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Huang X, Fu Y, Wang S, Guo Q, Wu Y, Zheng X, Wang J, Wu S, Shen L, Wei G. 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether exposure disrupts blood-testis barrier integrity through CMA-mediated ferroptosis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174738. [PMID: 39009145 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47), being the most prevalent congener of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), has been found to accumulate greatly in the environment and induce spermatogenesis dysfunction. However, the specific underlying factors and mechanisms have not been elucidated. Herein, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to corn oil, 10 mg/kg body weight (bw) PBDE-47 or 20 mg/kg bw PBDE-47 by gavage for 30 days. PBDE-47 exposure led to blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity disruption and aberrant spermatogenesis. Given that Sertoli cells are the main toxicant target, to explore the potential mechanism involved, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in Sertoli cells, and the differentially expressed genes were shown to be enriched in ferroptosis and lysosomal pathways. We subsequently demonstrated that ferroptosis was obviously increased in testes and Sertoli cells upon exposure to PBDE-47, and the junctional function of Sertoli cells was restored after treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. Since glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) was dramatically reduced in PBDE-47-exposed testes and Sertoli cells and considering the RNA-sequencing results, we examined the activity of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) and verified that the expression of LAMP2a and HSC70 was upregulated significantly after PBDE-47 exposure. Notably, Lamp2a knockdown not only inhibited ferroptosis by suppressing GPX4 degradation but also restored the impaired junctional function induced by PBDE-47. These collective findings strongly indicate that PBDE-47 induces Sertoli cell ferroptosis through CMA-mediated GPX4 degradation, resulting in decreased BTB-associated protein expression and eventually leading to BTB integrity disruption and spermatogenesis dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Huang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Yan Fu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Siyuan Wang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Qitong Guo
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Yuhao Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiangqin Zheng
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Junke Wang
- Department of Urology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shengde Wu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Lianju Shen
- Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China.
| | - Guanghui Wei
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China; Pediatric Research Institute, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Structural Birth Defect and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China.
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Niu H, Li C, Zhang H, Liu H, Shang C, Jia Y, Wuenjiya, Li Z, Wang A, Jin Y, Lin P. Androgen synthesis cell-specific CREBZF deficiency alters adrenal cortex steroid secretion and develops behavioral abnormalities in adult male mice. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23650. [PMID: 38696238 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400130r] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The global challenge of male infertility is escalating, notably due to the decreased testosterone (T) synthesis in testicular Leydig cells under stress, underscoring the critical need for a more profound understanding of its regulatory mechanisms. CREBZF, a novel basic region-leucine zipper transcription factor, regulates testosterone synthesis in mouse Leydig cells in vitro; however, further validation through in vivo experiments is essential. Our study utilized Cyp17a1-Cre to knock out CREBZF in androgen-synthesis cells and explored the physiological roles of CREBZF in fertility, steroid hormone synthesis, and behaviors in adult male mice. Conditional knockout (cKO) CREBZF did not affect fertility and serum testosterone level in male mice. Primary Leydig cells isolated from CREBZF-cKO mice showed impaired testosterone secretion and decreased mRNA levels of Star, Cyp17a1, and Hsd3b1. Loss of CREBZF resulted in thickening of the adrenal cortex, especially X-zone, with elevated serum corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone levels and decreased serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels. Immunohistochemical staining revealed increased expression of StAR, Cyp11a1, and 17β-Hsd3 in the adrenal cortex of CREBZF-cKO mice, while the expression of AR was significantly reduced. Along with the histological changes and abnormal steroid levels in the adrenal gland, CREBZF-cKO mice showed higher anxiety-like behavior and impaired memory in the elevated plus maze and Barnes maze, respectively. In summary, CREBZF is dispensable for fertility, and CREBZF deficiency in Leydig cells promotes adrenal function in adult male mice. These results shed light on the requirement of CREBZF for fertility, adrenal steroid synthesis, and stress response in adult male mice, and contribute to understanding the crosstalk between testes and adrenal glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Niu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hexin Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haokun Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chunmei Shang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanni Jia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wuenjiya
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zuhui Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Aihua Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yaping Jin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Pengfei Lin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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Murphy MW, Gearhart MD, Wheeler A, Bardwell VJ, Zarkower D. Genomics of sexual cell fate transdifferentiation in the mouse gonad. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac267. [PMID: 36200842 PMCID: PMC9713387 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination in mammals hinges on a cell fate decision in the fetal bipotential gonad between formation of male Sertoli cells or female granulosa cells. While this decision normally is permanent, loss of key cell fate regulators such as the transcription factors Dmrt1 and Foxl2 can cause postnatal transdifferentiation from Sertoli to granulosa-like (Dmrt1) or vice versa (Foxl2). Here, we examine the mechanism of male-to-female transdifferentiation in mice carrying either a null mutation of Dmrt1 or a point mutation, R111G, that alters the DNA-binding motif and causes human XY gonadal dysgenesis and sex reversal. We first define genes misexpressed during transdifferentiation and then show that female transcriptional regulators driving transdifferentiation in the mutant XY gonad (ESR2, LRH1, FOXL2) bind chromatin sites related to those normally bound in the XX ovary. We next define gene expression changes and abnormal chromatin compartments at the onset of transdifferentiation that may help destabilize cell fate and initiate the transdifferentiation process. We model the R111G mutation in mice and show that it causes dominant gonadal dysgenesis, analogous to its human phenotype but less severe. We show that R111G partially feminizes the testicular transcriptome and causes dominant disruption of DMRT1 binding specificity in vivo. These data help illuminate how transdifferentiation occurs when sexual cell fate maintenance is disrupted and identify chromatin sites and transcripts that may play key roles in the transdifferentiation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Murphy
- Developmental Biology Center and Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Micah D Gearhart
- Developmental Biology Center and Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Andrew Wheeler
- Developmental Biology Center and Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Vivian J Bardwell
- Developmental Biology Center and Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Zarkower
- Developmental Biology Center and Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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