRNA expression profiles in five cell types: primordial germ cells (PGCs), spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), spermatogonia (Spa), and chicken sperm. Next, we analyzed and identified several key miRNAs that regulate spermatogenesis in the four germline cell miRNA profiles. Among the enriched miRNAs, miRNA-301a-5p was the key miRNA in PGCs, SSCs, and Spa. Through reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), dual-luciferase, and miRNA salience, we confirmed that miR-301a-5p binds to transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGFβ2) and is involved in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway and germ cell development. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of miR-301a-5p involvement in spermatogenesis by direct binding to TGFβ2, a key gene in the TGF-β signaling pathway. This finding contributes to the insights into the molecular mechanism through which miRNAs regulate germline cell differentiation and spermatogenesis in chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qixin Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Q.G.); (Y.J.); (H.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Yong Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Q.G.); (Y.J.); (H.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Hao Bai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Q.G.); (Y.J.); (H.B.); (G.C.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Guohong Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Q.G.); (Y.J.); (H.B.); (G.C.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Guobin Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Q.G.); (Y.J.); (H.B.); (G.C.)
- Correspondence:
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14
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Güngör BH, Tektemur A, Arkali G, Dayan Cinkara S, Acisu TC, Koca RH, Etem Önalan E, Özer Kaya S, Kizil M, Sönmez M, Gür S, Çambay Z, Yüce A, Türk G. Effect of freeze-thawing process on lipid peroxidation, miRNAs, ion channels, apoptosis and global DNA methylation in ram spermatozoa. Reprod Fertil Dev 2021; 33:747-759. [PMID: 34585662 DOI: 10.1071/rd21091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the effect of the semen freeze-thawing process on the functionality and molecular structure of ram spermatozoa. The temperature of pooled and diluted semen at 38°C (group 1, control) was lowered to 5°C (group 2), and it was subjected to glycerolisation-equilibration (group 3), frozen and thawed (group 4). Compared to the control, deterioration in spermatological parameters and significant increases in lipid peroxidation and global DNA methylation levels were observed in groups 3 and 4. When compared with the control, significant downregulation in the levels of miR-485 of group 2, miR-29a of group 3 and let-7a, miR-485 and miR-29a of group 4, and significant upregulation in the levels of miR-107 of group 3 and miR-127 of groups 3 and 4 were detected. In comparison to the control, significant upregulation in the levels of CatSper1, CatSper2, CatSper3, CatSper4, ANO1 and TRPM3 of group 2, CatSper4, ANO1 and TRPM3 of group 3 and KCNJ11 of group 4, and significant downregulation in the CatSper 3 level of group 4 were determined. As a result, the semen freeze-thawing process causes motility and morphological disorders in rams. This may be due to molecular changes associated with lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brahim Halil Güngör
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Tektemur
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Gözde Arkali
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Physiology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Serap Dayan Cinkara
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Tutku Can Acisu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Recep Hakki Koca
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Bingöl University, Bingöl, Turkey
| | - Ebru Etem Önalan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Seyma Özer Kaya
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Meltem Kizil
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Physiology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Sönmez
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Seyfettin Gür
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Zafer Çambay
- Department of Medical Services and Technics, Firat University, High School of Medical Services, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Abdurrauf Yüce
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Physiology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Gaffari Türk
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
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15
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Tang C, Xie Y, Guo M, Yan W. AASRA: an anchor alignment-based small RNA annotation pipeline†. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:267-277. [PMID: 33787835 PMCID: PMC8256102 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Small noncoding RNAs deep sequencing (sncRNA-Seq) has become a routine for sncRNA detection and quantification. However, the software packages currently available for sncRNA annotation can neither recognize sncRNA variants in the sequencing reads, nor annotate all known sncRNA simultaneously. Here, we report a novel anchor alignment-based small RNA annotation (AASRA) software package (https://github.com/biogramming/AASRA). AASRA represents an all-in-one sncRNA annotation pipeline, which allows for high-speed, simultaneous annotation of all known sncRNA species with the capability to distinguish mature from precursor microRNAs, and to identify novel sncRNA variants in the sncRNA-Seq sequencing reads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Tang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Yeming Xie
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Mei Guo
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
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16
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Chukrallah LG, Badrinath A, Seltzer K, Snyder EM. Of rodents and ruminants: a comparison of small noncoding RNA requirements in mouse and bovine reproduction. J Anim Sci 2021; 99:6156131. [PMID: 33677580 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ruminants are major producers of meat and milk, thus managing their reproductive potential is a key element in cost-effective, safe, and efficient food production. Of particular concern, defects in male germ cells and female germ cells may lead to significantly reduced live births relative to fertilization. However, the underlying molecular drivers of these defects are unclear. Small noncoding RNAs, such as piRNAs and miRNAs, are known to be important regulators of germ-cell physiology in mouse (the best-studied mammalian model organism) and emerging evidence suggests that this is also the case in a range of ruminant species, in particular bovine. Similarities exist between mouse and bovids, especially in the case of meiotic and postmeiotic male germ cells. However, fundamental differences in small RNA abundance and metabolism between these species have been observed in the female germ cell, differences that likely have profound impacts on their physiology. Further, parentally derived small noncoding RNAs are known to influence early embryos and significant species-specific differences in germ-cell born small noncoding RNAs have been observed. These findings demonstrate the mouse to be an imperfect model for understanding germ-cell small noncoding RNA biology in ruminants and highlight the need to increase research efforts in this underappreciated aspect of animal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aditi Badrinath
- Department of Animal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Kelly Seltzer
- Department of Animal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
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17
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MicroRNA expression profiles in the seminal plasma of nonobstructive azoospermia patients with different histopathologic patterns. Fertil Steril 2021; 115:1197-1211. [PMID: 33602558 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in the seminal plasma of nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients with different histopathologic patterns and evaluate potential noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers of NOA. DESIGN Sequencing and validation using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). SETTING Reproductive center and research institute. PATIENT(S) Thirteen patients with NOA (7 Sertoli cell-only syndrome [SCOS] and 6 hypospermatogenesis to spermatogenesis arrest [SA]) and 7 normal fertile controls for sequencing, six samples per group for validation; 54 patients with NOA (27 SCOS and 27 SA) and 19 normal fertile controls for large-sample qRT-PCR analysis. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) MicroRNA expression profiles in the seminal plasma of patients with NOA with different histopathologic patterns were assessed using high-throughput sequencing and validated using qRT-PCR. RESULT(S) There were 78 overexpressed and 132 underexpressed miRNAs in patients with SCOS and 32 up-regulated and 90 down-regulated miRNAs in patients with SA compared with fertile men with normozoospermia. Two down-regulated and one up-regulated miRNA were validated using qRT-PCR, which indicated that the qRT-PCR and sequencing results were basically consistent. Hsa-miR-34c-5p expression was significantly lower in the seminal plasma of patients with NOA than normal fertile controls. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) for hsa-miR-34c-5p was 0.979 and 0.987 in the seminal plasma of patients with SA and patients with SCOS, respectively, compared with normal fertile controls. The AUC was 0.799 for hsa-miR-34c-5p in the seminal plasma between patients with SA and patients with SCOS. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed miRNA target genes revealed that the Notch signaling pathway was one of the most abundant signaling pathways. The expression of Hes5, an effector of the Notch signaling pathway, was significantly higher in the seminal plasma of patients with NOA than normal fertile controls. CONCLUSION(S) MicroRNA expression profiles in seminal plasma were altered in patients with NOA compared with normal fertile controls. The profiles differed in patients with NOA with different pathologic patterns. We speculate that miR-34c-5p in seminal plasma could be a potential noninvasive biomarker to diagnose patients with NOA and distinguish different pathologic types of NOA. The Notch signaling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of NOA.
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18
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Keles E, Malama E, Bozukova S, Siuda M, Wyck S, Witschi U, Bauersachs S, Bollwein H. The micro-RNA content of unsorted cryopreserved bovine sperm and its relation to the fertility of sperm after sex-sorting. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:30. [PMID: 33413071 PMCID: PMC7792310 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07280-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of sex-sorted sperm in cattle assisted reproduction is constantly increasing. However, sperm fertility can substantially differ between unsorted (conventional) and sex-sorted semen batches of the same sire. Sperm microRNAs (miRNA) have been suggested as promising biomarkers of bull fertility the last years. In this study, we hypothesized that the miRNA profile of cryopreserved conventional sperm is related to bull fertility after artificial insemination with X-bearing sperm. For this purpose, we analyzed the miRNA profile of 18 conventional sperm samples obtained from nine high- (HF) and nine low-fertility (LF) bulls that were contemporaneously used to produce conventional and sex-sorted semen batches. The annual 56-day non-return rate for each semen type (NRRconv and NRRss, respectively) was recorded for each bull. RESULTS In total, 85 miRNAs were detected. MiR-34b-3p and miR-100-5p were the two most highly expressed miRNAs with their relative abundance reaching 30% in total. MiR-10a-5p and miR-9-5p were differentially expressed in LF and HF samples (false discovery rate < 10%). The expression levels of miR-9-5p, miR-34c, miR-423-5p, miR-449a, miR-5193-5p, miR-1246, miR-2483-5p, miR-92a, miR-21-5p were significantly correlated to NRRss but not to NRRconv. Based on robust regression analysis, miR-34c, miR-7859 and miR-342 showed the highest contribution to the prediction of NRRss. CONCLUSIONS A set of miRNAs detected in conventionally produced semen batches were linked to the fertilizing potential of bovine sperm after sex-sorting. These miRNAs should be further evaluated as potential biomarkers of a sire's suitability for the production of sex-sorted sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esin Keles
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eleni Malama
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 57001, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Siyka Bozukova
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Siuda
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Wyck
- Swissgenetics, CH-3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | | | - Stefan Bauersachs
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heinrich Bollwein
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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19
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Zhu L, Marjani SL, Jiang Z. The Epigenetics of Gametes and Early Embryos and Potential Long-Range Consequences in Livestock Species-Filling in the Picture With Epigenomic Analyses. Front Genet 2021; 12:557934. [PMID: 33747031 PMCID: PMC7966815 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.557934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The epigenome is dynamic and forged by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA species. Increasing lines of evidence support the concept that certain acquired traits are derived from environmental exposure during early embryonic and fetal development, i.e., fetal programming, and can even be "memorized" in the germline as epigenetic information and transmitted to future generations. Advances in technology are now driving the global profiling and precise editing of germline and embryonic epigenomes, thereby improving our understanding of epigenetic regulation and inheritance. These achievements open new avenues for the development of technologies or potential management interventions to counteract adverse conditions or improve performance in livestock species. In this article, we review the epigenetic analyses (DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs) of germ cells and embryos in mammalian livestock species (cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs) and the epigenetic determinants of gamete and embryo viability. We also discuss the effects of parental environmental exposures on the epigenetics of gametes and the early embryo, and evidence for transgenerational inheritance in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linkai Zhu
- AgCenter, School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Sadie L Marjani
- Department of Biology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, United States
| | - Zongliang Jiang
- AgCenter, School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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20
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Characterizing miRNA and mse-tsRNA in fertile and subfertile yak bull spermatozoa from Arunachal Pradesh. J Genet 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-020-01248-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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21
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Wu C, Blondin P, Vigneault C, Labrecque R, Sirard MA. Sperm miRNAs- potential mediators of bull age and early embryo development. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:798. [PMID: 33198638 PMCID: PMC7667858 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07206-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sperm miRNAs were reported to regulate spermatogenesis and early embryonic development in some mammals including bovine. The dairy cattle breeding industry now tends to collect semen from younger bulls under high selection pressure at a time when semen quality may be suboptimal compared to adult bulls. Whether the patterns of spermatic miRNAs are affected by paternal age and/or impact early embryogenesis is not clear. Hence, we generated small non-coding RNA libraries of sperm collected from same bulls at 10, 12, and 16 months of age, using 16 months as control for differential expression and functional analysis. RESULTS We firstly excluded all miRNAs present in measurable quantity in oocytes according to the literature. Of the remaining miRNAs, ten sperm-borne miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in younger bulls (four in the 10 vs 16 months contrast and six in the 12 vs 16 months contrast). Targets of miRNAs were identified and compared to the transcriptomic database of two-cell embryos, to genes related to two-cell competence, and to the transcriptomic database of blastocysts. Ingenuity pathway analysis of the targets of these miRNAs suggested potential influence on the developmental competence of two-cell embryos and on metabolism and protein synthesis in blastocysts. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that miRNA patterns in sperm are affected by the age of the bull and may mediate the effects of paternal age on early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongyang Wu
- Centre de Recherche en Reproduction, Développement et Santé Intergénérationnelle (CRDSI), Département des Sciences Animales, Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Marc-André Sirard
- Centre de Recherche en Reproduction, Développement et Santé Intergénérationnelle (CRDSI), Département des Sciences Animales, Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
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22
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Cattle breed affects in vitro embryo production in a large-scale commercial program on dairy farms. Livest Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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23
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Gross N, Peñagaricano F, Khatib H. Integration of whole-genome DNA methylation data with RNA sequencing data to identify markers for bull fertility. Anim Genet 2020; 51:502-510. [PMID: 32323873 DOI: 10.1111/age.12941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Predicting bull fertility prior to breeding is a current challenge for the dairy industry. The use of molecular biomarkers has been previously assessed. However, the integration of this information has not been performed to extract biologically relevant markers. The goal of this study was to integrate DNA methylation data with previously published RNA-sequencing results in order to identify candidate markers for sire fertility. A total of 1765 differentially methylated cytosines were found between high- and low-fertility sires. Ten genes associated with 11 differentially methylated cytosines were found in a previous study of gene expression between high- and low-fertility sires. Additionally, two of these genes code for proteins found exclusively in bull seminal plasma. Collectively, our results reveal 10 genes that could be used in the future as a panel for predicting bull fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Gross
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | | | - Hasan Khatib
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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24
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Sellem E, Marthey S, Rau A, Jouneau L, Bonnet A, Perrier JP, Fritz S, Le Danvic C, Boussaha M, Kiefer H, Jammes H, Schibler L. A comprehensive overview of bull sperm-borne small non-coding RNAs and their diversity across breeds. Epigenetics Chromatin 2020; 13:19. [PMID: 32228651 PMCID: PMC7106649 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00340-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mature sperm carry thousands of RNAs, including mRNAs, lncRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs and sncRNAs, though their functional significance is still a matter of debate. Growing evidence suggests that sperm RNAs, especially sncRNAs, are selectively retained during spermiogenesis or specifically transferred during epididymis maturation, and are thus delivered to the oocyte at fertilization, providing resources for embryo development. However , a deep characterization of the sncRNA content of bull sperm and its expression profile across breeds is currently lacking. To fill this gap, we optimized a guanidinium–Trizol total RNA extraction protocol to prepare high-quality RNA from frozen bull sperm collected from 40 representative bulls from six breeds. Deep sequencing was performed (40 M single 50-bp reads per sample) to establish a comprehensive repertoire of cattle sperm sncRNA. Results Our study showed that it comprises mostly piRNAs (26%), rRNA fragments (25%), miRNAs (20%) and tRNA fragments (tsRNA, 14%). We identified 5p-halves as the predominant tsRNA subgroup in bull sperm, originating mostly from Gly and Glu isoacceptors. Our study also increased by ~ 50% the sperm repertoire of known miRNAs and identified 2022 predicted miRNAs. About 20% of sperm miRNAs were located within genomic clusters, expanding the list of known polycistronic pri-miRNA clusters and defining several networks of co-expressed miRNAs. Strikingly, our study highlighted the great diversity of isomiRs, resulting mainly from deletions and non-templated additions (A and U) at the 3p end. Substitutions within miRNA sequence accounted for 40% of isomiRs, with G>A, U>C and C>U substitutions being the most frequent variations. In addition, many sncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed across breeds. Conclusions Our study provides a comprehensive overview of cattle sperm sncRNA, and these findings will pave the way for future work on the role of sncRNAs in embryo development and their relevance as biomarkers of semen fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Sellem
- R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France.
| | - Sylvain Marthey
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Andrea Rau
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Luc Jouneau
- Université Paris Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Aurelie Bonnet
- R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Perrier
- Université Paris Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sébastien Fritz
- R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Mekki Boussaha
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Hélène Kiefer
- Université Paris Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Hélène Jammes
- Université Paris Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
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25
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Menezes ESB, Badial PR, El Debaky H, Husna AU, Ugur MR, Kaya A, Topper E, Bulla C, Grant KE, Bolden-Tiller O, Moura AA, Memili E. Sperm miR-15a and miR-29b are associated with bull fertility. Andrologia 2019; 52:e13412. [PMID: 31671225 DOI: 10.1111/and.13412] [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: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs modulate male fertility by regulating gene expression. In this study, dynamics of sperm miR-15a, miR-29b and miR-34a from high fertility (HF) and low fertility (LF) bulls using RT-qPCR were evaluated. Bioinformatic tools were employed to ascertain genes of interest of the sperm miRNAs. The expression levels of p53, BCL2, BAX and DNMT1 in bull spermatozoa were determined by immunoblotting. MicroRNA levels of miR-15a and miR-29 were higher in LF sires when compared with those present in HF bulls. Expression levels of miR-34a did not differ between the two groups. We found an inverse correlation between miR-15a and bull fertility. MiR29-b was also negatively associated with fertility scores. BCL2 and DNMT1 were higher in HF bulls while BAX was higher in the LF group. Our data showed a positive correlation between BCL2 and bull fertility. In addition, DNMT1 was positively associated with bull fertility. Furthermore, levels of BAX were negatively linked with bull fertility scores. Identification of miRNAs found in the spermatozoa of sires with different in vivo fertility helps understand the alterations in the fertilising capacity from cattle and other mammals. These potential biomarkers can be used in reproductive biotechnology as fertility markers to assess semen quality and predict male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika S B Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Peres Ramos Badial
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Hazem El Debaky
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asma Ul Husna
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Zoology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammet Rasit Ugur
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- URUS Group LP, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | | | - Camilo Bulla
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Kamilah E Grant
- Center for Biotechnology and Department of Agriculture School of Agriculture & Applied Sciences, Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS, USA
| | - Olga Bolden-Tiller
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
| | - Arlindo A Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdoğan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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26
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Menezes EB, Velho ALC, Santos F, Dinh T, Kaya A, Topper E, Moura AA, Memili E. Uncovering sperm metabolome to discover biomarkers for bull fertility. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:714. [PMID: 31533629 PMCID: PMC6749656 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6074-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Subfertility decreases the efficiency of the cattle industry because artificial insemination employs spermatozoa from a single bull to inseminate thousands of cows. Variation in bull fertility has been demonstrated even among those animals exhibiting normal sperm numbers, motility, and morphology. Despite advances in research, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the causes of low fertility in some bulls have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the metabolic profile of bull spermatozoa using non-targeted metabolomics. Statistical analysis and bioinformatic tools were employed to evaluate the metabolic profiles high and low fertility groups. Metabolic pathways associated with the sperm metabolome were also reported. Results A total of 22 distinct metabolites were detected in spermatozoa from bulls with high fertility (HF) or low fertility (LF) phenotype. The major metabolite classes of bovine sperm were organic acids/derivatives and fatty acids/conjugates. We demonstrated that the abundance ratios of five sperm metabolites were statistically different between HF and LF groups including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), carbamate, benzoic acid, lactic acid, and palmitic acid. Metabolites with different abundances in HF and LF bulls had also VIP scores of greater than 1.5 and AUC- ROC curves of more than 80%. In addition, four metabolic pathways associated with differential metabolites namely alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, and pyruvate metabolism were also explored. Conclusions This is the first study aimed at ascertaining the metabolome of spermatozoa from bulls with different fertility phenotype using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified five metabolites in the two groups of sires and such molecules can be used, in the future, as key indicators of bull fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- E B Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - A L C Velho
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - F Santos
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - T Dinh
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - A Kaya
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - E Topper
- Alta Genetic Inc., Watertown, WI, USA
| | - A A Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - E Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
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27
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Comparative Analysis of MicroRNA and mRNA Profiles of Sperm with Different Freeze Tolerance Capacities in Boar ( Sus scrofa) and Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9090432. [PMID: 31480517 PMCID: PMC6769438 DOI: 10.3390/biom9090432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-thawed sperm quality parameters vary across different species after cryopreservation. To date, the molecular mechanism of sperm cryoinjury, freeze-tolerance and other influential factors are largely unknown. In this study, significantly dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs in boar and giant panda sperm with different cryo-resistance capacity were evaluated. From the result of miRNA profile of fresh and frozen-thawed giant panda sperm, a total of 899 mature, novel miRNAs were identified, and 284 miRNAs were found to be significantly dysregulated (195 up-regulated and 89 down-regulated). Combined analysis of miRNA profiling of giant panda sperm and our previously published data on boar sperm, 46, 21 and 4 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs in boar sperm were believed to be related to apoptosis, glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively. Meanwhile, 87, 17 and 7 DE mRNAs in giant panda were associated with apoptosis, glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the targets of DE miRNAs showed that they were mainly distributed on membrane related pathway in giant panda sperm, while cell components and cell processes were tied to the targets of DE miRNAs in boar sperm. Finally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of DE mRNAs indicated that most of these DE mRNAs were distributed in membrane signal transduction-related pathways in giant panda sperm, while those in boar sperm were mainly distributed in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway and inflammatory related pathways. In conclusion, although the different freezing extenders and programs were used, the DE miRNAs and mRNAs involved in apoptosis, energy metabolism, olfactory transduction pathway, inflammatory response and cytokine-cytokine interactions, could be the possible molecular mechanism of sperm cryoinjury and freeze tolerance.
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28
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Morenikeji OB, Hawkes ME, Hudson AO, Thomas BN. Computational Network Analysis Identifies Evolutionarily Conserved miRNA Gene Interactions Potentially Regulating Immune Response in Bovine Trypanosomosis. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2010. [PMID: 31555241 PMCID: PMC6722470 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine trypanosomosis is a devastating disease that causes huge economic loss to the global cattle industry on a yearly basis. Selection of accurate biomarkers are important in early disease diagnosis and treatment. Of late, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are becoming the most useful biomarkers for both infectious and non-infectious diseases in humans, but this is not the case in animals. miRNAs are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression through binding to the 3'-, 5'-untranslated regions (UTR) or coding sequence (CDS) region of one or more target genes. The molecular identification of miRNAs that regulates the expression of immune genes responding to bovine trypanosomosis is poorly defined, as is the possibility that these miRNAs could serve as potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis and treatment currently unknown. To this end, we utilized in silico tools to elucidate conserved miRNAs regulating immune response genes during infection, in addition to cataloging significant genes. Based on the p value of 1.77E-32, we selected 25 significantly expressed immune genes. Using prediction analysis, we identified a total of 4,251 bovine miRNAs targeting these selected genes across the 3'UTR, 5'UTR and CDS regions. Thereafter, we identified candidate miRNAs based on the number of gene targets and their abundance at the three regions. In all, we found the top 13 miRNAs that are significantly conserved targeting 7 innate immune response genes, including bta-mir-2460, bta-mir-193a, bta-mir-2316, and bta-mir-2456. Our gene ontology analysis suggests that these miRNAs are involved in gene silencing, cellular protein modification process, RNA-induced silencing complex, regulation of humoral immune response mediated by circulating immunoglobulin and negative regulation of chronic inflammatory response, among others. In conclusion, this study identifies specific miRNAs that may be involved in the regulation of gene expression during bovine trypanosomosis. These miRNAs have the potential to be used as biomarkers in the animal and veterinary research community to facilitate the development of tools for early disease diagnosis/detection, drug targeting, and the rational design of drugs to facilitate disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olanrewaju B. Morenikeji
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Megan E. Hawkes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - André O. Hudson
- Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Bolaji N. Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States
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29
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Abstract
Having been debated for many years, the presence and role of spermatozoal RNAs is resolving, and their contribution to development is now appreciated. Data from different species continue show that sperm contain a complex suite of coding and noncoding RNAs that play a role in an individual's life course. Mature sperm RNAs provide a retrospective of spermatogenesis, with their presence and abundance reflecting sperm maturation, fertility potential, and the paternal contribution to the developmental path the offspring may follow.Sperm RNAs delivered upon fertilization provide some of the initial contacts with the oocyte, directly confront the maternal with the paternal contribution as a prelude to genome consolidation. Following syngamy, early embryo development may in part be modulated by paternal RNAs that can include epidydimal passengers. This provides a direct path to relay an experience and then initiate a paternal response to the environment to the oocyte and beyond. Their epigenetic impact is likely felt prior to embryonic genome activation when the population of sperm delivered transcripts markedly changes. Here, we review the insights gained from sperm RNAs over the years, the subtypes, and the caveats of the RNAs described. We discuss the role of sperm RNAs in fertilization and embryo development, and their possible mechanism(s) influencing offspring phenotype. Approaches to meet the future challenges as the study of sperm RNAs continues, include, elucidating the potential mechanisms underlying how paternal allostatic load, the constant adaptation of health to external conditions, may be relayed by sperm RNAs to affect future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gòdia
- Animal Genomics Group, Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Grace Swanson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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30
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Alves MBR, de Arruda RP, De Bem THC, Florez-Rodriguez SA, Sá Filho MFD, Belleannée C, Meirelles FV, da Silveira JC, Perecin F, Celeghini ECC. Sperm-borne miR-216b modulates cell proliferation during early embryo development via K-RAS. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10358. [PMID: 31316130 PMCID: PMC6637201 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46775-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Semen fertilizing potential is dependent upon the morphological, functional and molecular attributes of sperm. Sperm microRNAs (miRNAs) were recently shown to hold promise regarding their association with different fertility phenotypes. However, their role in fertility regulation remains to be determined. We postulated that sperm miRNAs might regulate early embryonic development. From this perspective, sperm quality and 380 sperm miRNAs were investigated in frozen–thawed semen from high (HF; 54.3 ± 1.0% pregnancy rate) and low (LF; 41.5 ± 2.3%) fertility bulls. Out of nine miRNAs that showed different levels in sperm cells, miR-216b was present at lower levels in HF sperm cells and zygotes. Among miR-216b target genes (K-RAS, BECN1 and JUN), K-RAS, related to cell proliferation, revealed a higher level in HF two-cell embryos. First cleavage rate, blastocyst cell number and division number were also higher in HF. In addition, by using a model based on polyspermy embryos, we demonstrated an increase in miR-216b levels in zygotes associated with sperm cell entry. Our results shed light on a possible mechanism of paternal contribution involving sperm-borne miR-216b that modulates levels of miR-216b in zygotes and K-RAS in two-cell embryos. This modulation might regulate early development by interfering with the first cleavage and blastocyst quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maíra Bianchi Rodrigues Alves
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rubens Paes de Arruda
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago Henrique Camara De Bem
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Shirley Andrea Florez-Rodriguez
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Manoel Francisco de Sá Filho
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil.,Alta Genetics of Brazil, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Clémence Belleannée
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproduction, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Flávio Vieira Meirelles
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliano Coelho da Silveira
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Perecin
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eneiva Carla Carvalho Celeghini
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil.
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31
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Dai DH, Qazi IH, Ran MX, Liang K, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Zhou GB, Angel C, Zeng CJ. Exploration of miRNA and mRNA Profiles in Fresh and Frozen-Thawed Boar Sperm by Transcriptome and Small RNA Sequencing. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20040802. [PMID: 30781801 PMCID: PMC6413023 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20040802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to lower farrowing rate and reduced litter size with frozen-thawed semen, over 90% of artificial insemination (AI) is conducted using liquid stored boar semen. Although substantial progress has been made towards optimizing the cryopreservation protocols for boar sperm, the influencing factors and underlying mechanisms related to cryoinjury and freeze tolerance of boar sperm remain largely unknown. In this study, we report the differential expression of mRNAs and miRNAs between fresh and frozen-thawed boar sperm using high-throughput RNA sequencing. Our results showed that 567 mRNAs and 135 miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) in fresh and frozen-thawed boar sperm. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed that the majority of DE mRNAs were enriched in environmental information processing such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, PI3K-Akt signaling, cell adhesion, MAPK, and calcium signaling pathways. Moreover, the targets of DE miRNAs were enriched in significant GO terms such as cell process, protein binding, and response to stimuli. In conclusion, we speculate that DE mRNAs and miRNAs are heavily involved in boar sperm response to environment stimuli, apoptosis, and metabolic activities. The differences in expression also reflect the various structural and functional changes in sperm during cryopreservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding-Hui Dai
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Izhar Hyder Qazi
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy & Histology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand 67210, Pakistan.
| | - Ming-Xia Ran
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Kai Liang
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Ming Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Guang-Bin Zhou
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Christiana Angel
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand 67210, Pakistan.
| | - Chang-Jun Zeng
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
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32
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Kasimanickam V, Buhr M, Kasimanickam R. Patterns of expression of sperm and seminal plasma microRNAs in boar semen. Theriogenology 2018; 125:87-92. [PMID: 30391831 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Although sperm and seminal plasma differ in their origin, biophysical and biochemical properties of seminal plasma influence the sperm function. Seminal plasma is a fluid medium containing substances from testes, epididymides and accessory glands. Composition of seminal plasma varies among animal species and in boars, prostate and bulbourethral glands are major contributors to the volume and contents. While the origin of some components of seminal plasma are known, the source of recently discovered seminal plasma microRNAs remains unknown, in part due to the difficulty of recovering and characterizing RNA from porcine sperm and seminal plasma. To test the hypothesis that seminal plasma miRNAs interact with sperm, the first objective was to validate protocols for recovering RNAs from porcine seminal plasma and sperm, whereas the second objective was to characterize expression patterns of 84 prioritized microRNAs employing real time PCR methodology. The study identified a relationship between sperm and seminal plasma microRNAs, based on the normalized threshold cycle of amplifying cDNA in sperm and seminal plasma from the same semen of Landrace boars. Therefore, it was concluded that seminal plasma miRNAs may originate from sperm or these miRNAs may shuttle between sperm and seminal plasma in order to facilitate cell-to-cell communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanmathy Kasimanickam
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA; Center for Reproductive Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.
| | - Mary Buhr
- College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - Ramanathan Kasimanickam
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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33
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Heat stress responses in spermatozoa: Mechanisms and consequences for cattle fertility. Theriogenology 2018; 113:102-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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34
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Abstract
The ability to predict the fertility of bulls before semen is released into the field has been a long-term objective of the animal breeding industry. However, the recent shift in the dairy industry towards the intensive use of young genomically selected bulls has increased its urgency. Such bulls, which are often in the highest demand, are frequently only used intensively for one season and consequently there is limited time to track their field fertility. A more pressing issue is that they produce fewer sperm per ejaculate than mature bulls and therefore there is a need to reduce the sperm number per straw to the minimum required without a concomitant reduction in fertility. However, as individual bulls vary in the minimum number of sperm required to achieve their maximum fertility, this cannot be currently achieved without extensive field-testing. Although an in vitro semen quality test, or combination of tests, which can accurately and consistently determine a bull's fertility and the optimum sperm number required represent the 'holy grail' in terms of semen assessment, this has not been achieved to date. Understanding the underlying causes of variation in bull fertility is a key prerequisite to achieving this goal. In this review, we consider the reliability of sire conception rate estimates and then consider where along the pregnancy establishment axis the variation in reproductive loss between bulls occurs. We discuss the aetiology of these deficiencies in sperm function and propose avenues for future investigation.
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35
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Selvaraju S, Parthipan S, Somashekar L, Binsila BK, Kolte AP, Arangasamy A, Ravindra JP, Krawetz SA. Current status of sperm functional genomics and its diagnostic potential of fertility in bovine (Bos taurus). Syst Biol Reprod Med 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2018.1444816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sellappan Selvaraju
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sivashanmugam Parthipan
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Lakshminarayana Somashekar
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - B. Krishnan Binsila
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Atul P. Kolte
- Omics Laboratory, Animal Nutrition Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Arunachalam Arangasamy
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Janivara Parameshwaraiah Ravindra
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Stephen A. Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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Review: Sperm-oocyte interactions and their implications for bull fertility, with emphasis on the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Animal 2018; 12:s121-s132. [PMID: 29477154 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118000253] [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] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is an intricate cascade of events that irreversibly alter the participating male and female gamete and ultimately lead to the union of paternal and maternal genomes in the zygote. Fertilization starts with sperm capacitation within the oviductal sperm reservoir, followed by gamete recognition, sperm-zona pellucida interactions and sperm-oolemma adhesion and fusion, followed by sperm incorporation, oocyte activation, pronuclear development and embryo cleavage. At fertilization, bull spermatozoon loses its acrosome and plasma membrane components and contributes chromosomes, centriole, perinuclear theca proteins and regulatory RNAs to the zygote. While also incorporated in oocyte cytoplasm, structures of the sperm tail, including mitochondrial sheath, axoneme, fibrous sheath and outer dense fibers are degraded and recycled. The ability of some of these sperm contributed components to give rise to functional zygotic structures and properly induce embryonic development may vary between bulls, bearing on their reproductive performance, and on the fitness, health, fertility and production traits of their offspring. Proper functioning, recycling and remodeling of gamete structures at fertilization is aided by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), the universal substrate-specific protein recycling pathway present in bovine and other mammalian oocytes and spermatozoa. This review is focused on the aspects of UPS relevant to bovine fertilization and bull fertility.
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Yao X, Ei-Samahy MA, Yang H, Feng X, Li F, Meng F, Nie H, Wang F. Age-associated expression of vitamin D receptor and vitamin D-metabolizing enzymes in the male reproductive tract and sperm of Hu sheep. Anim Reprod Sci 2018; 190:27-38. [PMID: 29336863 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The cellular response to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (Vit D3; biologically active form of Vitamin D) is complex and depends not only on Vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression but also on cellular uptake of circulating Vit D3 and the presence and activity of Vitamin D-metabolizing enzyme. This study evaluated the expression of VDR and Vitamin D-metabolizing enzymes in the ram reproductive tract at different developmental stages and in spermatozoa. Nearly all cell types in the testes and epithelial cells of the caput, corpus, and cauda expressed VDR, CYP27B1, and CYP24A1 proteins. The mRNA and protein expression of CYP2R1, CYP27A1, and CYP27B1 in the testes and cauda increased significantly with increasing age (P < 0.05). However, epididymal VDR mRNA and protein expression showed no significant difference (P < 0.05) between adult (9- and 24-month-old) and prepubertal (3-month-old) rams. Furthermore, VDR and CYP24A1 were mainly concentrated in the mid-piece of ejaculated or cauda epididymis spermatozoa or both. Additionally, VDR and CYP27B1 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in ejaculated spermatozoa than in cauda epididymal spermatozoa (P < 0.05). Moreover, VDR and CYP24A1 expression was significantly higher in high-motility than in low-motility spermatozoa (P < 0.05). The diverse expression patterns of VDR and Vitamin D-metabolizing enzymes in the ram reproductive tract at different developmental stages and spermatozoa suggest it plays a potential role in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Yao
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - M A Ei-Samahy
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Xu Feng
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Fengzhe Li
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Fanxing Meng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Haitao Nie
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China.
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Yao X, Ei-Samahy MA, Feng X, Zhang T, Li F, Zhang G, Pang J, Nie H, Wang F. Expression and localization of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-like protein 5 in the reproductive organs and sperm of Hu sheep. Anim Reprod Sci 2017; 187:159-166. [PMID: 29097063 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2017.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-like protein 5 (GALNTL5) is involved in male fertility; however, its involvement in the reproduction and fertility of females remains unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the presence of GALNTL5 in the reproductive organs of ewes during the estrus period and to investigate its expression in cauda epididymal and ejaculated sperm. Results showed that GALNTL5 mRNA and protein were present in some reproductive organs of ewes during the estrus period. The highest levels of GALNTL5 mRNA and protein occurred in the uterine horn and oviductal ampulla and the lowest in the uterine cervix and oviductal infundibulum. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that GALNTL5 protein was mainly located in luminal and glandular epithelial cells of the uterus and oviduct, and in the theca and granulosa cells of the ovary. GALNTL5 gene expression was significantly higher in ejaculated sperm than in cauda epididymal sperm. The amount of GALNTL5 protein in seminal plasma was significantly higher than in ejaculated sperm. Additionally, GALNTL5 was strongly localized in the mid-piece and head of ejaculated sperm, and in the head-tail coupling apparatus and acrosome of cauda epididymal sperm. This is the first evidence that GALNTL5 might play an important role in a range of reproductive functions as well as in sperm motility and capacitation. Further studies are required to evaluate the function of GALNTL5 in reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Yao
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - M A Ei-Samahy
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Xu Feng
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Tinging Zhang
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Fengzhe Li
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Guomin Zhang
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Jing Pang
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Haitao Nie
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Feng Wang
- Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Mutton Sheep and Goat Industry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
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Pratt SL, Calcatera SM. Expression of microRNA in male reproductive tissues and their role in male fertility. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 29:24-31. [PMID: 28278790 DOI: 10.1071/rd16293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) are small non-coding RNA, approximately 22 nucleotides in length, that regulate gene expression through their ability to bind to mRNA. The role of miRNA in cellular and tissue development is well documented and their importance in male reproductive tissue development is actively being evaluated. They are present in spermatogonia, Sertoli and Leydig cells within the testis and are present in mature spermatozoa, indicating roles in normal testicular development, function and spermatogenesis. Their presence in spermatozoa has led to postulations about the roles of male miRNA during early embryonic development after fertilisation, including chromatin restructuring and possible epigenetic effects on embryo development. MiRNAs are also present in body fluids, such as blood serum, milk, ovarian follicular fluid and seminal fluid. Circulating miRNAs are stable, and aberrant expression of cellular or extracellular miRNA has been associated with multiple pathophysiological conditions, the most studied being numerous forms of cancer. Considering that miRNAs are present in spermatozoa and in seminal fluid, their stability and the relatively non-invasive procedures required to obtain these samples make miRNAs excellent candidates for use as biomarkers of male reproduction and fertility. Biomarkers, such as miRNAs, identifying fertile males would be of financial interest to the animal production industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Pratt
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0311, USA
| | - S M Calcatera
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0311, USA
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Discovery of microRNAs during early spermatogenesis in chicken. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177098. [PMID: 28531200 PMCID: PMC5439670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex process that involves many elements. However, until now, little is known at the molecular level about spermatogenesis in poultry. Here we investigated microRNAs and their target genes that may be involved in germ cell development and spermatogonial in chicken. We used next-generation sequencing to analyze miRNA expression profiles in three types of germline cells: primordial germ cells (PGCs), spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), and spermatogonia (Sp) during early stage of spermatogenesis. After validated the candidate miRNAs and corresponding genes’ expression in three types of cells, we found 15 miRNAs that were enriched 21 target genes that may be involved in spermatogenesis. Among the enriched miRNAs, miR-202-5p/3p were up-regulated in the Sp library and down-regulated in the PGCs library. Through RT-qPCR and Dual-Luciferase reporter assay, we confirmed that miR-202-5p bind to LIMK2 and involved in germ cell development. Collectively, we firstly discover the novel miRNAs, like miR-202-5p, and its related genes and pathways, expressed during the early spermatogonial stage in chicken, which will provide new clues for deciphering the molecular mechanism of the miRNAs regulating germline stem cell differentiation and spermatogenesis in chicken.
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Kropp J, Carrillo JA, Namous H, Daniels A, Salih SM, Song J, Khatib H. Male fertility status is associated with DNA methylation signatures in sperm and transcriptomic profiles of bovine preimplantation embryos. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:280. [PMID: 28381255 PMCID: PMC5382486 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3673-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Infertility in dairy cattle is a concern where reduced fertilization rates and high embryonic loss are contributing factors. Studies of the paternal contribution to reproductive performance are limited. However, recent discoveries have shown that, in addition to DNA, sperm delivers transcription factors and epigenetic components that are required for fertilization and proper embryonic development. Hence, characterization of the paternal contribution at the time of fertilization is warranted. We hypothesized that sire fertility is associated with differences in DNA methylation patterns in sperm and that the embryonic transcriptomic profiles are influenced by the fertility status of the bull. Embryos were generated in vitro by fertilization with either a high or low fertility Holstein bull. Blastocysts derived from each high and low fertility bulls were evaluated for morphology, development, and transcriptomic analysis using RNA-Sequencing. Additionally, DNA methylation signatures of sperm from high and low fertility sires were characterized by performing whole-genome DNA methylation binding domain sequencing. Results Embryo morphology and developmental capacity did not differ between embryos generated from either a high or low fertility bull. However, RNA-Sequencing revealed 98 genes to be differentially expressed at a false discovery rate < 1%. A total of 65 genes were upregulated in high fertility bull derived embryos, and 33 genes were upregulated in low fertility derived embryos. Expression of the genes CYCS, EEA1, SLC16A7, MEPCE, and TFB2M was validated in three new pairs of biological replicates of embryos. The role of the differentially expressed gene TFB2M in embryonic development was further assessed through expression knockdown at the zygotic stage, which resulted in decreased development to the blastocyst stage. Assessment of the epigenetic signature of spermatozoa between high and low fertility bulls revealed 76 differentially methylated regions. Conclusions Despite similar morphology and development to the blastocyst stage, preimplantation embryos derived from high and low fertility bulls displayed significant transcriptomic differences. The relationship between the paternal contribution and the embryonic transcriptome is unclear, although differences in methylated regions were identified which could influence the reprogramming of the early embryo. Further characterization of paternal factors delivered to the oocyte could lead to the identification of biomarkers for better selection of sires to improve reproductive efficiency. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3673-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Kropp
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - José A Carrillo
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Hadjer Namous
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Alyssa Daniels
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sana M Salih
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.,Present address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26508, USA
| | - Jiuzhou Song
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Hasan Khatib
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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Capra E, Turri F, Lazzari B, Cremonesi P, Gliozzi TM, Fojadelli I, Stella A, Pizzi F. Small RNA sequencing of cryopreserved semen from single bull revealed altered miRNAs and piRNAs expression between High- and Low-motile sperm populations. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:14. [PMID: 28052756 PMCID: PMC5209821 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3394-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Small RNAs present in bovine ejaculate can be linked to sperm abnormalities and fertility disorders. At present, quality parameters routinely used in semen evaluation are not fully reliable to predict bull fertility. In order to provide additional quality measurements for cryopreserved semen used for breeding, a method based on deep sequencing of sperm microRNA (miRNA) and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) from individual bulls was developed. To validate our method, two populations of spermatozoa isolated from high and low motile fractions separated by Percoll were sequenced, and their small RNAs content characterized. Results Sperm cells from frozen thawed semen samples of 4 bulls were successfully separated in two fractions. We identified 83 miRNAs and 79 putative piRNAs clusters that were differentially expressed in both fractions. Gene pathways targeted by 40 known differentially expressed miRNAs were related to apoptosis. Dysregulation of miR-17-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-486-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-184 and miR-20a-5p was found to target three pathways (PTEN, PI3K/AKT and STAT). Conclusions Small RNAs sequencing data obtained from single bulls are consistent with previous findings. Specific miRNAs are differentially represented in low versus high motile sperm, suggesting an alteration of cell functions and increased germ cell apoptosis in the low motile fraction. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3394-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Capra
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - F Turri
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - B Lazzari
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy.,Parco Tecnologico Padano, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - P Cremonesi
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - T M Gliozzi
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - I Fojadelli
- Parco Tecnologico Padano, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - A Stella
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy.,Parco Tecnologico Padano, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - F Pizzi
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Einstein, 26900, Lodi, Italy.
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Schuster A, Tang C, Xie Y, Ortogero N, Yuan S, Yan W. SpermBase: A Database for Sperm-Borne RNA Contents. Biol Reprod 2016; 95:99. [PMID: 27628216 PMCID: PMC5178153 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.142190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Since their discovery approximately three decades ago, sperm-borne RNAs, both large/small and coding/noncoding, have been reported in multiple organisms, and some have been implicated in spermatogenesis, early development, and epigenetic inheritance. Despite these advances, isolation, quantification, and annotation of sperm-borne RNAs remain nontrivial. The yields and subspecies of sperm-borne RNAs isolated from sperm can vary drastically depending on the methods used, and no cross-species analyses of sperm RNA contents have ever been conducted using a standardized sperm RNA isolation protocol. To address these issues, we developed a simple RNA isolation method that is applicable to sperm of various species, thus allowing for reliable interspecies comparisons. Based on RNA-Seq analyses, we established SpermBase (
www.spermbase.org), a database dedicated to sperm-borne RNA profiling of multiple species. Currently, SpermBase contains large and small RNA expression data for mouse, rat, rabbit, and human total sperm and sperm heads. By analyzing large and small RNAs for conserved features, we found that many sperm-borne RNA species were conserved across all four species analyzed, and among the conserved small RNAs, sperm-borne tRNA-derived small noncoding RNAs and miRNAs can target a large number of genes known to be critical for early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Schuster
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
| | - Chong Tang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
| | - Yeming Xie
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
| | - Nicole Ortogero
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada
- Correspondence: Wei Yan, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557. E-mail:
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Human Ribosomal RNA-Derived Resident MicroRNAs as the Transmitter of Information upon the Cytoplasmic Cancer Stress. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:7562085. [PMID: 27517048 PMCID: PMC4969525 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7562085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dysfunction of ribosome biogenesis induces divergent ribosome-related diseases including ribosomopathy and occasionally results in carcinogenesis. Although many defects in ribosome-related genes have been investigated, little is known about contribution of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in ribosome-related disorders. Meanwhile, microRNA (miRNA), an important regulator of gene expression, is derived from both coding and noncoding region of the genome and is implicated in various diseases. Therefore, we performed in silico analyses using M-fold, TargetScan, GeneCoDia3, and so forth to investigate RNA relationships between rRNA and miRNA against cellular stresses. We have previously shown that miRNA synergism is significantly correlated with disease and the miRNA package is implicated in memory for diseases; therefore, quantum Dynamic Nexus Score (DNS) was also calculated using MESer program. As a result, seventeen RNA sequences identical with known miRNAs were detected in the human rRNA and termed as rRNA-hosted miRNA analogs (rmiRNAs). Eleven of them were predicted to form stem-loop structures as pre-miRNAs, and especially one stem-loop was completely identical with hsa-pre-miR-3678 located in the non-rDNA region. Thus, these rmiRNAs showed significantly high DNS values, participation in regulation of cancer-related pathways, and interaction with nucleolar RNAs, suggesting that rmiRNAs may be stress-responsible resident miRNAs which transmit stress-tuning information in multiple levels.
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Kaya A, Memili E. Sperm macromolecules associated with bull fertility. Anim Reprod Sci 2016; 169:88-94. [PMID: 26925808 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2016.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Bull fertility, ability of the sperm to fertilize and activate the egg that sustain embryo development, is vitally important for effective and efficient production of cattle. Fertility is a complex trait with low heritability. Despite recent advances in genomic selection and possibility of enormous paternal benefits to profitable cattle production, there exist no reliable tests for evaluating semen quality and predicting bull fertility. This review focuses on sperm macromolecules such as transcripts, proteins and the epigenome, i.e., the functional genome that are associated with bull fertility. Generating new information in these systems is important beyond agriculture because such progress advances the fundamental science of the mammalian male gamete while at the same time introduces biotechnology into livestock production. Sperm macromolecules and epigenome markers associated with bull fertility can be used alone or in combination with the current SNP microarrays to determine sperm quality and to indicate bull fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Kaya
- Department of Artificial Insemination and Reproduction, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Erdoğan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.
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Huang J, Guo F, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Wang X, Ju Z, Yang C, Wang C, Hou M, Zhong J. PCK1
is negatively regulated by bta-miR-26a, and a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the 3′ untranslated region is involved in semen quality and longevity of Holstein bulls. Mol Reprod Dev 2016; 83:217-25. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Huang
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Fang Guo
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Zebin Zhang
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Yuanpei Zhang
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Xiuge Wang
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Zhihua Ju
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Chunhong Yang
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Changfa Wang
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Minghai Hou
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
| | - Jifeng Zhong
- Dairy Cattle Research Center; Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong China
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Murashov AK, Pak ES, Koury M, Ajmera A, Jeyakumar M, Parker M, Williams O, Ding J, Walters D, Neufer PD. Paternal long-term exercise programs offspring for low energy expenditure and increased risk for obesity in mice. FASEB J 2015; 30:775-84. [PMID: 26506979 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-274274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 yr. The association between metabolic disorders in offspring of obese mothers with diabetes has long been known; however, a growing body of research indicates that fathers play a significant role through presently unknown mechanisms. Recent observations have shown that changes in paternal diet may result in transgenerational inheritance of the insulin-resistant phenotype. Although diet-induced epigenetic reprogramming via paternal lineage has recently received much attention in the literature, the effect of paternal physical activity on offspring metabolism has not been adequately addressed. In the current study, we investigated the effects of long-term voluntary wheel-running in C57BL/6J male mice on their offspring's predisposition to insulin resistance. Our observations revealed that fathers subjected to wheel-running for 12 wk produced offspring that were more susceptible to the adverse effects of a high-fat diet, manifested in increased body weight and adiposity, impaired glucose tolerance, and elevated insulin levels. Long-term paternal exercise also altered expression of several metabolic genes, including Ogt, Oga, Pdk4, H19, Glut4, and Ptpn1, in offspring skeletal muscle. Finally, prolonged exercise affected gene methylation patterns and micro-RNA content in the sperm of fathers, providing a potential mechanism for the transgenerational inheritance. These findings suggest that paternal exercise produces offspring with a thrifty phenotype, potentially via miRNA-induced modification of sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K Murashov
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elena S Pak
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael Koury
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ajay Ajmera
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maneesh Jeyakumar
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew Parker
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Oksana Williams
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jian Ding
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dianne Walters
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - P Darrell Neufer
- *Department of Physiology and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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48
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Jia KT, Zhang J, Jia P, Zeng L, Jin Y, Yuan Y, Chen J, Hong Y, Yi M. Identification of MicroRNAs in Zebrafish Spermatozoa. Zebrafish 2015; 12:387-97. [PMID: 26418264 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2015.1115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in almost all biological processes. Plenty of evidences show that some testis- or spermatozoa-specific miRNAs play crucial roles in the process of gonad and germ cell development. In this study, the spermatozoa miRNA profiles were investigated through a combination of illumina deep sequencing and bioinformatics analysis in zebrafish. Deep sequencing of small RNAs yielded 11,820,680 clean reads. By mapping to the zebrafish genome, we identified 400 novel and 204 known miRNAs that could be grouped into 104 families. Furthermore, we selected the six highest expressions of known miRNAs to detect their expression patterns in different tissues by stem-loop quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We found that among the six miRNAs, dre-miR-202-5p displayed specific and high expression in zebrafish spermatozoa and testis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis indicated that dre-miR-202-5p was predominantly expressed in all kind of germ cells at different spermatogenetic stages, including spermatogonia and spermatozoa, but barely expressed in the germ cells in the ovary. This sex-biased expression pattern suggests that dre-miR-202-5p might be related to spermatogenesis and the functioning of spermatozoa. The identification of miRNAs in zebrafish spermatozoa and germ cells offers new insights into the spermatogenesis and spermatozoa in the teleost and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Tong Jia
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,3 South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,3 South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Jia
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,3 South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Zeng
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,3 South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
| | - Yilin Jin
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,3 South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongming Yuan
- 4 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jieying Chen
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhan Hong
- 4 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Meisheng Yi
- 1 School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China .,3 South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, China
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49
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Nixon B, Stanger SJ, Mihalas BP, Reilly JN, Anderson AL, Tyagi S, Holt JE, McLaughlin EA. The microRNA signature of mouse spermatozoa is substantially modified during epididymal maturation. Biol Reprod 2015; 93:91. [PMID: 26333995 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.132209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the epigenetic control of sperm development, leading to an increased appreciation of the importance of RNA interference pathways, and in particular miRNAs, as key regulators of spermatogenesis and epididymal maturation. It has also been shown that sperm are endowed with an impressive array of miRNA that have been implicated in various aspects of fertilization and embryo development. However, to date there have been no reports on whether the sperm miRNA signature is static or whether it is influenced by their prolonged maturation within the male reproductive tract. To investigate this phenomenon, we employed next-generation sequencing to systematically profile the miRNA signature of maturing mouse spermatozoa. In so doing we have provided the first evidence for the posttesticular modification of the sperm miRNA profile under normal physiological conditions. Such modifications include the apparent loss and acquisition of an impressive cohort of some 113 and 115 miRNAs, respectively, between the proximal and distal epididymal segments. Interestingly, the majority of these changes occur late in maturation and include the uptake of novel miRNA species in addition to a significant increase in many miRNAs natively expressed in immature sperm. Because sperm are not capable of de novo transcription, these findings identify the epididymis as an important site in establishing the sperm epigenome with the potential to influence the peri-conceptual environment of the female reproductive tract, contribute to the inheritance of acquired characteristics, and/or alter the developmental trajectory of the resulting offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Nixon
- Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simone J Stanger
- Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bettina P Mihalas
- Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jackson N Reilly
- Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amanda L Anderson
- Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sonika Tyagi
- Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Janet E Holt
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eileen A McLaughlin
- Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
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50
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Perkel KJ, Tscherner A, Merrill C, Lamarre J, Madan P. The ART of selecting the best embryo: A review of early embryonic mortality and bovine embryo viability assessment methods. Mol Reprod Dev 2015; 82:822-38. [PMID: 26184077 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Animal reproductive biotechnology is continually evolving. Significant advances have been made in our understanding of early embryonic mortality and embryo development in domestic animals, which has improved the selection and success of in vitro technologies. Yet our knowledge is still relatively limited such that identifying a single embryo with the highest chance of survival and development for transfer remains challenging. While invasive methods such as embryo biopsy can provide useful information regarding the genetic status of the embryos, morphological assessment remains the most common evaluation. A recent shift, however, favors alternative, adjunct approaches for non-invasive assessment of an embryo's viability and developmental potential. Various analytical techniques have facilitated the evaluation of cellular health through the metabolome, the assessment of end products of cellular metabolism, or by analyzing spent media for small RNAs. This review discusses the application of noninvasive approaches for ascertaining the health and viability of in vitro-produced bovine embryos. A comparative analysis of noninvasive techniques for embryo assessment currently being investigated in cattle and humans is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla J Perkel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison Tscherner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Casandra Merrill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan Lamarre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pavneesh Madan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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