1
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Adams S, Pires-daSilva A. Non-Mendelian transmission of X chromosomes: mechanisms and impact on sex ratios and population dynamics in different breeding systems. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1777-1784. [PMID: 39149984 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231411] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The non-Mendelian transmission of sex chromosomes during gametogenesis carries significant implications, influencing sex ratios and shaping evolutionary dynamics. Here we focus on known mechanisms that drive non-Mendelian inheritance of X chromosomes during spermatogenesis and their impact on population dynamics in species with different breeding systems. In Drosophila and mice, X-linked drivers targeting Y-bearing sperm for elimination or limiting their fitness, tend to confer unfavourable effects, prompting the evolution of suppressors to mitigate their impact. This leads to a complex ongoing evolutionary arms race to maintain an equal balance of males and females. However, in certain insects and nematodes with XX/X0 sex determination, the preferential production of X-bearing sperm through atypical meiosis yields wild-type populations with highly skewed sex ratios, suggesting non-Mendelian transmission of the X may offer selective advantages in these species. Indeed, models suggest X-meiotic drivers could bolster population size and persistence under certain conditions, challenging the conventional view of their detrimental effects. Furthering our understanding of the diverse mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of non-Mendelian transmission of X chromosomes will provide insights into genetic inheritance, sex determination, and population dynamics, with implications for fundamental research and practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Adams
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
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2
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Brand CL, Oliver GT, Farkas IZ, Buszczak M, Levine MT. Recurrent Duplication and Diversification of a Vital DNA Repair Gene Family Across Drosophila. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae113. [PMID: 38865490 PMCID: PMC11210505 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae113] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Maintaining genome integrity is vital for organismal survival and reproduction. Essential, broadly conserved DNA repair pathways actively preserve genome integrity. However, many DNA repair proteins evolve adaptively. Ecological forces like UV exposure are classically cited drivers of DNA repair evolution. Intrinsic forces like repetitive DNA, which also imperil genome integrity, have received less attention. We recently reported that a Drosophila melanogaster-specific DNA satellite array triggered species-specific, adaptive evolution of a DNA repair protein called Spartan/MH. The Spartan family of proteases cleave hazardous, covalent crosslinks that form between DNA and proteins ("DNA-protein crosslink repair"). Appreciating that DNA satellites are both ubiquitous and universally fast-evolving, we hypothesized that satellite DNA turnover spurs adaptive evolution of DNA-protein crosslink repair beyond a single gene and beyond the D. melanogaster lineage. This hypothesis predicts pervasive Spartan gene family diversification across Drosophila species. To study the evolutionary history of the Drosophila Spartan gene family, we conducted population genetic, molecular evolution, phylogenomic, and tissue-specific expression analyses. We uncovered widespread signals of positive selection across multiple Spartan family genes and across multiple evolutionary timescales. We also detected recurrent Spartan family gene duplication, divergence, and gene loss. Finally, we found that ovary-enriched parent genes consistently birthed functionally diverged, testis-enriched daughter genes. To account for Spartan family diversification, we introduce a novel mechanistic model of antagonistic coevolution that links DNA satellite evolution and adaptive regulation of Spartan protease activity. This framework promises to accelerate our understanding of how DNA repeats drive recurrent evolutionary innovation to preserve genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara L Brand
- Department of Biology and Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Genevieve T Oliver
- Department of Biology and Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Isabella Z Farkas
- Department of Biology and Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Buszczak
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mia T Levine
- Department of Biology and Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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3
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Martí E, Larracuente AM. Genetic conflict and the origin of multigene families: implications for sex chromosome evolution. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231823. [PMID: 37909083 PMCID: PMC10618873 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1823] [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: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are havens for intragenomic conflicts. The absence of recombination between sex chromosomes creates the opportunity for the evolution of segregation distorters: selfish genetic elements that hijack different aspects of an individual's reproduction to increase their own transmission. Biased (non-Mendelian) segregation, however, often occurs at a detriment to their host's fitness, and therefore can trigger evolutionary arms races that can have major consequences for genome structure and regulation, gametogenesis, reproductive strategies and even speciation. Here, we review an emerging feature from comparative genomic and sex chromosome evolution studies suggesting that meiotic drive is pervasive: the recurrent evolution of paralogous sex-linked gene families. Sex chromosomes of several species independently acquire and co-amplify rapidly evolving gene families with spermatogenesis-related functions, consistent with a history of intragenomic conflict over transmission. We discuss Y chromosome features that might contribute to the tempo and mode of evolution of X/Y co-amplified gene families, as well as their implications for the evolution of complexity in the genome. Finally, we propose a framework that explores the conditions that might allow for recurrent bouts of fixation of drivers and suppressors, in a dosage-sensitive fashion, and therefore the co-amplification of multigene families on sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Martí
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
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4
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Holmlund H, Yamauchi Y, Ruthig VA, Cocquet J, Ward MA. Return of the forgotten hero: the role of Y chromosome-encoded Zfy in male reproduction. Mol Hum Reprod 2023; 29:gaad025. [PMID: 37354519 PMCID: PMC10695432 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaad025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Y-linked zinc finger gene ZFY is conserved across eutherians and is known to be a critical fertility factor in some species. The initial studies of the mouse homologues, Zfy1 and Zfy2, were performed using mice with spontaneous Y chromosome mutations and Zfy transgenes. These studies revealed that Zfy is involved in multiple processes during spermatogenesis, including removal of germ cells with unpaired chromosomes and control of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation during meiosis I, facilitating the progress of meiosis II, promoting spermiogenesis, and improving assisted reproduction outcomes. Zfy was also identified as a key gene in Y chromosome evolution, protecting this chromosome from extinction by serving as the executioner responsible for meiosis surveillance. Studies with targeted Zfy knock-outs revealed that mice lacking both homologues have severe spermatogenic defects and are infertile. Based on protein structure and in vitro assays, Zfy is expected to drive spermatogenesis as a transcriptional regulator. The combined evidence documents that the presence of at least one Zfy homologue is required for male fertility and that Zfy2 plays a more prominent role. This knowledge reinforces the importance of these factors for mouse spermatogenesis and informs our understanding of the human ZFY variants, which are homologous to the mouse Zfy1 and Zfy2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden Holmlund
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Victor A Ruthig
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Universite Paris Cite, Paris, France
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
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5
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Bypassing Mendel's First Law: Transmission Ratio Distortion in Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021600. [PMID: 36675116 PMCID: PMC9863905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mendel's law of segregation states that the two alleles at a diploid locus should be transmitted equally to the progeny. A genetic segregation distortion, also referred to as transmission ratio distortion (TRD), is a statistically significant deviation from this rule. TRD has been observed in several mammal species and may be due to different biological mechanisms occurring at diverse time points ranging from gamete formation to lethality at post-natal stages. In this review, we describe examples of TRD and their possible mechanisms in mammals based on current knowledge. We first focus on the differences between TRD in male and female gametogenesis in the house mouse, in which some of the most well studied TRD systems have been characterized. We then describe known TRD in other mammals, with a special focus on the farmed species and in the peculiar common shrew species. Finally, we discuss TRD in human diseases. Thus far, to our knowledge, this is the first time that such description is proposed. This review will help better comprehend the processes involved in TRD. A better understanding of these molecular mechanisms will imply a better comprehension of their impact on fertility and on genome evolution. In turn, this should allow for better genetic counseling and lead to better care for human families.
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6
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Kopania EEK, Watson EM, Rathje CC, Skinner BM, Ellis PJI, Larson EL, Good JM. The contribution of sex chromosome conflict to disrupted spermatogenesis in hybrid house mice. Genetics 2022; 222:iyac151. [PMID: 36194004 PMCID: PMC9713461 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac151] [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: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Incompatibilities on the sex chromosomes are important in the evolution of hybrid male sterility, but the evolutionary forces underlying this phenomenon are unclear. House mice (Mus musculus) lineages have provided powerful models for understanding the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility. X chromosome-autosome interactions cause strong incompatibilities in M. musculus F1 hybrids, but variation in sterility phenotypes suggests a more complex genetic basis. In addition, XY chromosome conflict has resulted in rapid expansions of ampliconic genes with dosage-dependent expression that is essential to spermatogenesis. Here, we evaluated the contribution of XY lineage mismatch to male fertility and stage-specific gene expression in hybrid mice. We performed backcrosses between two house mouse subspecies to generate reciprocal Y-introgression strains and used these strains to test the effects of XY mismatch in hybrids. Our transcriptome analyses of sorted spermatid cells revealed widespread overexpression of the X chromosome in sterile F1 hybrids independent of Y chromosome subspecies origin. Thus, postmeiotic overexpression of the X chromosome in sterile F1 mouse hybrids is likely a downstream consequence of disrupted meiotic X-inactivation rather than XY gene copy number imbalance. Y chromosome introgression did result in subfertility phenotypes and disrupted expression of several autosomal genes in mice with an otherwise nonhybrid genomic background, suggesting that Y-linked incompatibilities contribute to reproductive barriers, but likely not as a direct consequence of XY conflict. Collectively, these findings suggest that rapid sex chromosome gene family evolution driven by genomic conflict has not resulted in strong male reproductive barriers between these subspecies of house mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E K Kopania
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Eleanor M Watson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Claudia C Rathje
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
| | | | - Peter J I Ellis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Erica L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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7
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Bai M, Liang D, Cheng Y, Liu G, Wang Q, Li J, Wu Y. Gonadal mosaicism mediated female-biased gender control in mice. Protein Cell 2022; 13:863-868. [PMID: 35334072 PMCID: PMC9237195 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-022-00910-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meizhu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Dan Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Guolong Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Qiudao Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yuxuan Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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8
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Holmlund H, Yamauchi Y, Durango G, Fujii W, Ward MA. Two acquired mouse Y chromosome-linked genes, Prssly and Teyorf1, are dispensable for male fertility‡. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:752-764. [PMID: 35485405 PMCID: PMC9476217 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prssly (Protease, serine-like, Chr Y) and Teyorf1 (Testis expressed, chromosome Y open reading frame 1) are two acquired single-copy genes located on the distal tip of the non-pairing short arm of the mouse Y chromosome adjacent to telomeric sequence. Both genes lack X chromosome-linked homologues and are expressed in testicular germ cells. We first performed analysis of Prssly and Teyorf1 genomic sequences and demonstrated that previously reported Prssly sequence is erroneous and the true Prssly sequence is longer and encodes a larger protein than previously estimated. We also confirmed that both genes encode pseudogenes that are not expressed in testes. Next, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome targeting, we generated Prssly and Teyorf1 knockout (KO) mice and characterized their phenotype. To create Prssly KO mice, we targeted the conserved exon 5 encoding a trypsin domain typical for serine proteases. The targeting was successful and resulted in a frame shift mutation that introduced a premature stop codon, with the Prssly KO males retaining only residual transcript expression in testes. The Teyorf1 targeting removed the entire open reading frame of the gene, which resulted in no transcript expression in KO males. Both Prssly KO and Teyorf1 KO males were fertile and had normal testis size and normal sperm number, motility, and morphology. Our findings show that Prssly and Teyorf1 transcripts with potential to encode proteins are dispensable for male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden Holmlund
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Gerald Durango
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Wataru Fujii
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
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9
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Cīrulis A, Hansson B, Abbott JK. Sex-limited chromosomes and non-reproductive traits. BMC Biol 2022; 20:156. [PMID: 35794589 PMCID: PMC9261002 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are typically viewed as having originated from a pair of autosomes, and differentiated as the sex-limited chromosome (e.g. Y) has degenerated by losing most genes through cessation of recombination. While often thought that degenerated sex-limited chromosomes primarily affect traits involved in sex determination and sex cell production, accumulating evidence suggests they also influence traits not sex-limited or directly involved in reproduction. Here, we provide an overview of the effects of sex-limited chromosomes on non-reproductive traits in XY, ZW or UV sex determination systems, and discuss evolutionary processes maintaining variation at sex-limited chromosomes and molecular mechanisms affecting non-reproductive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aivars Cīrulis
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
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10
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Deletion in the Y chromosome of B10.BR-Ydel mice alters transcription from MSYq genes and has moderate effect on DNA methylation. Reprod Biol 2022; 22:100614. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2022.100614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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11
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Larson EL, Kopania EEK, Hunnicutt KE, Vanderpool D, Keeble S, Good JM. Stage-specific disruption of X chromosome expression during spermatogenesis in sterile house mouse hybrids. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkab407. [PMID: 34864964 PMCID: PMC9210296 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid sterility is a complex phenotype that can result from the breakdown of spermatogenesis at multiple developmental stages. Here, we disentangle two proposed hybrid male sterility mechanisms in the house mice, Mus musculus domesticus and M. m. musculus, by comparing patterns of gene expression in sterile F1 hybrids from a reciprocal cross. We found that hybrid males from both cross directions showed disrupted X chromosome expression during prophase of meiosis I consistent with a loss of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) and Prdm9-associated sterility, but that the degree of disruption was greater in mice with an M. m. musculus X chromosome consistent with previous studies. During postmeiotic development, gene expression on the X chromosome was only disrupted in one cross direction, suggesting that misexpression at this later stage was genotype-specific and not a simple downstream consequence of MSCI disruption which was observed in both reciprocal crosses. Instead, disrupted postmeiotic expression may depend on the magnitude of earlier disrupted MSCI, or the disruption of particular X-linked genes or gene networks. Alternatively, only hybrids with a potential deficit of Sly copies, a Y-linked ampliconic gene family, showed overexpression in postmeiotic cells, consistent with a previously proposed model of antagonistic coevolution between the X- and Y-linked ampliconic genes contributing to disrupted expression late in spermatogenesis. The relative contributions of these two regulatory mechanisms and their impact on sterility phenotypes await further study. Our results further support the hypothesis that X-linked hybrid sterility in house mice has a variable genetic basis, and that genotype-specific disruption of gene regulation contributes to overexpression of the X chromosome at different stages of development. Overall, these findings underscore the critical role of epigenetic regulation of the X chromosome during spermatogenesis and suggest that these processes are prone to disruption in hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Emily E K Kopania
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Kelsie E Hunnicutt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Dan Vanderpool
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Sara Keeble
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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12
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Muirhead CA, Presgraves DC. Satellite DNA-mediated diversification of a sex-ratio meiotic drive gene family in Drosophila. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1604-1612. [PMID: 34489561 PMCID: PMC11188575 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01543-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are susceptible to the evolution of selfish meiotic drive elements that bias transmission and distort progeny sex ratios. Conflict between such sex-ratio drivers and the rest of the genome can trigger evolutionary arms races resulting in genetically suppressed 'cryptic' drive systems. The Winters cryptic sex-ratio drive system of Drosophila simulans comprises a driver, Distorter on the X (Dox) and an autosomal suppressor, Not much yang, a retroduplicate of Dox that suppresses via production of endogenous small interfering RNAs (esiRNAs). Here we report that over 22 Dox-like (Dxl) sequences originated, amplified and diversified over the ~250,000-year history of the three closely related species, D. simulans, D. mauritiana and D. sechellia. The Dxl sequences encode a rapidly evolving family of protamines. Dxl copy numbers amplified by ectopic exchange among euchromatic islands of satellite DNAs on the X chromosome and separately spawned four esiRNA-producing suppressors on the autosomes. Our results reveal the genomic consequences of evolutionary arms races and highlight complex interactions among different classes of selfish DNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina A Muirhead
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Ronin Institute, Montclair, NJ, USA
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13
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Haines BA, Barradale F, Dumont BL. Patterns and mechanisms of sex ratio distortion in the Collaborative Cross mouse mapping population. Genetics 2021; 219:6355587. [PMID: 34740238 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In species with single-locus, chromosome-based mechanisms of sex determination, the laws of segregation predict an equal ratio of females to males at birth. Here, we show that departures from this Mendelian expectation are commonplace in the 8-way recombinant inbred Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse population. More than one-third of CC strains exhibit significant sex ratio distortion (SRD) at wean, with twice as many male-biased than female-biased strains. We show that these pervasive sex biases persist across multiple breeding environments, are stable over time, and are not mediated by random maternal effects. SRD exhibits a heritable component, but QTL mapping analyses fail to nominate any large effect loci. These findings, combined with the reported absence of sex ratio biases in the CC founder strains, suggest that SRD manifests from multilocus combinations of alleles only uncovered in recombined CC genomes. We explore several potential complex genetic mechanisms for SRD, including allelic interactions leading to sex-biased lethality, genetic sex reversal, chromosome drive mediated by sex-linked selfish elements, and incompatibilities between specific maternal and paternal genotypes. We show that no one mechanism offers a singular explanation for this population-wide SRD. Instead, our data present preliminary evidence for the action of distinct mechanisms of SRD at play in different strains. Taken together, our work exposes the pervasiveness of SRD in the CC population and nominates the CC as a powerful resource for investigating diverse genetic causes of biased sex chromosome transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beth L Dumont
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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14
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Subrini J, Turner J. Y chromosome functions in mammalian spermatogenesis. eLife 2021; 10:67345. [PMID: 34606444 PMCID: PMC8489898 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian Y chromosome is critical for male sex determination and spermatogenesis. However, linking each Y gene to specific aspects of male reproduction has been challenging. As the Y chromosome is notoriously hard to sequence and target, functional studies have mostly relied on transgene-rescue approaches using mouse models with large multi-gene deletions. These experimental limitations have oriented the field toward the search for a minimum set of Y genes necessary for male reproduction. Here, considering Y-chromosome evolutionary history and decades of discoveries, we review the current state of research on its function in spermatogenesis and reassess the view that many Y genes are disposable for male reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremie Subrini
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - James Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Reddy HM, Bhattacharya R, Tiwari S, Mishra K, Annapurna P, Jehan Z, Praveena NM, Alex JL, Dhople VM, Singh L, Sivaramakrishnan M, Chaturvedi A, Rangaraj N, Shiju TM, Sreedevi B, Kumar S, Dereddi RR, Rayabandla SM, Jesudasan RA. Y chromosomal noncoding RNAs regulate autosomal gene expression via piRNAs in mouse testis. BMC Biol 2021; 19:198. [PMID: 34503492 PMCID: PMC8428117 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01125-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Deciphering the functions of Y chromosome in mammals has been slow owing to the presence of repeats. Some of these repeats transcribe coding RNAs, the roles of which have been studied. Functions of the noncoding transcripts from Y chromosomal repeats however, remain unclear. While a majority of the genes expressed during spermatogenesis are autosomal, mice with different deletions of the long arm of the Y chromosome (Yq) were previously also shown to be characterized by subfertility, sterility and sperm abnormalities, suggesting the presence of effectors of spermatogenesis at this location. Here we report a set of novel noncoding RNAs from mouse Yq and explore their connection to some of the autosomal genes expressed in testis. Results We describe a set of novel mouse male-specific Y long arm (MSYq)-derived long noncoding (lnc) transcripts, named Pirmy and Pirmy-like RNAs. Pirmy shows a large number of splice variants in testis. We also identified Pirmy-like RNAs present in multiple copies at different loci on mouse Y chromosome. Further, we identified eight differentially expressed autosome-encoded sperm proteins in a mutant mouse strain, XYRIIIqdel (2/3 Yq-deleted). Pirmy and Pirmy-like RNAs have homology to 5′/3′UTRs of these deregulated autosomal genes. Several lines of experiments show that these short homologous stretches correspond to piRNAs. Thus, Pirmy and Pirmy-like RNAs act as templates for several piRNAs. In vitro functional assays reveal putative roles for these piRNAs in regulating autosomal genes. Conclusions Our study elucidates a set of autosomal genes that are potentially regulated by MSYq-derived piRNAs in mouse testis. Sperm phenotypes from the Yq-deleted mice seem to be similar to that reported in inter-specific male-sterile hybrids. Taken together, this study provides novel insights into possible role of MSYq-derived ncRNAs in male sterility and speciation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01125-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemakumar M Reddy
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Present address: Brown University BioMed Division, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 185 Meeting Street room 257, Sidney Frank Life Sciences Building, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Rupa Bhattacharya
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,, Pennington, NJ, 08534, USA
| | - Shrish Tiwari
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Kankadeb Mishra
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Department of Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, Rockefeller Research Laboratory, 430 East 67th Street, RRL 445, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Pranatharthi Annapurna
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery & Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 376A Stemmler Hall, 36th Street & Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Zeenath Jehan
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicines, Vasavi Medical and Research Centre, 6-1-91 Khairatabad, Hyderabad, 500 004, India
| | | | - Jomini Liza Alex
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Vishnu M Dhople
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Department of Functional Genomics, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 15 a, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lalji Singh
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Mahadevan Sivaramakrishnan
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Jubilant Biosystems Ltd., #96, Industrial Suburb, 2nd Stage, Yeshwantpur, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560022, India
| | - Anurag Chaturvedi
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nandini Rangaraj
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Thomas Michael Shiju
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44120, USA
| | - Badanapuram Sreedevi
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Sachin Kumar
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Ram Reddy Dereddi
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, building-307, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sunayana M Rayabandla
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Telangana Social Welfare Residential Degree College for Women, Suryapet, Telangana, 508213, India
| | - Rachel A Jesudasan
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India. .,Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India. .,Inter University Centre for Genomics & Gene Technology, Karyavattom Campus, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
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16
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Davies B, Hinch AG, Cebrian-Serrano A, Alghadban S, Becker PW, Biggs D, Hernandez-Pliego P, Preece C, Moralli D, Zhang G, Myers S, Donnelly P. Altering the binding properties of PRDM9 partially restores fertility across the species boundary. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5555-5562. [PMID: 34491357 PMCID: PMC8662609 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterility or subfertility of male hybrid offspring is commonly observed. This phenomenon contributes to reproductive barriers between the parental populations, an early step in the process of speciation. One frequent cause of such infertility is a failure of proper chromosome pairing during male meiosis. In subspecies of the house mouse, the likelihood of successful chromosome synapsis is improved by the binding of the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 to both chromosome homologues at matching positions. Using genetic manipulation, we altered PRDM9 binding to occur more often at matched sites, and find that chromosome pairing defects can be rescued, not only in an inter-subspecific cross, but also between distinct species. Using different engineered variants, we demonstrate a quantitative link between the degree of matched homologue binding, chromosome synapsis and rescue of fertility in hybrids between Mus musculus and Mus spretus. The resulting partial restoration of fertility reveals additional mechanisms at play that act to lock-in the reproductive isolation between these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | | | | | - Samy Alghadban
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Philipp W Becker
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Daniel Biggs
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | | | - Chris Preece
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Daniela Moralli
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Gang Zhang
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Simon Myers
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.,Dept. of Statistics, University of Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Peter Donnelly
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.,Dept. of Statistics, University of Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
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17
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Jackson EK, Bellott DW, Cho TJ, Skaletsky H, Hughes JF, Pyntikova T, Page DC. Large palindromes on the primate X Chromosome are preserved by natural selection. Genome Res 2021; 31:1337-1352. [PMID: 34290043 PMCID: PMC8327919 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275188.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sex chromosomes carry large palindromes that harbor protein-coding gene families with testis-biased expression. However, there are few known examples of sex-chromosome palindromes conserved between species. We identified 26 palindromes on the human X Chromosome, constituting more than 2% of its sequence, and characterized orthologous palindromes in the chimpanzee and the rhesus macaque using a clone-based sequencing approach that incorporates full-length nanopore reads. Many of these palindromes are missing or misassembled in the current reference assemblies of these species' genomes. We find that 12 human X palindromes have been conserved for at least 25 million years, with orthologs in both chimpanzee and rhesus macaque. Insertions and deletions between species are significantly depleted within the X palindromes' protein-coding genes compared to their noncoding sequence, demonstrating that natural selection has preserved these gene families. The spacers that separate the left and right arms of palindromes are a site of localized structural instability, with seven of 12 conserved palindromes showing no spacer orthology between human and rhesus macaque. Analysis of the 1000 Genomes Project data set revealed that human X-palindrome spacers are enriched for deletions relative to arms and flanking sequence, including a common spacer deletion that affects 13% of human X Chromosomes. This work reveals an abundance of conserved palindromes on primate X Chromosomes and suggests that protein-coding gene families in palindromes (most of which remain poorly characterized) promote X-palindrome survival in the face of ongoing structural instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Jackson
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | | | - Ting-Jan Cho
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | | | | | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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18
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Blythe MJ, Kocer A, Rubio-Roldan A, Giles T, Abakir A, Ialy-Radio C, Wheldon LM, Bereshchenko O, Bruscoli S, Kondrashov A, Drevet JR, Emes RD, Johnson AD, McCarrey JR, Gackowski D, Olinski R, Cocquet J, Garcia-Perez JL, Ruzov A. LINE-1 transcription in round spermatids is associated with accretion of 5-carboxylcytosine in their open reading frames. Commun Biol 2021; 4:691. [PMID: 34099857 PMCID: PMC8184969 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02217-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin of male and female gametes undergoes a number of reprogramming events during the transition from germ cell to embryonic developmental programs. Although the rearrangement of DNA methylation patterns occurring in the zygote has been extensively characterized, little is known about the dynamics of DNA modifications during spermatid maturation. Here, we demonstrate that the dynamics of 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC) correlate with active transcription of LINE-1 retroelements during murine spermiogenesis. We show that the open reading frames of active and evolutionary young LINE-1s are 5caC-enriched in round spermatids and 5caC is eliminated from LINE-1s and spermiogenesis-specific genes during spermatid maturation, being simultaneously retained at promoters and introns of developmental genes. Our results reveal an association of 5caC with activity of LINE-1 retrotransposons suggesting a potential direct role for this DNA modification in fine regulation of their transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Blythe
- Deep Seq, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ayhan Kocer
- GReD Laboratory, CNRS UMR 6293 - INSERM U1103 - Clermont Université, Aubière, France
| | - Alejandro Rubio-Roldan
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Tom Giles
- Digital Research Service, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Abdulkadir Abakir
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin - CNRS UMR8104 - Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Lee M Wheldon
- Medical Molecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Oxana Bereshchenko
- Department of Medicine, Section of Pharmacology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Stefano Bruscoli
- Department of Medicine, Section of Pharmacology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Joël R Drevet
- GReD Laboratory, CNRS UMR 6293 - INSERM U1103 - Clermont Université, Aubière, France
| | - Richard D Emes
- Digital Research Service, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, UK. .,School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, UK.
| | - Andrew D Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Daniel Gackowski
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Ryszard Olinski
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Julie Cocquet
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin - CNRS UMR8104 - Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jose L Garcia-Perez
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain.,MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alexey Ruzov
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.
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19
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Hong SH, Han G, Lee SJ, Cocquet J, Cho C. Testicular germ cell-specific lncRNA, Teshl, is required for complete expression of Y chromosome genes and a normal offspring sex ratio. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/24/eabg5177. [PMID: 34108217 PMCID: PMC8189594 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg5177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Heat shock factor 2 (HSF2) regulates the transcription of the male-specific region of the mouse Y chromosome long arm (MSYq) multicopy genes only in testes, but the molecular mechanism underlying this tissue specificity remains largely unknown. Here, we report that the testicular germ cell-specific long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), NR_038002, displays a characteristic spatiotemporal expression pattern in the nuclei of round and elongating spermatids. NR_038002-knockout male mice produced sperm with abnormal head morphology and exhibited reduced fertility accompanied by a female-biased sex ratio in offspring. Molecular analyses revealed that NR_038002 interacts with HSF2 and thereby activates expression of the MSYq genes. We designate NR_038002 as testicular germ cell-specific HSF2-interacting lncRNA (Teshl). Together, our study is the first to demonstrate that the testis specificity of HSF2 activity is regulated by the lncRNA Teshl and establishes a Teshl-HSF2-MSYq molecular axis for normal Y-bearing sperm qualities and consequent balanced offspring sex ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong Hyeon Hong
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwidong Han
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Jae Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Chunghee Cho
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea.
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20
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Moretti C, Blanco M, Ialy-Radio C, Serrentino ME, Gobé C, Friedman R, Battail C, Leduc M, Ward MA, Vaiman D, Tores F, Cocquet J. Battle of the Sex Chromosomes: Competition between X and Y Chromosome-Encoded Proteins for Partner Interaction and Chromatin Occupancy Drives Multicopy Gene Expression and Evolution in Muroid Rodents. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:3453-3468. [PMID: 32658962 PMCID: PMC7743899 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission distorters (TDs) are genetic elements that favor their own transmission to the detriments of others. Slx/Slxl1 (Sycp3-like-X-linked and Slx-like1) and Sly (Sycp3-like-Y-linked) are TDs, which have been coamplified on the X and Y chromosomes of Mus species. They are involved in an intragenomic conflict in which each favors its own transmission, resulting in sex ratio distortion of the progeny when Slx/Slxl1 versus Sly copy number is unbalanced. They are specifically expressed in male postmeiotic gametes (spermatids) and have opposite effects on gene expression: Sly knockdown leads to the upregulation of hundreds of spermatid-expressed genes, whereas Slx/Slxl1-deficiency downregulates them. When both Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are knocked down, sex ratio distortion and gene deregulation are corrected. Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are, therefore, in competition but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. By comparing their chromatin-binding profiles and protein partners, we show that SLX/SLXL1 and SLY proteins compete for interaction with H3K4me3-reader SSTY1 (Spermiogenesis-specific-transcript-on-the-Y1) at the promoter of thousands of genes to drive their expression, and that the opposite effect they have on gene expression is mediated by different abilities to recruit SMRT/N-Cor transcriptional complex. Their target genes are predominantly spermatid-specific multicopy genes encoded by the sex chromosomes and the autosomal Speer/Takusan. Many of them have coamplified with not only Slx/Slxl1/Sly but also Ssty during muroid rodent evolution. Overall, we identify Ssty as a key element of the X versus Y intragenomic conflict, which may have influenced gene content and hybrid sterility beyond Mus lineage since Ssty amplification on the Y predated that of Slx/Slxl1/Sly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Moretti
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Mélina Blanco
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Clara Gobé
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Christophe Battail
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, IRIG, Biology of Cancer and Infection UMR_S 1036, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marjorie Leduc
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Plateforme Protéomique 3P5, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Tores
- Plateforme de Bio-informatique, Institut Imagine, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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21
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Muyle A, Bachtrog D, Marais GAB, Turner JMA. Epigenetics drive the evolution of sex chromosomes in animals and plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200124. [PMID: 33866802 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We review how epigenetics affect sex chromosome evolution in animals and plants. In a few species, sex is determined epigenetically through the action of Y-encoded small RNAs. Epigenetics is also responsible for changing the sex of individuals through time, even in species that carry sex chromosomes, and could favour species adaptation through breeding system plasticity. The Y chromosome accumulates repeats that become epigenetically silenced which leads to an epigenetic conflict with the expression of Y genes and could accelerate Y degeneration. Y heterochromatin can be lost through ageing, which activates transposable elements and lowers male longevity. Y chromosome degeneration has led to the evolution of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation in eutherians (placentals) and marsupials, and dosage compensation mechanisms in animals and plants. X-inactivation convergently evolved in eutherians and marsupials via two independently evolved non-coding RNAs. In Drosophila, male X upregulation by the male specific lethal (MSL) complex can spread to neo-X chromosomes through the transposition of transposable elements that carry an MSL-binding motif. We discuss similarities and possible differences between plants and animals and suggest future directions for this dynamic field of research. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Muyle
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel A B Marais
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.,LEAF- Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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22
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Mukaj A, Piálek J, Fotopulosova V, Morgan AP, Odenthal-Hesse L, Parvanov ED, Forejt J. Prdm9 Intersubspecific Interactions in Hybrid Male Sterility of House Mouse. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:3423-3438. [PMID: 32642764 PMCID: PMC7743643 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical definition posits hybrid sterility as a phenomenon when two parental taxa each of which is fertile produce a hybrid that is sterile. The first hybrid sterility gene in vertebrates, Prdm9, coding for a histone methyltransferase, was identified in crosses between two laboratory mouse strains derived from Mus mus musculus and M. m. domesticus subspecies. The unique function of PRDM9 protein in the initiation of meiotic recombination led to the discovery of the basic molecular mechanism of hybrid sterility in laboratory crosses. However, the role of this protein as a component of reproductive barrier outside the laboratory model remained unclear. Here, we show that the Prdm9 allelic incompatibilities represent the primary cause of reduced fertility in intersubspecific hybrids between M. m. musculus and M. m. domesticus including 16 musculus and domesticus wild-derived strains. Disruption of fertility phenotypes correlated with the rate of failure of synapsis between homologous chromosomes in meiosis I and with early meiotic arrest. All phenotypes were restored to normal when the domesticus Prdm9dom2 allele was substituted with the Prdm9dom2H humanized variant. To conclude, our data show for the first time the male infertility of wild-derived musculus and domesticus subspecies F1 hybrids controlled by Prdm9 as the major hybrid sterility gene. The impairment of fertility surrogates, testes weight and sperm count, correlated with increasing difficulties of meiotic synapsis of homologous chromosomes and with meiotic arrest, which we suppose reflect the increasing asymmetry of PRDM9-dependent DNA double-strand breaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amisa Mukaj
- Department of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Science, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Piálek
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladana Fotopulosova
- Department of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Science, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | | | - Linda Odenthal-Hesse
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
| | - Emil D Parvanov
- Department of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Science, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Forejt
- Department of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Science, Vestec, Czech Republic
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23
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Hughes JF, Skaletsky H, Pyntikova T, Koutseva N, Raudsepp T, Brown LG, Bellott DW, Cho TJ, Dugan-Rocha S, Khan Z, Kremitzki C, Fronick C, Graves-Lindsay TA, Fulton L, Warren WC, Wilson RK, Owens E, Womack JE, Murphy WJ, Muzny DM, Worley KC, Chowdhary BP, Gibbs RA, Page DC. Sequence analysis in Bos taurus reveals pervasiveness of X-Y arms races in mammalian lineages. Genome Res 2020; 30:1716-1726. [PMID: 33208454 PMCID: PMC7706723 DOI: 10.1101/gr.269902.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies of Y Chromosome evolution have focused primarily on gene decay, a consequence of suppression of crossing-over with the X Chromosome. Here, we provide evidence that suppression of X-Y crossing-over unleashed a second dynamic: selfish X-Y arms races that reshaped the sex chromosomes in mammals as different as cattle, mice, and men. Using super-resolution sequencing, we explore the Y Chromosome of Bos taurus (bull) and find it to be dominated by massive, lineage-specific amplification of testis-expressed gene families, making it the most gene-dense Y Chromosome sequenced to date. As in mice, an X-linked homolog of a bull Y-amplified gene has become testis-specific and amplified. This evolutionary convergence implies that lineage-specific X-Y coevolution through gene amplification, and the selfish forces underlying this phenomenon, were dominatingly powerful among diverse mammalian lineages. Together with Y gene decay, X-Y arms races molded mammalian sex chromosomes and influenced the course of mammalian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Terje Raudsepp
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Laura G Brown
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | | | - Ting-Jan Cho
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan-Rocha
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Ziad Khan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Colin Kremitzki
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Catrina Fronick
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Tina A Graves-Lindsay
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Lucinda Fulton
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Elaine Owens
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - James E Womack
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Bhanu P Chowdhary
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
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24
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Crespo M, Damont A, Blanco M, Lastrucci E, Kennani SE, Ialy-Radio C, Khattabi LE, Terrier S, Louwagie M, Kieffer-Jaquinod S, Hesse AM, Bruley C, Chantalat S, Govin J, Fenaille F, Battail C, Cocquet J, Pflieger D. Multi-omic analysis of gametogenesis reveals a novel signature at the promoters and distal enhancers of active genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4115-4138. [PMID: 32182340 PMCID: PMC7192594 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is tightly controlled by the dynamic modification of histones by chemical groups, the diversity of which has largely expanded over the past decade with the discovery of lysine acylations, catalyzed from acyl-coenzymes A. We investigated the dynamics of lysine acetylation and crotonylation on histones H3 and H4 during mouse spermatogenesis. Lysine crotonylation appeared to be of significant abundance compared to acetylation, particularly on Lys27 of histone H3 (H3K27cr) that accumulates in sperm in a cleaved form of H3. We identified the genomic localization of H3K27cr and studied its effects on transcription compared to the classical active mark H3K27ac at promoters and distal enhancers. The presence of both marks was strongly associated with highest gene expression. Assessment of their co-localization with transcription regulators (SLY, SOX30) and chromatin-binding proteins (BRD4, BRDT, BORIS and CTCF) indicated systematic highest binding when both active marks were present and different selective binding when present alone at chromatin. H3K27cr and H3K27ac finally mark the building of some sperm super-enhancers. This integrated analysis of omics data provides an unprecedented level of understanding of gene expression regulation by H3K27cr in comparison to H3K27ac, and reveals both synergistic and specific actions of each histone modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Crespo
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Annelaure Damont
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse, Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme des Médicaments, CEA, INRA, Université Paris Saclay, MetaboHUB, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Melina Blanco
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, 75014 Paris, France
| | | | - Sara El Kennani
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, 38000 Grenoble, France.,CNRS UMR 5309, Inserm U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Laila El Khattabi
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Samuel Terrier
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse, Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme des Médicaments, CEA, INRA, Université Paris Saclay, MetaboHUB, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | | | - Anne-Marie Hesse
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Sophie Chantalat
- Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), Institut de Biologie François Jacob, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, 2 rue Gaston Crémieux, CP 5706, 91057 Evry Cedex, France
| | - Jérôme Govin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, 38000 Grenoble, France.,CNRS UMR 5309, Inserm U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - François Fenaille
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse, Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme des Médicaments, CEA, INRA, Université Paris Saclay, MetaboHUB, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Christophe Battail
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute of Grenoble, Biology of Cancer and Infection UMR_S 1036, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Delphine Pflieger
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, 38000 Grenoble, France.,CNRS, IRIG-BGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
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25
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Umehara T, Tsujita N, Zhu Z, Ikedo M, Shimada M. A simple sperm-sexing method that activates TLR7/8 on X sperm for the efficient production of sexed mouse or cattle embryos. Nat Protoc 2020; 15:2645-2667. [DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-0348-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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26
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Bachtrog D. The Y Chromosome as a Battleground for Intragenomic Conflict. Trends Genet 2020; 36:510-522. [PMID: 32448494 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Y chromosomes are typically viewed as genetic wastelands with few intact genes. Recent genomic analyses in Drosophila, however, show that gene gain is prominent on young Y chromosomes. Meiosis- and RNAi-related genes often coamplify on recently formed X and Y chromosomes, are testis-expressed, and produce antisense transcripts and short RNAs. RNAi pathways are also involved in suppressing sex ratio drive in Drosophila. These observations paint a dynamic picture of sex chromosome differentiation, suggesting that rapidly evolving genomic battles over segregation are rampant on young sex chromosomes and utilize RNAi to defend the genome against selfish elements that manipulate fair meiosis. Recurrent sex chromosome drive can have profound ecological, evolutionary, and cellular impacts and account for unique features of sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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27
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Bircsak KM, Copes LT, King S, Prantner AM, Hwang WT, Gerton GL. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediates sex ratio distortion in the embryos sired by TCDD-exposed male mice. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 94:75-83. [PMID: 32335222 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.04.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Many reports describe an association between preconceptional paternal exposure to environmental chemicals, including the persistent organic pollutant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) with an increased number of female offspring. We chronically treated wild-type C57BL/6 male mice with TCDD to investigate a role for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) transcription factor. These mice had a 14 % lower male:female sex ratio than control mice, which was not observed in TCDD-treated Ahr knock out mice. AHR target genes Cyp1a1 and Ahrr were upregulated in the liver and testis of WT mice and Ahr expression was higher in the epididymis (2-fold) and liver (18-fold) than in whole testis tissue. The AHR protein was localized to round spermatids, elongating spermatids, and Leydig cells in the testis of WT mice. These studies demonstrate AHR involvement in the sex ratio distortion of TCDD-exposed males and the need for evaluating the molecular and genetic mechanism of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Bircsak
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Latresa T Copes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sara King
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew M Prantner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wei-Ting Hwang
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - George L Gerton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
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28
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Massive gene amplification on a recently formed Drosophila Y chromosome. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1587-1597. [PMID: 31666742 PMCID: PMC7217032 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-1009-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Widespread loss of genes on the Y is considered a hallmark of sex chromosome differentiation. Here we show that the initial stages of Y evolution are driven by massive amplification of distinct classes of genes. The neo-Y chromosome of Drosophila miranda initially contained about 3000 protein-coding genes, but has gained over 3200 genes since its formation about 1.5 MY ago, primarily by tandem amplification of protein-coding genes ancestrally present on this chromosome. We show that distinct evolutionary processes may account for this drastic increase in gene number on the Y. Testis-specific and dosage sensitive genes appear to have amplified on the Y to increase male fitness. A distinct class of meiosis-related multi-copy Y genes independently co-amplified on the X, and their expansion is likely driven by conflicts over segregation. Co-amplified X/Y genes are highly expressed in testis, enriched for meiosis and RNAi functions, and are frequently targeted by small RNAs in testis. This suggests that their amplification is driven by X vs. Y antagonism for increased transmission, where sex chromosome drive suppression is likely mediated by sequence homology between the suppressor and distorter, through RNAi mechanism. Thus, our analysis suggests that newly emerged sex chromosomes are a battleground for sexual and meiotic conflict.
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29
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Courret C, Chang CH, Wei KHC, Montchamp-Moreau C, Larracuente AM. Meiotic drive mechanisms: lessons from Drosophila. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191430. [PMID: 31640520 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiotic drivers are selfish genetic elements that bias their transmission into gametes, often to the detriment of the rest of the genome. The resulting intragenomic conflicts triggered by meiotic drive create evolutionary arms races and shape genome evolution. The phenomenon of meiotic drive is widespread across taxa but is particularly prominent in the Drosophila genus. Recent studies in Drosophila have provided insights into the genetic origins of drivers and their molecular mechanisms. Here, we review the current literature on mechanisms of drive with an emphasis on sperm killers in Drosophila species. In these systems, meiotic drivers often evolve from gene duplications and targets are generally linked to heterochromatin. While dense in repetitive elements and difficult to study using traditional genetic and genomic approaches, recent work in Drosophila has made progress on the heterochromatic compartment of the genome. Although we still understand little about precise drive mechanisms, studies of male drive systems are converging on common themes such as heterochromatin regulation, small RNA pathways, and nuclear transport pathways. Meiotic drive systems are therefore promising models for discovering fundamental features of gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Courret
- Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette 91190, France
| | - Ching-Ho Chang
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kevin H-C Wei
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkley, CA, USA
| | - Catherine Montchamp-Moreau
- Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette 91190, France
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30
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Rathje CC, Johnson EEP, Drage D, Patinioti C, Silvestri G, Affara NA, Ialy-Radio C, Cocquet J, Skinner BM, Ellis PJI. Differential Sperm Motility Mediates the Sex Ratio Drive Shaping Mouse Sex Chromosome Evolution. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3692-3698.e4. [PMID: 31630954 PMCID: PMC6839398 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The mouse sex chromosomes exhibit an extraordinary level of copy number amplification of postmeiotically expressed genes [1, 2], driven by an “arms race” (genomic conflict) between the X and Y chromosomes over the control of offspring sex ratio. The sex-linked ampliconic transcriptional regulators Slx and Sly [3, 4, 5, 6, 7] have opposing effects on global transcription levels of the sex chromosomes in haploid spermatids via regulation of postmeiotic sex chromatin (PMSC) [8, 9, 10, 11] and opposing effects on offspring sex ratio. Partial deletions of the Y chromosome (Yq) that reduce Sly copy number lead to global overexpression of sex-linked genes in spermatids and either a distorted sex ratio in favor of females (smaller deletions) or sterility (larger deletions) [12, 13, 14, 15, 16]. Despite a large body of work studying the role of the sex chromosomes in regulating spermatogenesis (recent reviews [17, 18, 19, 20]), most studies do not address differential fertility effects on X- and Y-bearing cells. Hence, in this study, we concentrate on identifying physiological differences between X- and Y-bearing sperm from Yq-deleted males that affect their relative fertilizing ability and consequently lead to sex ratio skewing. We show that X- and Y-bearing sperm in these males have differential motility and morphology but are equally able to penetrate the cumulus and fertilize the egg once at the site of fertilization. The altered motility is thus deduced to be the proximate cause of the skew. This represents the first demonstration of a specific difference in sperm function associated with sex ratio skewing. The sex ratio skew in the offspring of Yq-deleted male mice is abolished by IVF In Yqdel males, Y sperm are more severely morphologically distorted than X sperm Similarly, Y sperm in these males have relatively impaired motility This motility difference explains the sex ratio skew in offspring of these males
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Deborah Drage
- University Biomedical Services, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2SP, UK
| | | | | | - Nabeel Ahmed Affara
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- Department of Development, Reproduction and Cancer, INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Department of Development, Reproduction and Cancer, INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Matthew Skinner
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK; School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
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31
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Kruger AN, Brogley MA, Huizinga JL, Kidd JM, de Rooij DG, Hu YC, Mueller JL. A Neofunctionalized X-Linked Ampliconic Gene Family Is Essential for Male Fertility and Equal Sex Ratio in Mice. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3699-3706.e5. [PMID: 31630956 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian sex chromosomes harbor an abundance of newly acquired ampliconic genes, although their functions require elucidation [1-9]. Here, we demonstrate that the X-linked Slx and Slxl1 ampliconic gene families represent mouse-specific neofunctionalized copies of a meiotic synaptonemal complex protein, Sycp3. In contrast to the meiotic role of Sycp3, CRISPR-loxP-mediated multi-megabase deletions of the Slx (5 Mb) and Slxl1 (2.3Mb) ampliconic regions result in post-meiotic defects, abnormal sperm, and male infertility. Males carrying Slxl1 deletions sire more male offspring, whereas males carrying Slx and Slxl1 duplications sire more female offspring, which directly correlates with Slxl1 gene dosage and gene expression levels. SLX and SLXL1 proteins interact with spindlin protein family members (SPIN1 and SSTY1/2) and males carrying Slxl1 deletions downregulate a sex chromatin modifier, Scml2, leading us to speculate that Slx and Slxl1 function in chromatin regulation. Our study demonstrates how newly acquired X-linked genes can rapidly evolve new and essential functions and how gene amplification can increase sex chromosome transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Kruger
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michele A Brogley
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jamie L Huizinga
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Kidd
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dirk G de Rooij
- Reproductive Biology Group, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Jacob L Mueller
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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32
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Ellison C, Bachtrog D. Recurrent gene co-amplification on Drosophila X and Y chromosomes. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008251. [PMID: 31329593 PMCID: PMC6690552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Y chromosomes often contain amplified genes which can increase dosage of male fertility genes and counteract degeneration via gene conversion. Here we identify genes with increased copy number on both X and Y chromosomes in various species of Drosophila, a pattern that has previously been associated with sex chromosome drive involving the Slx and Sly gene families in mice. We show that recurrent X/Y co-amplification appears to be an important evolutionary force that has shaped gene content evolution of sex chromosomes in Drosophila. We demonstrate that convergent acquisition and amplification of testis expressed gene families are common on Drosophila sex chromosomes, and especially on recently formed ones, and we carefully characterize one putative novel X/Y co-amplification system. We find that co-amplification of the S-Lap1/GAPsec gene pair on both the X and the Y chromosome occurred independently several times in members of the D. obscura group, where this normally autosomal gene pair is sex-linked due to a sex chromosome-autosome fusion. We explore several evolutionary scenarios that would explain this pattern of co-amplification. Investigation of gene expression and short RNA profiles at the S-Lap1/GAPsec system suggest that, like Slx/Sly in mice, these genes may be remnants of a cryptic sex chromosome drive system, however additional transgenic experiments will be necessary to validate this model. Regardless of whether sex chromosome drive is responsible for this co-amplification, our findings suggest that recurrent gene duplications between X and Y sex chromosomes could have a widespread effect on genomic and evolutionary patterns, including the epigenetic regulation of sex chromosomes, the distribution of sex-biased genes, and the evolution of hybrid sterility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Ellison
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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33
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Abstract
In sexual reproduction, opportunities are limited and the stakes are high. This inevitably leads to conflict. One pervasive conflict occurs within genomes between alternative alleles at heterozygous loci. Each gamete and thus each offspring will inherit only one of the two alleles from a heterozygous parent. Most alleles 'play fair' and have a 50% chance of being included in any given gamete. However, alleles can gain an enormous advantage if they act selfishly to force their own transmission into more than half, sometimes even all, of the functional gametes. These selfish alleles are known as 'meiotic drivers', and their cheating often incurs a high cost on the fertility of eukaryotes ranging from plants to mammals. Here, we review how several types of meiotic drivers directly and indirectly contribute to infertility, and argue that a complete picture of the genetics of infertility will require focusing on both the standard alleles - those that play fair - as well as selfish alleles involved in genetic conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
| | - Robert L Unckless
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
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34
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A Diallel of the Mouse Collaborative Cross Founders Reveals Strong Strain-Specific Maternal Effects on Litter Size. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:1613-1622. [PMID: 30877080 PMCID: PMC6505174 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive success in the eight founder strains of the Collaborative Cross (CC) was measured using a diallel-mating scheme. Over a 48-month period we generated 4,448 litters, and provided 24,782 weaned pups for use in 16 different published experiments. We identified factors that affect the average litter size in a cross by estimating the overall contribution of parent-of-origin, heterosis, inbred, and epistatic effects using a Bayesian zero-truncated overdispersed Poisson mixed model. The phenotypic variance of litter size has a substantial contribution (82%) from unexplained and environmental sources, but no detectable effect of seasonality. Most of the explained variance was due to additive effects (9.2%) and parental sex (maternal vs. paternal strain; 5.8%), with epistasis accounting for 3.4%. Within the parental effects, the effect of the dam's strain explained more than the sire's strain (13.2% vs. 1.8%), and the dam's strain effects account for 74.2% of total variation explained. Dams from strains C57BL/6J and NOD/ShiLtJ increased the expected litter size by a mean of 1.66 and 1.79 pups, whereas dams from strains WSB/EiJ, PWK/PhJ, and CAST/EiJ reduced expected litter size by a mean of 1.51, 0.81, and 0.90 pups. Finally, there was no strong evidence for strain-specific effects on sex ratio distortion. Overall, these results demonstrate that strains vary substantially in their reproductive ability depending on their genetic background, and that litter size is largely determined by dam's strain rather than sire's strain effects, as expected. This analysis adds to our understanding of factors that influence litter size in mammals, and also helps to explain breeding successes and failures in the extinct lines and surviving CC strains.
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35
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Martincová I, Ďureje Ľ, Kreisinger J, Macholán M, Piálek J. Phenotypic effects of the Y chromosome are variable and structured in hybrids among house mouse recombinant lines. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6124-6137. [PMID: 31161024 PMCID: PMC6540687 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid zones between divergent populations sieve genomes into blocks that introgress across the zone, and blocks that do not, depending on selection between interacting genes. Consistent with Haldane's rule, the Y chromosome has been considered counterselected and hence not to introgress across the European house mouse hybrid zone. However, recent studies detected massive invasion of M. m. musculus Y chromosomes into M. m. domesticus territory. To understand mechanisms facilitating Y spread, we created 31 recombinant lines from eight wild-derived strains representing four localities within the two mouse subspecies. These lines were reciprocally crossed and resulting F1 hybrid males scored for five phenotypic traits associated with male fitness. Molecular analyses of 51 Y-linked SNPs attributed ~50% of genetic variation to differences between the subspecies and 8% to differentiation within both taxa. A striking proportion, 21% (frequencies of sperm head abnormalities) and 42% (frequencies of sperm tail dissociations), of phenotypic variation was explained by geographic Y chromosome variants. Our crossing design allowed this explanatory power to be examined across a hierarchical scale from subspecific to local intrastrain effects. We found that divergence and variation were expressed diversely in different phenotypic traits and varied across the whole hierarchical scale. This finding adds another dimension of complexity to studies of Y introgression not only across the house mouse hybrid zone but potentially also in other contact zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Martincová
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Ľudovít Ďureje
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Miloš Macholán
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Piálek
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
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36
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Abstract
The evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes has occurred independently many times in different lineages. The differentiation of sex chromosomes leads to dramatic changes in sequence composition and function and guides the evolutionary trajectory and utilization of genes in pivotal sex determination and reproduction roles. In addition, meiotic recombination and pairing mechanisms are key in orchestrating the resultant impact, retention and maintenance of heteromorphic sex chromosomes, as the resulting exposure of unpaired DNA at meiosis triggers ancient repair and checkpoint pathways. In this review, we summarize the different ways in which sex chromosome systems are organized at meiosis, how pairing is affected, and differences in unpaired DNA responses. We hypothesize that lineage specific differences in meiotic organization is not only a consequence of sex chromosome evolution, but that the establishment of epigenetic changes on sex chromosomes contributes toward their evolutionary conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasman Daish
- Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Frank Grützner
- Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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37
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Riel JM, Yamauchi Y, Ruthig VA, Malinta QU, Blanco M, Moretti C, Cocquet J, Ward MA. Rescue of Sly Expression Is Not Sufficient to Rescue Spermiogenic Phenotype of Mice with Deletions of Y Chromosome Long Arm. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10020133. [PMID: 30759861 PMCID: PMC6409976 DOI: 10.3390/genes10020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice with deletions of the Y-specific (non-PAR) region of the mouse Y chromosome long arm (NPYq) have sperm defects and fertility problems that increase proportionally to deletion size. Mice with abrogated function of NPYq-encoded gene Sly (sh367 Sly-KD) display a phenotype similar to that of NPYq deletion mutants but less severe. The milder phenotype can be due to insufficient Sly knockdown, involvement of another NPYq gene, or both. To address this question and to further elucidate the role of Sly in the infertile phenotype of mice with NPYq deletions, we developed an anti-SLY antibody specifically recognizing SLY1 and SLY2 protein isoforms and used it to characterize SLY expression in NPYq- and Sly-deficient mice. We also carried out transgene rescue by adding Sly1/2 transgenes to mice with NPYq deletions. We demonstrated that SLY1/2 expression in mutant mice decreased proportionally to deletion size, with ~12% of SLY1/2 retained in shSLY sh367 testes. The addition of Sly1/2 transgenes to mice with NPYq deletions rescued SLY1/2 expression but did not ameliorate fertility and testicular/spermiogenic defects. Together, the data suggest that Sly deficiency is not the sole underlying cause of the infertile phenotype of mice with NPYq deletions and imply the involvement of another NPYq gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Riel
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Victor A Ruthig
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Qushay U Malinta
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Mélina Blanco
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, 75013 Paris, France.
- CNRS, UMR8104, 75014 Paris, France.
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Paris 75014, France.
| | - Charlotte Moretti
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, 75013 Paris, France.
- CNRS, UMR8104, 75014 Paris, France.
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Paris 75014, France.
| | - Julie Cocquet
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, 75013 Paris, France.
- CNRS, UMR8104, 75014 Paris, France.
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Paris 75014, France.
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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38
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Abstract
Evolution of genetic mechanisms of sex determination led to two processes causing sex differences in somatic phenotypes: gonadal differentiation and sex chromosome dosage inequality. In species with heteromorphic sex chromosomes, the sex of the individual is established at the time of formation of the zygote, leading to inherent sex differences in expression of sex chromosome genes beginning as soon as the embryonic transcriptome is activated. The inequality of sex chromosome gene expression causes sexual differentiation of the gonads and of non-gonadal tissues. The difference in gonad type in turn causes lifelong differences in gonadal hormones, which interact with unequal effects of X and Y genes acting within cells. Separating the effects of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes has been possible using mouse models in which gonadal determination is separated from the sex chromosomes, allowing comparison of XX and XY mice with the same type of gonad. Sex differences caused by gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes affect basic physiology and disease mechanisms in most or all tissues.
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39
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Larson EL, Kopania EEK, Good JM. Spermatogenesis and the Evolution of Mammalian Sex Chromosomes. Trends Genet 2018; 34:722-732. [PMID: 30077434 PMCID: PMC6161750 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Developmental constraint and sexual conflict shape the evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes. These contrasting forces are perhaps strongest during spermatogenesis in species with XY males. In this review, we consider how the unique regulatory environment and selective pressures of spermatogenesis interact to impact sex chromosome evolution in mammals. We explore how each developmental phase of spermatogenesis influences sex chromosome gene content, structure, and rate of molecular evolution, and how these attributes may contribute to speciation. We argue that a developmental context is fundamental to understanding sex chromosome evolution and that an evolutionary perspective can shed new light on our understanding of sperm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA.
| | - Emily E K Kopania
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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40
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Morgan AP, Pardo-Manuel de Villena F. Sequence and Structural Diversity of Mouse Y Chromosomes. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 34:3186-3204. [PMID: 29029271 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the 180 My since their origin, the sex chromosomes of mammals have evolved a gene repertoire highly specialized for function in the male germline. The mouse Y chromosome is unique among mammalian Y chromosomes characterized to date in that it is large, gene-rich and euchromatic. Yet, little is known about its diversity in natural populations. Here, we take advantage of published whole-genome sequencing data to survey the diversity of sequence and copy number of sex-linked genes in three subspecies of house mice. Copy number of genes on the repetitive long arm of both sex chromosomes is highly variable, but sequence diversity in nonrepetitive regions is decreased relative to expectations based on autosomes. We use simulations and theory to show that this reduction in sex-linked diversity is incompatible with neutral demographic processes alone, but is consistent with recent positive selection on genes active during spermatogenesis. Our results support the hypothesis that the mouse sex chromosomes are engaged in ongoing intragenomic conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Morgan
- Department of Genetics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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41
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Sangrithi MN, Turner JMA. Mammalian X Chromosome Dosage Compensation: Perspectives From the Germ Line. Bioessays 2018; 40:e1800024. [PMID: 29756331 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are advantageous to mammals, allowing them to adopt a genetic rather than environmental sex determination system. However, sex chromosome evolution also carries a burden, because it results in an imbalance in gene dosage between females (XX) and males (XY). This imbalance is resolved by X dosage compensation, which comprises both X chromosome inactivation and X chromosome upregulation. X dosage compensation has been well characterized in the soma, but not in the germ line. Germ cells face a special challenge, because genome wide reprogramming erases epigenetic marks responsible for maintaining the X dosage compensated state. Here we explain how evolution has influenced the gene content and germ line specialization of the mammalian sex chromosomes. We discuss new research uncovering unusual X dosage compensation states in germ cells, which we postulate influence sexual dimorphisms in germ line development and cause infertility in individuals with sex chromosome aneuploidy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh N Sangrithi
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore 229899, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, 119077, Singapore
| | - James M A Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
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42
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O'Neill MJ, O'Neill RJ. Sex chromosome repeats tip the balance towards speciation. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3783-3798. [PMID: 29624756 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Because sex chromosomes, by definition, carry genes that determine sex, mutations that alter their structural and functional stability can have immediate consequences for the individual by reducing fertility, but also for a species by altering the sex ratio. Moreover, the sex-specific segregation patterns of heteromorphic sex chromosomes make them havens for selfish genetic elements that not only create suboptimal sex ratios but can also foster sexual antagonism. Compensatory mutations to mitigate antagonism or return sex ratios to a Fisherian optimum can create hybrid incompatibility and establish reproductive barriers leading to species divergence. The destabilizing influence of these selfish elements is often manifest within populations as copy number variants (CNVs) in satellite repeats and transposable elements (TE) or as CNVs involving sex-determining genes, or genes essential to fertility and sex chromosome dosage compensation. This review catalogs several examples of well-studied sex chromosome CNVs in Drosophilids and mammals that underlie instances of meiotic drive, hybrid incompatibility and disruptions to sex differentiation and sex chromosome dosage compensation. While it is difficult to pinpoint a direct cause/effect relationship between these sex chromosome CNVs and speciation, it is easy to see how their effects in creating imbalances between the sexes, and the compensatory mutations to restore balance, can lead to lineage splitting and species formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J O'Neill
- Institute for Systems Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Rachel J O'Neill
- Institute for Systems Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
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43
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Bravo Núñez MA, Nuckolls NL, Zanders SE. Genetic Villains: Killer Meiotic Drivers. Trends Genet 2018; 34:424-433. [PMID: 29499907 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Unbiased allele transmission into progeny is a fundamental genetic concept canonized as Mendel's Law of Segregation. Not all alleles, however, abide by the law. Killer meiotic drivers are ultra-selfish DNA sequences that are transmitted into more than half (sometimes all) of the meiotic products generated by a heterozygote. As their name implies, these loci gain a transmission advantage in heterozygotes by destroying otherwise viable meiotic products that do not inherit the driver. We review and classify killer meiotic drive genes across a wide spectrum of eukaryotes. We discuss how analyses of these ultra-selfish genes can lead to greater insight into the mechanisms of gametogenesis and the causes of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Angélica Bravo Núñez
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Nicole L Nuckolls
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Sarah E Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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44
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El Kennani S, Adrait A, Permiakova O, Hesse AM, Ialy-Radio C, Ferro M, Brun V, Cocquet J, Govin J, Pflieger D. Systematic quantitative analysis of H2A and H2B variants by targeted proteomics. Epigenetics Chromatin 2018; 11:2. [PMID: 29329550 PMCID: PMC5767011 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-017-0172-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histones organize DNA into chromatin through a variety of processes. Among them, a vast diversity of histone variants can be incorporated into chromatin and finely modulate its organization and functionality. Classically, the study of histone variants has largely relied on antibody-based assays. However, antibodies have a limited efficiency to discriminate between highly similar histone variants. RESULTS In this study, we established a mass spectrometry-based analysis to address this challenge. We developed a targeted proteomics method, using selected reaction monitoring or parallel reaction monitoring, to quantify a maximum number of histone variants in a single multiplexed assay, even when histones are present in a crude extract. This strategy was developed on H2A and H2B variants, using 55 peptides corresponding to 25 different histone sequences, among which a few differ by a single amino acid. The methodology was then applied to mouse testis extracts in which almost all histone variants are expressed. It confirmed the abundance profiles of several testis-specific histones during successive stages of spermatogenesis and the existence of predicted H2A.L.1 isoforms. This methodology was also used to explore the over-expression pattern of H2A.L.1 isoforms in a mouse model of male infertility. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that targeted proteomics is a powerful method to quantify highly similar histone variants and isoforms. The developed method can be easily transposed to the study of human histone variants, whose abundance can be deregulated in various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara El Kennani
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Annie Adrait
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Olga Permiakova
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Anne-Marie Hesse
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Myriam Ferro
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Virginie Brun
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Govin
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.
| | - Delphine Pflieger
- INSERM U1038, CEA, BIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France. .,CNRS, FR CNRS 3425, Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute of Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
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45
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Liu Q, Lei Z, Dai M, Wang X, Yuan Z. Toxic metabolites, Sertoli cells and Y chromosome related genes are potentially linked to the reproductive toxicity induced by mequindox. Oncotarget 2017; 8:87512-87528. [PMID: 29152098 PMCID: PMC5675650 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mequindox (MEQ) is a relatively new synthetic antibacterial agent widely applied in China since the 1980s. However, its reproductive toxicity has not been adequately performed. In the present study, four groups of male Kunming mice (10 mice/group) were fed diets containing MEQ (0, 25, 55 and 110 mg/kg in the diet) for up to 18 months. The results show that M4 could pass through the blood-testis barrier (BTB), and demonstrate that Sertoli cells (SCs) are the main toxic target for MEQ to induce spermatogenesis deficiency. Furthermore, adrenal toxicity, adverse effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA) and Leydig cells, as well as the expression of genes related to steroid biosynthesis and cholesterol transport, were responsible for the alterations in sex hormones in the serum of male mice after exposure to MEQ. Additionally, the changed levels of Y chromosome microdeletion related genes, such as DDX3Y, HSF2, Sly and Ssty2 in the testis might be a mechanism for the inhibition of spermatogenesis induced by MEQ. The present study illustrates for the first time the toxic metabolites of MEQ in testis of mice, and suggests that SCs, sex hormones and Y chromosome microdeletion genes are involved in reproductive toxicity mediated by MEQ in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianying Liu
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhixin Lei
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Menghong Dai
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xu Wang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zonghui Yuan
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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46
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Vertebrate sex determination: evolutionary plasticity of a fundamental switch. Nat Rev Genet 2017; 18:675-689. [DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2017.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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47
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Lech T, Styrna J, Kotarska K. The contribution of p53 and Y chromosome long arm genes to regulation of apoptosis in mouse testis. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 30:469-476. [PMID: 28763629 DOI: 10.1071/rd17217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis of excessive or defective germ cells is a natural process occurring in mammalian testes. Tumour suppressor protein p53 is involved in this process both in developing and adult male gonads. Its contribution to testicular physiology is known to be modified by genetic background. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined influence of the p53 and Y chromosome long arm genes on male germ cell apoptosis. Knockout of the transformation related protein 53 (Trp53) gene was introduced into congenic strains: B10.BR (intact Y chromosome) and B10.BR-Ydel (Y chromosome with a deletion in the long arm). The level of apoptosis in the testes of 19-day-old and 3-month-old male mice was determined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate in situ nick-end labelling (TUNEL) method. The study revealed that although p53 is involved in germ cell apoptosis in peripubertal testes, this process can also be mediated by p53-independent mechanisms. However, activation of p53-independent apoptotic pathways in the absence of the p53 protein requires engagement of the multicopy Yq genes and was not observed in gonads of B10.BR-Ydel-p53-/- males. The role of Yq genes in the regulation of testicular apoptosis seems to be restricted to the initial wave of spermatogenesis and is not evident in adult gonads. The study confirmed, instead, that p53 does participate in spontaneous apoptosis in mature testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Lech
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Commodity Science, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27, PL 31-510, Krakow, Poland
| | - Józefa Styrna
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kotarska
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL 30-387, Krakow, Poland
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48
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Vernet N, Mahadevaiah SK, de Rooij DG, Burgoyne PS, Ellis PJI. Zfy genes are required for efficient meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) in spermatocytes. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 25:5300-5310. [PMID: 27742779 PMCID: PMC5418838 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During spermatogenesis, germ cells that fail to synapse their chromosomes or fail to undergo meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) are eliminated via apoptosis during mid-pachytene. Previous work showed that Y-linked genes Zfy1 and Zfy2 act as ‘executioners’ for this checkpoint, and that wrongful expression of either gene during pachytene triggers germ cell death. Here, we show that in mice, Zfy genes are also necessary for efficient MSCI and the sex chromosomes are not correctly silenced in Zfy-deficient spermatocytes. This unexpectedly reveals a triple role for Zfy at the mid-pachytene checkpoint in which Zfy genes first promote MSCI, then monitor its progress (since if MSCI is achieved, Zfy genes will be silenced), and finally execute cells with MSCI failure. This potentially constitutes a negative feedback loop governing this critical checkpoint mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège Vernet
- Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK.,Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Shantha K Mahadevaiah
- Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK.,Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, London, UK
| | - Dirk G de Rooij
- Reproductive Biology Group, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Paul S Burgoyne
- Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK.,Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, London, UK
| | - Peter J I Ellis
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK
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49
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SLY regulates genes involved in chromatin remodeling and interacts with TBL1XR1 during sperm differentiation. Cell Death Differ 2017; 24:1029-1044. [PMID: 28475176 PMCID: PMC5442469 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2017.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm differentiation requires unique transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling after meiosis to ensure proper compaction and protection of the paternal genome. Abnormal sperm chromatin remodeling can induce sperm DNA damage, embryo lethality and male infertility, yet, little is known about the factors which regulate this process. Deficiency in Sly, a mouse Y chromosome-encoded gene expressed only in postmeiotic male germ cells, has been shown to result in the deregulation of hundreds of sex chromosome-encoded genes associated with multiple sperm differentiation defects and subsequent male infertility. The underlying mechanism remained, to date, unknown. Here, we show that SLY binds to the promoter of sex chromosome-encoded and autosomal genes highly expressed postmeiotically and involved in chromatin regulation. Specifically, we demonstrate that Sly knockdown directly induces the deregulation of sex chromosome-encoded H2A variants and of the H3K79 methyltransferase DOT1L. The modifications prompted by loss of Sly alter the postmeiotic chromatin structure and ultimately result in abnormal sperm chromatin remodeling with negative consequences on the sperm genome integrity. Altogether our results show that SLY is a regulator of sperm chromatin remodeling. Finally we identified that SMRT/N-CoR repressor complex is involved in gene regulation during sperm differentiation since members of this complex, in particular TBL1XR1, interact with SLY in postmeiotic male germ cells.
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50
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