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Xu D, Pan J, Fang Y, Zhao L, Su Y. RpS25 is required for sperm elongation and individualization during Drosophila spermatogenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 702:149633. [PMID: 38341921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149633] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Ribosomal protein 25 (RPS25) has been related to male fertility diseases in humans. However, the role of RPS25 in spermatogenesis has yet to be well understood. RpS25 is evolutionarily highly conserved from flies to humans through sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction. In this study, we found that RpS25 plays a critical role in Drosophila spermatogenesis and its knockdown leads to male sterility. Examination of each stage of spermatogenesis from RpS25-knockdown flies showed that RpS25 was not required for initial germline cell divisions, but was required for spermatid elongation and individualization. In RpS25-knockdown testes, the average length of cyst elongation was shortened, the spermatid nuclei bundling was disrupted, and the assembly of individualization complex from actin cones failed, resulting in the failure of mature sperm production. Our data revealed an essential role of RpS25 during Drosophila spermatogenesis through regulating spermatid elongation and individualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Xu
- Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education) and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Jiahui Pan
- Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education) and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yang Fang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education) and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education) and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Ying Su
- Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education) and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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2
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Kaur R, McGarry A, Shropshire JD, Leigh BA, Bordenstein SR. Prophage proteins alter long noncoding RNA and DNA of developing sperm to induce a paternal-effect lethality. Science 2024; 383:1111-1117. [PMID: 38452081 PMCID: PMC11187695 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk9469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The extent to which prophage proteins interact with eukaryotic macromolecules is largely unknown. In this work, we show that cytoplasmic incompatibility factor A (CifA) and B (CifB) proteins, encoded by prophage WO of the endosymbiont Wolbachia, alter long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and DNA during Drosophila sperm development to establish a paternal-effect embryonic lethality known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CifA is a ribonuclease (RNase) that depletes a spermatocyte lncRNA important for the histone-to-protamine transition of spermiogenesis. Both CifA and CifB are deoxyribonucleases (DNases) that elevate DNA damage in late spermiogenesis. lncRNA knockdown enhances CI, and mutagenesis links lncRNA depletion and subsequent sperm chromatin integrity changes to embryonic DNA damage and CI. Hence, prophage proteins interact with eukaryotic macromolecules during gametogenesis to create a symbiosis that is fundamental to insect evolution and vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupinder Kaur
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Angelina McGarry
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - J. Dylan Shropshire
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Brittany A. Leigh
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Seth R. Bordenstein
- Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Biology and Entomology, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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3
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Yin Z, Ding G, Xue Y, Yu X, Dong J, Huang J, Ma J, He F. A postmeiotically bifurcated roadmap of honeybee spermatogenesis marked by phylogenetically restricted genes. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011081. [PMID: 38048317 PMCID: PMC10721206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Haploid males of hymenopteran species produce gametes through an abortive meiosis I followed by meiosis II that can either be symmetric or asymmetric in different species. Thus, one spermatocyte could give rise to two spermatids with either equal or unequal amounts of cytoplasm. It is currently unknown what molecular features accompany these postmeiotic sperm cells especially in species with asymmetric meiosis II such as bees. Here we present testis single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from the honeybee (Apis mellifera) drones of 3 and 14 days after emergence (3d and 14d). We show that, while 3d testes exhibit active, ongoing spermatogenesis, 14d testes only have late-stage spermatids. We identify a postmeiotic bifurcation in the transcriptional roadmap during spermatogenesis, with cells progressing toward the annotated spermatids (SPT) and small spermatids (sSPT), respectively. Despite an overall similarity in their transcriptomic profiles, sSPTs express the fewest genes and the least RNA content among all the sperm cell types. Intriguingly, sSPTs exhibit a relatively high expression level for Hymenoptera-restricted genes and a high mutation load, suggesting that the special meiosis II during spermatogenesis in the honeybee is accompanied by phylogenetically young gene activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Yin
- Center for Genetic Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guiling Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingdi Xue
- Center for Genetic Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xianghui Yu
- Center for Genetic Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Center for Genetic Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University International School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic and Developmental Disorder, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Feng He
- Center for Genetic Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University International School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic and Developmental Disorder, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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4
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Dobbelaere J, Su TY, Erdi B, Schleiffer A, Dammermann A. A phylogenetic profiling approach identifies novel ciliogenesis genes in Drosophila and C. elegans. EMBO J 2023; 42:e113616. [PMID: 37317646 PMCID: PMC10425847 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023113616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cilia are cellular projections that perform sensory and motile functions in eukaryotic cells. A defining feature of cilia is that they are evolutionarily ancient, yet not universally conserved. In this study, we have used the resulting presence and absence pattern in the genomes of diverse eukaryotes to identify a set of 386 human genes associated with cilium assembly or motility. Comprehensive tissue-specific RNAi in Drosophila and mutant analysis in C. elegans revealed signature ciliary defects for 70-80% of novel genes, a percentage similar to that for known genes within the cluster. Further characterization identified different phenotypic classes, including a set of genes related to the cartwheel component Bld10/CEP135 and two highly conserved regulators of cilium biogenesis. We propose this dataset defines the core set of genes required for cilium assembly and motility across eukaryotes and presents a valuable resource for future studies of cilium biology and associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Dobbelaere
- Max Perutz LabsUniversity of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
| | - Tiffany Y Su
- Max Perutz LabsUniversity of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD ProgramDoctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Balazs Erdi
- Max Perutz LabsUniversity of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
| | - Alexander Schleiffer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna Biocenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
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5
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Miller JM, Prange S, Ji H, Rau AR, Khodaverdian VY, Li X, Patel A, Butova N, Lutter A, Chung H, Merigliano C, Rawal CC, Hanscom T, McVey M, Chiolo I. Alternative end-joining results in smaller deletions in heterochromatin relative to euchromatin. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.03.531058. [PMID: 37645729 PMCID: PMC10461932 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.03.531058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Pericentromeric heterochromatin is highly enriched for repetitive sequences prone to aberrant recombination. Previous studies showed that homologous recombination (HR) repair is uniquely regulated in this domain to enable 'safe' repair while preventing aberrant recombination. In Drosophila cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) relocalize to the nuclear periphery through nuclear actin-driven directed motions before recruiting the strand invasion protein Rad51 and completing HR repair. End-joining (EJ) repair also occurs with high frequency in heterochromatin of fly tissues, but how alternative EJ (alt-EJ) pathways operate in heterochromatin remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we induce DSBs in single euchromatic and heterochromatic sites using a new system that combines the DR- white reporter and I-SceI expression in spermatogonia of flies. Using this approach, we detect higher frequency of HR repair in heterochromatin, relative to euchromatin. Further, sequencing of mutagenic repair junctions reveals the preferential use of different EJ pathways across distinct euchromatic and heterochromatic sites. Interestingly, synthesis-dependent microhomology-mediated end joining (SD-MMEJ) appears differentially regulated in the two domains, with a preferential use of motifs close to the cut site in heterochromatin relative to euchromatin, resulting in smaller deletions. Together, these studies establish a new approach to study repair outcomes in fly tissues, and support the conclusion that heterochromatin uses more HR and less mutagenic EJ repair relative to euchromatin.
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6
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Dou W, Sun B, Miao Y, Huang D, Xiao J. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing reveals Wolbachia-mediated modification in early stages of Drosophila spermatogenesis. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221963. [PMID: 36629101 PMCID: PMC9832550 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are the most widely distributed intracellular bacteria, and their most common effect on host phenotype is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). A variety of models have been proposed to decipher the molecular mechanism of CI, among which the host modification (HM) model predicts that Wolbachia effectors play an important role in sperm modification. However, owing to the complexity of spermatogenesis and testicular cell-type heterogeneity, whether Wolbachia have different effects on cells at different stages of spermatogenesis or whether these effects are linked with CI remains unknown. Therefore, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyse gene expression profiles in adult male Drosophila testes that were infected or uninfected by Wolbachia. We found that Wolbachia significantly affected the proportion of different types of germ cells and affected multiple metabolic pathways in germ cells. Most importantly, Wolbachia had the greatest impact on germline stem cells, resulting in dysregulated expression of genes related to DNA compaction, and Wolbachia infection also influenced the histone-to-protamine transition in the late stage of sperm development. These results support the HM model and suggest that future studies on Wolbachia-induced CI should focus on cells in the early stages of spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihao Dou
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Baofa Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunheng Miao
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawei Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhua Xiao
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
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7
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Kunduri G, Le SH, Baena V, Vijaykrishna N, Harned A, Nagashima K, Blankenberg D, Yoshihiro I, Narayan K, Bamba T, Acharya U, Acharya JK. Delivery of ceramide phosphoethanolamine lipids to the cleavage furrow through the endocytic pathway is essential for male meiotic cytokinesis. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001599. [PMID: 36170207 PMCID: PMC9550178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell division, wherein 1 cell divides into 2 daughter cells, is fundamental to all living organisms. Cytokinesis, the final step in cell division, begins with the formation of an actomyosin contractile ring, positioned midway between the segregated chromosomes. Constriction of the ring with concomitant membrane deposition in a specified spatiotemporal manner generates a cleavage furrow that physically separates the cytoplasm. Unique lipids with specific biophysical properties have been shown to localize to intercellular bridges (also called midbody) connecting the 2 dividing cells; however, their biological roles and delivery mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that ceramide phosphoethanolamine (CPE), the structural analog of sphingomyelin, has unique acyl chain anchors in Drosophila spermatocytes and is essential for meiotic cytokinesis. The head group of CPE is also important for spermatogenesis. We find that aberrant central spindle and contractile ring behavior but not mislocalization of phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs) at the plasma membrane is responsible for the male meiotic cytokinesis defect in CPE-deficient animals. Further, we demonstrate the enrichment of CPE in multivesicular bodies marked by Rab7, which in turn localize to cleavage furrow. Volume electron microscopy analysis using correlative light and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy shows that CPE-enriched Rab7 positive endosomes are juxtaposed on contractile ring material. Correlative light and transmission electron microscopy reveal Rab7 positive endosomes as a multivesicular body-like organelle that releases its intraluminal vesicles in the vicinity of ingressing furrows. Genetic ablation of Rab7 or Rab35 or expression of dominant negative Rab11 results in significant meiotic cytokinesis defects. Further, we show that Rab11 function is required for localization of CPE positive endosomes to the cleavage furrow. Our results imply that endosomal delivery of CPE to ingressing membranes is crucial for meiotic cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govind Kunduri
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Si-Hung Le
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Valentina Baena
- Center for Molecular Microscopy, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nagampalli Vijaykrishna
- Genomic Medicine Institute and Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Adam Harned
- Center for Molecular Microscopy, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kunio Nagashima
- Center for Molecular Microscopy, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel Blankenberg
- Genomic Medicine Institute and Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Izumi Yoshihiro
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kedar Narayan
- Center for Molecular Microscopy, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Takeshi Bamba
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Usha Acharya
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jairaj K. Acharya
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
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8
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Riera-Escamilla A, Vockel M, Nagirnaja L, Xavier MJ, Carbonell A, Moreno-Mendoza D, Pybus M, Farnetani G, Rosta V, Cioppi F, Friedrich C, Oud MS, van der Heijden GW, Soave A, Diemer T, Ars E, Sánchez-Curbelo J, Kliesch S, O’Bryan MK, Ruiz-Castañe E, Azorín F, Veltman JA, Aston KI, Conrad DF, Tüttelmann F, Krausz C. Large-scale analyses of the X chromosome in 2,354 infertile men discover recurrently affected genes associated with spermatogenic failure. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:1458-1471. [PMID: 35809576 PMCID: PMC9388793 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the evolutionary history of the X chromosome indicates its specialization in male fitness, its role in spermatogenesis has largely been unexplored. Currently only three X chromosome genes are considered of moderate-definitive diagnostic value. We aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of all X chromosome-linked protein-coding genes in 2,354 azoospermic/cryptozoospermic men from four independent cohorts. Genomic data were analyzed and compared with data in normozoospermic control individuals and gnomAD. While updating the clinical significance of known genes, we propose 21 recurrently mutated genes strongly associated with and 34 moderately associated with azoospermia/cryptozoospermia not previously linked to male infertility (novel). The most frequently affected prioritized gene, RBBP7, was found mutated in ten men across all cohorts, and our functional studies in Drosophila support its role in germ stem cell maintenance. Collectively, our study represents a significant step towards the definition of the missing genetic etiology in idiopathic severe spermatogenic failure and significantly reduces the knowledge gap of X-linked genetic causes of azoospermia/cryptozoospermia contributing to the development of future diagnostic gene panels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Riera-Escamilla
- Andrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau, Barcelona, 08025 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Matthias Vockel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Münster, Vesaliusweg 12-14, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Liina Nagirnaja
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Miguel J. Xavier
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Albert Carbonell
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, CSIC, Baldiri Reixac, 4, Barcelona, 08028 Catalonia, Spain,Institute for Research in Biomedicine, IRB Barcelona, The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona, 08028 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Daniel Moreno-Mendoza
- Andrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau, Barcelona, 08025 Catalonia, Spain,Department of Urology, Hospital del Oriente de Asturias, Arriondas, 33540 Asturias, Spain
| | - Marc Pybus
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Fundació Puigvert, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08025 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ginevra Farnetani
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences Mario Serio, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Viktoria Rosta
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences Mario Serio, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Francesca Cioppi
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences Mario Serio, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Corinna Friedrich
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Vesaliusweg 12-14, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Manon S. Oud
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc, Nijmegen 6525, the Netherlands
| | | | - Armin Soave
- Department of Urology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20251, Germany
| | - Thorsten Diemer
- Clinic for Urology, Paediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Gießen 35392, Germany
| | - Elisabet Ars
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Fundació Puigvert, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08025 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josvany Sánchez-Curbelo
- Andrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau, Barcelona, 08025 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sabine Kliesch
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Department of Clinical and Surgical Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Moira K. O’Bryan
- The School of BioScience that the Bio21 Institute, The Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Eduard Ruiz-Castañe
- Andrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau, Barcelona, 08025 Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Fernando Azorín
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, CSIC, Baldiri Reixac, 4, Barcelona, 08028 Catalonia, Spain,Institute for Research in Biomedicine, IRB Barcelona, The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona, 08028 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joris A. Veltman
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Kenneth I. Aston
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Donald F. Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA,Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Frank Tüttelmann
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Vesaliusweg 12-14, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Csilla Krausz
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences Mario Serio, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy,Corresponding author
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9
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Autophagy is required for spermatogonial differentiation in the Drosophila testis. Biol Futur 2022; 73:187-204. [DOI: 10.1007/s42977-022-00122-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAutophagy is a conserved, lysosome-dependent catabolic process of eukaryotic cells which is involved in cellular differentiation. Here, we studied its specific role in the differentiation of spermatogonial cells in the Drosophila testis. In the apical part of the Drosophila testis, there is a niche of germline stem cells (GSCs), which are connected to hub cells. Hub cells emit a ligand for bone morhphogenetic protein (BMP)-mediated signalling that represses Bam (bag of marbles) expression in GSCs to maintain them in an undifferentiated state. GSCs divide asymmetrically, and one of the daughter cells differentiates into a gonialblast, which eventually generates a cluster of spermatogonia (SG) by mitoses. Bam is active in SG, and defects in Bam function arrest these cells at mitosis. We show that BMP signalling represses autophagy in GSCs, but upregulates the process in SG. Inhibiting autophagy in SG results in an overproliferating phenotype similar to that caused by bam mutations. Furthermore, Bam deficiency leads to a failure in downstream mechanisms of the autophagic breakdown. These results suggest that the BMP-Bam signalling axis regulates developmental autophagy in the Drosophila testis, and that acidic breakdown of cellular materials is required for spermatogonial differentiation.
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10
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Wendler F, Park S, Hill C, Galasso A, Chang KR, Awan I, Sudarikova Y, Bustamante-Sequeiros M, Liu S, Sung EYH, Aisa-Bonoko G, Kim SK, Baena-Lopez LA. A LexAop > UAS > QUAS trimeric plasmid to generate inducible and interconvertible Drosophila overexpression transgenes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3835. [PMID: 35264662 PMCID: PMC8907290 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07852-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of three independent binary systems for conditional gene expression (Gal4/UAS; LexA/LexAop; QF/QUAS) has greatly expanded versatile genetic analyses in the Drosophila melanogaster; however, the experimental application of these tools is limited by the need to generate multiple collections of noninterchangeable transgenic fly strains for each inducible gene expression system. To address this practical limitation, we developed a modular vector that contains the regulatory elements from all three binary systems, enabling Gal4-, LexA- or QF-dependent expression of transgenes. Our methods also incorporate DNA elements that facilitate independent site-specific recombination and elimination of regulatory UAS, LexAop or QUAS modules with spatial and temporal control, thus offering unprecedented possibilities and logistical advantages for in vivo genetic modulation and efficient interconversion of overexpression transgenic fly lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Wendler
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Sangbin Park
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Claire Hill
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Alessia Galasso
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Kathleen R Chang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Iman Awan
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Yulia Sudarikova
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Sichen Liu
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Ethan Y-H Sung
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabrielle Aisa-Bonoko
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Seung K Kim
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, and Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Luis A Baena-Lopez
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK.
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11
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Ilyin AA, Kononkova AD, Golova AV, Shloma VV, Olenkina O, Nenasheva V, Abramov Y, Kotov AA, Maksimov D, Laktionov P, Pindyurin A, Galitsyna A, Ulianov S, Khrameeva E, Gelfand M, Belyakin S, Razin S, Shevelyov Y. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3203-3225. [PMID: 35166842 PMCID: PMC8989536 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic chromosomes are spatially segregated into topologically associating domains (TADs). Some TADs are attached to the nuclear lamina (NL) through lamina-associated domains (LADs). Here, we identified LADs and TADs at two stages of Drosophila spermatogenesis – in bamΔ86 mutant testes which is the commonly used model of spermatogonia (SpG) and in larval testes mainly filled with spermatocytes (SpCs). We found that initiation of SpC-specific transcription correlates with promoters’ detachment from the NL and with local spatial insulation of adjacent regions. However, this insulation does not result in the partitioning of inactive TADs into sub-TADs. We also revealed an increased contact frequency between SpC-specific genes in SpCs implying their de novo gathering into transcription factories. In addition, we uncovered the specific X chromosome organization in the male germline. In SpG and SpCs, a single X chromosome is stronger associated with the NL than autosomes. Nevertheless, active chromatin regions in the X chromosome interact with each other more frequently than in autosomes. Moreover, despite the absence of dosage compensation complex in the male germline, randomly inserted SpG-specific reporter is expressed higher in the X chromosome than in autosomes, thus evidencing that non-canonical dosage compensation operates in SpG.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Valentina V Nenasheva
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Yuri A Abramov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Alexei A Kotov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Daniil A Maksimov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Petr P Laktionov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Alexey V Pindyurin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | | | - Sergey V Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Ekaterina E Khrameeva
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Ekaterina Khrameeva. Tel: +7 495 2801481; Fax: +7 495 2801481;
| | - Mikhail S Gelfand
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo 143026, Russia
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russia
| | - Stepan N Belyakin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Sergey V Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Yuri Y Shevelyov
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +7 499 1960809; Fax: +7 499 1960221;
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12
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Garcia-Marques J, Lee T. Tracing and Manipulating Drosophila Cell Lineages Based on CRISPR: CaSSA and CLADES. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2540:201-217. [PMID: 35980579 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2541-5_9] [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] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cell lineage defines the mitotic connection between cells that make up an organism. Mapping these connections in relation to cell identity offers an extraordinary insight into the mechanisms underlying normal and pathological development. The analysis of molecular determinants involved in the acquisition of cell identity requires gaining experimental access to precise parts of cell lineages. Recently, we have developed CaSSA and CLADES, a new technology based on CRISPR that allows targeting and labeling specific lineage branches. Here we discuss how to better exploit this technology for lineage studies in Drosophila, with an emphasis on neuronal specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Garcia-Marques
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Tzumin Lee
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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13
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Xia S, Ventura IM, Blaha A, Sgromo A, Han S, Izaurralde E, Long M. Rapid Gene evolution in an ancient post-transcriptional and translational regulatory system compensates for meiotic X chromosomal inactivation. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6385248. [PMID: 34626117 PMCID: PMC8763131 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is conventionally assumed that conserved pathways evolve slowly with little participation of gene evolution. Nevertheless, it has been recently observed that young genes can take over fundamental functions in essential biological processes, for example, development and reproduction. It is unclear how newly duplicated genes are integrated into ancestral networks and reshape the conserved pathways of important functions. Here, we investigated origination and function of two autosomal genes that evolved recently in Drosophila: Poseidon and Zeus, which were created by RNA-based duplications from the X-linked CAF40, a subunit of the conserved CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex involved in posttranscriptional and translational regulation. Knockdown and knockout assays show that the two genes quickly evolved critically important functions in viability and male fertility. Moreover, our transcriptome analysis demonstrates that the three genes have a broad and distinct effect in the expression of hundreds of genes, with almost half of the differentially expressed genes being perturbed exclusively by one paralog, but not the others. Co-immunoprecipitation and tethering assays show that the CAF40 paralog Poseidon maintains the ability to interact with the CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex and might act in posttranscriptional mRNA regulation. The rapid gene evolution in the ancient posttranscriptional and translational regulatory system may be driven by evolution of sex chromosomes to compensate for the meiotic X chromosomal inactivation (MXCI) in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqian Xia
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Iuri M Ventura
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, DF, 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Andreas Blaha
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annamaria Sgromo
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shuaibo Han
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Elisa Izaurralde
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Manyuan Long
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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14
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Rivard EL, Ludwig AG, Patel PH, Grandchamp A, Arnold SE, Berger A, Scott EM, Kelly BJ, Mascha GC, Bornberg-Bauer E, Findlay GD. A putative de novo evolved gene required for spermatid chromatin condensation in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009787. [PMID: 34478447 PMCID: PMC8445463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative genomics has enabled the identification of genes that potentially evolved de novo from non-coding sequences. Many such genes are expressed in male reproductive tissues, but their functions remain poorly understood. To address this, we conducted a functional genetic screen of over 40 putative de novo genes with testis-enriched expression in Drosophila melanogaster and identified one gene, atlas, required for male fertility. Detailed genetic and cytological analyses showed that atlas is required for proper chromatin condensation during the final stages of spermatogenesis. Atlas protein is expressed in spermatid nuclei and facilitates the transition from histone- to protamine-based chromatin packaging. Complementary evolutionary analyses revealed the complex evolutionary history of atlas. The protein-coding portion of the gene likely arose at the base of the Drosophila genus on the X chromosome but was unlikely to be essential, as it was then lost in several independent lineages. Within the last ~15 million years, however, the gene moved to an autosome, where it fused with a conserved non-coding RNA and evolved a non-redundant role in male fertility. Altogether, this study provides insight into the integration of novel genes into biological processes, the links between genomic innovation and functional evolution, and the genetic control of a fundamental developmental process, gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Rivard
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrew G. Ludwig
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Prajal H. Patel
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Sarah E. Arnold
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Emilie M. Scott
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brendan J. Kelly
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Grace C. Mascha
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Geoffrey D. Findlay
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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15
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Hodge SH, Watts A, Marley R, Baines RA, Hafen E, MacDougall LK. Twitchy, the Drosophila orthologue of the ciliary gating protein FBF1/dyf-19, is required for coordinated locomotion and male fertility. Biol Open 2021; 10:bio058531. [PMID: 34357392 PMCID: PMC8353261 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia are compartmentalised from the rest of the cell by a ciliary gate comprising transition fibres and a transition zone. The ciliary gate allows the selective import and export of molecules such as transmembrane receptors and transport proteins. These are required for the assembly of the cilium, its function as a sensory and signalling centre and to maintain its distinctive composition. Certain motile cilia can also form within the cytosol as exemplified by human and Drosophila sperm. The role of transition fibre proteins has not been well described in the cytoplasmic cilia. Drosophila have both compartmentalised primary cilia, in sensory neurons, and sperm flagella that form within the cytosol. Here, we describe phenotypes for twitchy the Drosophila orthologue of a transition fibre protein, mammalian FBF1/C. elegans dyf-19. Loss-of-function mutants in twitchy are adult lethal and display a severely uncoordinated phenotype. Twitchy flies are too uncoordinated to mate but RNAi-mediated loss of twitchy specifically within the male germline results in coordinated but infertile adults. Examination of sperm from twitchy RNAi-knockdown flies shows that the flagellar axoneme forms, elongates and is post-translationally modified by polyglycylation but the production of motile sperm is impaired. These results indicate that twitchy is required for the function of both sensory cilia that are compartmentalised from the rest of the cell and sperm flagella that are formed within the cytosol of the cell. Twitchy is therefore likely to function as part of a molecular gate in sensory neurons but may have a distinct function in sperm cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne H. Hodge
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Amy Watts
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Richard Marley
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Richard A. Baines
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ernst Hafen
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lindsay K. MacDougall
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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16
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Azuma M, Ogata T, Yamazoe K, Tanaka Y, Inoue YH. Heat shock cognate 70 genes contribute to Drosophila spermatocyte growth progression possibly through the insulin signaling pathway. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:231-248. [PMID: 34050930 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila spermatocytes grow up to 25 times their original volume before the onset of male meiosis. Several insulin-like peptides and their cognate receptors (InR) are essential for the cell growth process in Drosophila. Here, we aimed to identify additional signaling pathways and other regulatory factors required for germline cell growth in Drosophila males. Spermatocyte-specific expression of the dominant-negative form of InR inhibits cell growth. Conversely, constitutively active forms of signaling factors downstream of InR suppress growth inhibition. Furthermore, hypomorphic mutations in the target of rapamycin (Tor) inhibit spermatocyte growth. These data indicate that the insulin/TOR pathway is essential for the growth of premeiotic spermatocytes. RNA interference (RNAi) screening for the identification of other novel genes associated with cell growth showed that the silencing of each of the five members of heat shock cognate 70 (Hsc70) genes significantly inhibited the process. Hsc70-silenced spermatocytes showed Akt inhibition downstream of the insulin signaling pathway. Our pleckstrin homology domain-green fluorescent protein (PH-GFP) reporter studies indicated that PI3K remained activated in Hsc70-4-silenced cells, suggesting that the Hsc70-4 protein possibly targets Akt or Pdk1 acting downstream of PI3K. Moreover, each of the Hsc70 proteins showed different subcellular localizations. Hsc70-2 exhibited cytoplasmic colocalization with Akt in spermatocytes before nuclear entry of the kinase during the growth phase. These results indicated the involvement of Hsc70 proteins in the activation of various steps in the insulin signaling pathway, which is essential for spermatocyte growth. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism(s) that enhance signal transduction to stimulate the growth of Drosophila spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maho Azuma
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Research Center for Insect Advanced Studies, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsubasa Ogata
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Research Center for Insect Advanced Studies, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kanta Yamazoe
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Research Center for Insect Advanced Studies, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuri Tanaka
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Research Center for Insect Advanced Studies, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro H Inoue
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Research Center for Insect Advanced Studies, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
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17
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Tovey CA, Tsuji C, Egerton A, Bernard F, Guichet A, de la Roche M, Conduit PT. Autoinhibition of Cnn binding to γ-TuRCs prevents ectopic microtubule nucleation and cell division defects. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:212197. [PMID: 34042945 PMCID: PMC8164090 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) nucleate microtubules. They are recruited to centrosomes in dividing cells via binding to N-terminal CM1 domains within γ-TuRC–tethering proteins, including Drosophila Centrosomin (Cnn). Binding promotes microtubule nucleation and is restricted to centrosomes in dividing cells, but the mechanism regulating binding remains unknown. Here, we identify an extreme N-terminal CM1 autoinhibition (CAI) domain found specifically within the centrosomal isoform of Cnn (Cnn-C) that inhibits γ-TuRC binding. Robust binding occurs after removal of the CAI domain or with the addition of phosphomimetic mutations, suggesting that phosphorylation helps relieve inhibition. We show that regulation of Cnn binding to γ-TuRCs is isoform specific and that misregulation of binding can result in ectopic cytosolic microtubules and major defects during cell division. We also find that human CDK5RAP2 is autoinhibited from binding γ-TuRCs, suggesting conservation across species. Overall, our results shed light on how and why CM1 domain binding to γ-TuRCs is regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne A Tovey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Chisato Tsuji
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alice Egerton
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fred Bernard
- Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Guichet
- Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Marc de la Roche
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul T Conduit
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
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18
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Turnell BR, Kumpitsch L, Ribou AC, Reinhardt K. Somatic production of reactive oxygen species does not predict its production in sperm cells across Drosophila melanogaster lines. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:131. [PMID: 33827685 PMCID: PMC8028716 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05550-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sperm ageing has major evolutionary implications but has received comparatively little attention. Ageing in sperm and other cells is driven largely by oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the mitochondria. Rates of organismal ageing differ across species and are theorized to be linked to somatic ROS levels. However, it is unknown whether sperm ageing rates are correlated with organismal ageing rates. Here, we investigate this question by comparing sperm ROS production in four lines of Drosophila melanogaster that have previously been shown to differ in somatic mitochondrial ROS production, including two commonly used wild-type lines and two lines with genetic modifications standardly used in ageing research. RESULTS Somatic ROS production was previously shown to be lower in wild-type Oregon-R than in wild-type Dahomey flies; decreased by the expression of alternative oxidase (AOX), a protein that shortens the electron transport chain; and increased by a loss-of-function mutation in dj-1β, a gene involved in ROS scavenging. Contrary to predictions, we found no differences among these four lines in the rate of sperm ROS production. We discuss the implications of our results, the limitations of our study, and possible directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biz R Turnell
- Applied Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Raum 258, 01069, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Luisa Kumpitsch
- Applied Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Raum 258, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne-Cécile Ribou
- Institut de Modélisation Et D'Analyse en Géo-Environnement Et Santé, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Klaus Reinhardt
- Applied Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Raum 258, 01069, Dresden, Germany
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19
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Grewal G, Patlar B, Civetta A. Expression of Mst89B and CG31287 is Needed for Effective Sperm Storage and Egg Fertilization in Drosophila. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020289. [PMID: 33535499 PMCID: PMC7912738 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila, male reproductive fitness can be affected by any number of processes, ranging from development of gametes, transfer to and storage of mature sperm within the female sperm storage organs, and utilization of sperm for fertilization. We have previously identified the 89B cytogenetic map position of D. melanogaster as a hub for genes that effect male paternity success when disturbed. Here, we used RNA interference to test 11 genes that are highly expressed in the testes and located within the 89B region for their role in sperm competition and male fecundity when their expression is perturbed. Testes-specific knockdown (KD) of bor and CSN5 resulted in complete sterility, whereas KD of CG31287, Manf and Mst89B, showed a breakdown in sperm competitive success when second to mate (P2 < 0.5) and reduced fecundity in single matings. The low fecundity of Manf KD is explained by a significant reduction in the amount of mature sperm produced. KD of Mst89B and CG31287 does not affect sperm production, sperm transfer into the female bursa or storage within 30 min after mating. Instead, a significant reduction of sperm in female storage is observed 24 h after mating. Egg hatchability 24 h after mating is also drastically reduced for females mated to Mst89B or CG31287 KD males, and this reduction parallels the decrease in fecundity. We show that normal germ-line expression of Mst89B and CG31287 is needed for effective sperm usage and egg fertilization.
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20
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Dutta P, Nath S, Li J, Li WX. Drosophila SERTAD domain protein Taranis is required in somatic cells for maintenance of male germline stem cells. Dev Dyn 2020; 250:237-248. [PMID: 32969117 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polycomb proteins are essential for maintaining stem cell identity across different stem cell niches. However, how they function to maintain stem cell niches is not fully understood. RESULTS Here we show that the SERTAD protein Taranis (Tara), which is a Polycomb-trithorax group protein, is expressed in the adult testis niche and plays a role in its maintenance in Drosophila. We found that tara is expressed in early cyst cells, likely including somatic cyst stem cells (CySCs) of Drosophila male testis tip region, which houses both germline and somatic cyst stem cells along with the hub cells, forming the stem cell niche. Consistent with its expression, we found that, while loss of tara in germline cells only had minimal effects, tara knockdown in all cells or only in somatic cells of the niche reduced the number of not only somatic cells, but also germline stem cells (GSCs). We further found that Tara might antagonize Notch signaling in CySCs to maintain the stem cell niche. CONCLUSIONS Our studies suggest that Tara might function in somatic CySCs for GSC maintenance in the Drosophila testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranabananda Dutta
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Division of Cancer Research and Training, Department of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Soma Nath
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jinghong Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Willis X Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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21
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Garcia-Marques J, Espinosa-Medina I, Ku KY, Yang CP, Koyama M, Yu HH, Lee T. A programmable sequence of reporters for lineage analysis. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:1618-1628. [PMID: 32719561 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0676-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We present CLADES (cell lineage access driven by an edition sequence), a technology for cell lineage studies based on CRISPR-Cas9 techniques. CLADES relies on a system of genetic switches to activate and inactivate reporter genes in a predetermined order. Targeting CLADES to progenitor cells allows the progeny to inherit a sequential cascade of reporters, thereby coupling birth order to reporter expression. This system, which can also be temporally induced by heat shock, enables the temporal resolution of lineage development and can therefore be used to deconstruct an extended cell lineage by tracking the reporters expressed in the progeny. When targeted to the germ line, the same cascade progresses across animal generations, predominantly marking each generation with the corresponding combination of reporters. CLADES therefore offers an innovative strategy for making programmable cascades of genes that can be used for genetic manipulation or to record serial biological events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kai-Yuan Ku
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Po Yang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Minoru Koyama
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Hung-Hsiang Yu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzumin Lee
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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22
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Wormser O, Levy Y, Bakhrat A, Bonaccorsi S, Graziadio L, Gatti M, AbuMadighem A, McKenney RJ, Okada K, El Riati S, Har-Vardi I, Huleihel M, Levitas E, Birk OS, Abdu U. Absence of SCAPER causes male infertility in humans and Drosophila by modulating microtubule dynamics during meiosis. J Med Genet 2020; 58:254-263. [PMID: 32527956 PMCID: PMC10405349 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2020-106946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutation in S-phase cyclin A-associated protein rin the endoplasmic reticulum (SCAPER) have been found across ethnicities and have been shown to cause variable penetrance of an array of pathological traits, including intellectual disability, retinitis pigmentosa and ciliopathies. METHODS Human clinical phenotyping, surgical testicular sperm extraction and testicular tissue staining. Generation and analysis of short spindle 3 (ssp3) (SCAPER orthologue) Drosophila CAS9-knockout lines. In vitro microtubule (MT) binding assayed by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS We show that patients homozygous for a SCAPER mutation lack SCAPER expression in spermatogonia (SPG) and are azoospermic due to early defects in spermatogenesis, leading to the complete absence of meiotic cells. Interestingly, Drosophila null mutants for the ubiquitously expressed ssp3 gene are viable and female fertile but male sterile. We further show that male sterility in ssp3 null mutants is due to failure in both chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. In cells undergoing male meiosis, the MTs emanating from the centrosomes do not appear to interact properly with the chromosomes, which remain dispersed within dividing spermatocytes (SPCs). In addition, mutant SPCs are unable to assemble a normal central spindle and undergo cytokinesis. Consistent with these results, an in vitro assay demonstrated that both SCAPER and Ssp3 directly bind MTs. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that SCAPER null mutations block the entry into meiosis of SPG, causing azoospermia. Null mutations in ssp3 specifically disrupt MT dynamics during male meiosis, leading to sterility. Moreover, both SCAPER and Ssp3 bind MTs in vitro. These results raise the intriguing possibility of a common feature between human and Drosophila meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Wormser
- The Morris Kahn Laboratory of Human Genetics, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ygal Levy
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Anna Bakhrat
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Silvia Bonaccorsi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Graziadio
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gatti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
| | - Ali AbuMadighem
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,The Center of Advanced Research and Education in Reproduction (CARER), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Richard J McKenney
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, UC Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kyoko Okada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, UC Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Saad El Riati
- Southern District, Clalit Health Services, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Iris Har-Vardi
- The Center of Advanced Research and Education in Reproduction (CARER), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Mahmoud Huleihel
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,The Center of Advanced Research and Education in Reproduction (CARER), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Eliahu Levitas
- The Center of Advanced Research and Education in Reproduction (CARER), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ohad S Birk
- The Morris Kahn Laboratory of Human Genetics, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel .,Genetics Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Uri Abdu
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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23
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A fly model establishes distinct mechanisms for synthetic CRISPR/Cas9 sex distorters. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008647. [PMID: 32168334 PMCID: PMC7108745 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic sex distorters have recently been developed in the malaria mosquito, relying on endonucleases that target the X-chromosome during spermatogenesis. Although inspired by naturally-occurring traits, it has remained unclear how they function and, given their potential for genetic control, how portable this strategy is across species. We established Drosophila models for two distinct mechanisms for CRISPR/Cas9 sex-ratio distortion—“X-shredding” and “X-poisoning”—and dissected their target-site requirements and repair dynamics. X-shredding resulted in sex distortion when Cas9 endonuclease activity occurred during the meiotic stages of spermatogenesis but not when Cas9 was expressed from the stem cell stages onwards. Our results suggest that X-shredding is counteracted by the NHEJ DNA repair pathway and can operate on a single repeat cluster of non-essential sequences, although the targeting of a number of such repeats had no effect on the sex ratio. X-poisoning by contrast, i.e. targeting putative haplolethal genes on the X chromosome, induced a high bias towards males (>92%) when we directed Cas9 cleavage to the X-linked ribosomal target gene RpS6. In the case of X-poisoning sex distortion was coupled to a loss in reproductive output, although a dominant-negative effect appeared to drive the mechanism of female lethality. These model systems will guide the study and the application of sex distorters to medically or agriculturally important insect target species. Harmful insect populations can be eliminated for a lack of females if they are made to produce mostly male offspring. There are genes that occur naturally that make males produce mostly sons and, although we don’t know exactly how they work, this appears to coincide with damage to the X-chromosome during the production of sperm. Recently, we showed in a mosquito species that such sex-biasing genes could also be constructed artificially from first principles. To better understand if this works in other species too, we designed and built male-biasing genes of two types in the fruit fly and determined what is needed to for a shift towards males. We show how different ways of cutting the X-chromosome DNA at different times with CRISPR, results in distinct outcomes and started to ask what cellular processes are involved in this. These models will help us to design such genes for the control of insect species that transmit disease or threaten crops.
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24
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Galletta BJ, Ortega JM, Smith SL, Fagerstrom CJ, Fear JM, Mahadevaraju S, Oliver B, Rusan NM. Sperm Head-Tail Linkage Requires Restriction of Pericentriolar Material to the Proximal Centriole End. Dev Cell 2020; 53:86-101.e7. [PMID: 32169161 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The centriole, or basal body, is the center of attachment between the sperm head and tail. While the distal end of the centriole templates the cilia, the proximal end associates with the nucleus. Using Drosophila, we identify a centriole-centric mechanism that ensures proper proximal end docking to the nucleus. This mechanism relies on the restriction of pericentrin-like protein (PLP) and the pericentriolar material (PCM) to the proximal end of the centriole. PLP is restricted proximally by limiting its mRNA and protein to the earliest stages of centriole elongation. Ectopic positioning of PLP to more distal portions of the centriole is sufficient to redistribute PCM and microtubules along the entire centriole length. This results in erroneous, lateral centriole docking to the nucleus, leading to spermatid decapitation as a result of a failure to form a stable head-tail linkage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Galletta
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Jacob M Ortega
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Samantha L Smith
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Carey J Fagerstrom
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Justin M Fear
- Developmental Genomics Section, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sharvani Mahadevaraju
- Developmental Genomics Section, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Brian Oliver
- Developmental Genomics Section, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nasser M Rusan
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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25
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Fabrizio JJ, Rollins J, Bazinet CW, Wegener S, Koziy I, Daniel R, Lombardo V, Pryce D, Bharrat K, Innabi E, Villanobos M, Mendoza G, Ferrara E, Rodway S, Vicioso M, Siracusa V, Dailey E, Pronovost J, Innabi S, Patel V, DeSouza N, Quaranto D, Niknejad A. Tubulin-binding cofactor E-like (TBCEL), the protein product of the mulet gene, is required in the germline for the regulation of inter-flagellar microtubule dynamics during spermatid individualization. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio049080. [PMID: 32033965 PMCID: PMC7055396 DOI: 10.1242/bio.049080] [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: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual sperm cells are resolved from a syncytium during late step of spermiogenesis known as individualization, which is accomplished by an Individualization Complex (IC) composed of 64 investment cones. mulet encodes Tubulin-binding cofactor E-like (TBCEL), suggesting a role for microtubule dynamics in individualization. Indeed, a population of ∼100 cytoplasmic microtubules fails to disappear in mulet mutant testes during spermatogenesis. This persistence, detected using epi-fluorescence and electron microscopy, suggests that removal of these microtubules by TBCEL is a prerequisite for individualization. Immunofluorescence reveals TBCEL expression in elongated spermatid cysts. In addition, testes from mulet mutant males were rescued to wild type using tubulin-Gal4 to drive TBCEL expression, indicating that the mutant phenotype is caused by the lack of TBCEL. Finally, RNAi driven by bam-GAL4 successfully phenocopied mulet, confirming that mulet is required in the germline for individualization. We propose a model in which the cytoplasmic microtubules serve as alternate tracks for investment cones in mulet mutant testes.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Fabrizio
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Janet Rollins
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | | | - Stephanie Wegener
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Iryna Koziy
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Rachel Daniel
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Vincent Lombardo
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Dwaine Pryce
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Kavita Bharrat
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Elissa Innabi
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Marielle Villanobos
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Gabriela Mendoza
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Elisa Ferrara
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Stephanie Rodway
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Matthew Vicioso
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Victoria Siracusa
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Erin Dailey
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Justin Pronovost
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Simon Innabi
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Vrutant Patel
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Nicole DeSouza
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Danielle Quaranto
- Division of Natural Sciences, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
| | - Amir Niknejad
- Department of Mathematics, College of Mt St Vincent, Bronx, NY 10471, USA
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26
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Kovács L, Nagy Á, Pál M, Deák P. Usp14 is required for spermatogenesis and ubiquitin stress responses in Drosophila melanogaster. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:133/2/jcs237511. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.237511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Deubiquitylating (DUB) enzymes free covalently linked ubiquitin moieties from ubiquitin–ubiquitin and ubiquitin–protein conjugates, and thereby maintain the equilibrium between free and conjugated ubiquitin moieties and regulate ubiquitin-mediated cellular processes. Here, we performed genetic analyses of mutant phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster and demonstrate that loss of Usp14 function results in male sterility, with defects in spermatid individualization and reduced testicular free monoubiquitin levels. These phenotypes were rescued by germline-specific overexpression of wild-type Usp14. Synergistic genetic interactions with Ubi-p63E and cycloheximide sensitivity suggest that ubiquitin shortage is a primary cause of male sterility. In addition, Usp14 is predominantly expressed in testes in Drosophila, indicating a higher demand for this DUB in testes that is also reflected by testis-specific loss-of-function Usp14 phenotypes. Collectively, these results suggest a major role of Usp14 in maintaining normal steady state free monoubiquitin levels during the later stages of Drosophila spermatogenesis.
This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente Kovács
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ágota Nagy
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Margit Pál
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Peter Deák
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
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27
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Mills WK, Lee YCG, Kochendoerfer AM, Dunleavy EM, Karpen GH. RNA from a simple-tandem repeat is required for sperm maturation and male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster. eLife 2019; 8:48940. [PMID: 31687931 PMCID: PMC6879302 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tandemly-repeated DNAs, or satellites, are enriched in heterochromatic regions of eukaryotic genomes and contribute to nuclear structure and function. Some satellites are transcribed, but we lack direct evidence that specific satellite RNAs are required for normal organismal functions. Here, we show satellite RNAs derived from AAGAG tandem repeats are transcribed in many cells throughout Drosophila melanogaster development, enriched in neurons and testes, often localized within heterochromatic regions, and important for viability. Strikingly, we find AAGAG transcripts are necessary for male fertility, and that AAGAG RNA depletion results in defective histone-protamine exchange, sperm maturation and chromatin organization. Since these events happen late in spermatogenesis when the transcripts are not detected, we speculate that AAGAG RNA in primary spermatocytes ‘primes’ post-meiosis steps for sperm maturation. In addition to demonstrating essential functions for AAGAG RNAs, comparisons between closely related Drosophila species suggest that satellites and their transcription evolve quickly to generate new functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilbur Kyle Mills
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
| | - Yuh Chwen G Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
| | | | - Elaine M Dunleavy
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gary H Karpen
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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28
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Chen H, Ronau JA, Beckmann JF, Hochstrasser M. A Wolbachia nuclease and its binding partner provide a distinct mechanism for cytoplasmic incompatibility. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:22314-22321. [PMID: 31615889 PMCID: PMC6825299 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914571116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that infect nearly half of all arthropod species. This pandemic is due in part to their ability to increase their transmission through the female germline, most commonly by a mechanism called cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). The Wolbachia cid operon, encoding 2 proteins, CidA and CidB, the latter a deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB), recapitulates CI in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster However, some CI-inducing Wolbachia strains lack a DUB-encoding cid operon; it was therefore proposed that the related cin operon codes for an alternative CI system. Here we show that the Wolbachia cin operon encodes a nuclease, CinB, and a second protein, CinA, that tightly binds CinB. Recombinant CinB has nuclease activity against both single-stranded and double-stranded DNA but not RNA under the conditions tested. Expression of the cin operon in transgenic male flies induces male sterility and embryonic defects typical of CI. Importantly, transgenic CinA can rescue defects in egg-hatch rates when expressed in females. Expression of CinA also rescues CinB-induced growth defects in yeast. CinB has 2 PD-(D/E)xK nuclease domains, and both are required for nuclease activity and for toxicity in yeast and flies. Our data suggest a distinct mechanism for CI involving a nuclease toxin and highlight the central role of toxin-antidote operons in Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Chen
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Judith A Ronau
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - John F Beckmann
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 26849
| | - Mark Hochstrasser
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511;
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
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29
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Steinhauer J, Statman B, Fagan JK, Borck J, Surabhi S, Yarikipati P, Edelman D, Jenny A. Combover interacts with the axonemal component Rsp3 and is required for Drosophila sperm individualization. Development 2019; 146:dev179275. [PMID: 31391193 PMCID: PMC6765124 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gamete formation is key to survival of higher organisms. In male animals, spermatogenesis gives rise to interconnected spermatids that differentiate and individualize into mature sperm, each tightly enclosed by a plasma membrane. In Drosophila melanogaster, individualization of sister spermatids requires the formation of specialized actin cones that synchronously move along the sperm tails, removing inter-spermatid bridges and most of the cytoplasm. Here, we show that Combover (Cmb), originally identified as an effector of planar cell polarity (PCP) under control of Rho kinase, is essential for sperm individualization. cmb mutants are male sterile, with actin cones that fail to move in a synchronized manner along the flagella, despite being correctly formed and polarized initially. These defects are germline autonomous, independent of PCP genes, and can be rescued by wild-type Cmb, but not by a version of Cmb in which known Rho kinase phosphorylation sites are mutated. Furthermore, Cmb binds to the axonemal component Radial spoke protein 3, knockdown of which causes similar individualization defects, suggesting that Cmb coordinates the individualization machinery with the microtubular axonemes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Statman
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY 10033, USA
| | - Jeremy K Fagan
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jacob Borck
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY 10033, USA
| | - Satya Surabhi
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Prathibha Yarikipati
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Daniel Edelman
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY 10033, USA
| | - Andreas Jenny
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
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30
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Ge DT, Wang W, Tipping C, Gainetdinov I, Weng Z, Zamore PD. The RNA-Binding ATPase, Armitage, Couples piRNA Amplification in Nuage to Phased piRNA Production on Mitochondria. Mol Cell 2019; 74:982-995.e6. [PMID: 31076285 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) silence transposons in Drosophila ovaries, ensuring female fertility. Two coupled pathways generate germline piRNAs: the ping-pong cycle, in which the PIWI proteins Aubergine and Ago3 increase the abundance of pre-existing piRNAs, and the phased piRNA pathway, which generates strings of tail-to-head piRNAs, one after another. Proteins acting in the ping-pong cycle localize to nuage, whereas phased piRNA production requires Zucchini, an endonuclease on the mitochondrial surface. Here, we report that Armitage (Armi), an RNA-binding ATPase localized to both nuage and mitochondria, links the ping-pong cycle to the phased piRNA pathway. Mutations that block phased piRNA production deplete Armi from nuage. Armi ATPase mutants cannot support phased piRNA production and inappropriately bind mRNA instead of piRNA precursors. We propose that Armi shuttles between nuage and mitochondria, feeding precursor piRNAs generated by Ago3 cleavage into the Zucchini-dependent production of Aubergine- and Piwi-bound piRNAs on the mitochondrial surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tianfang Ge
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Cindy Tipping
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Ildar Gainetdinov
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Phillip D Zamore
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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31
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Francis D, Chanana B, Fernandez B, Gordon B, Mak T, Palacios IM. YAP/Yorkie in the germline modulates the age-related decline of germline stem cells and niche cells. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213327. [PMID: 30943201 PMCID: PMC6447158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The properties and behaviour of stem cells rely heavily on signaling from the local microenvironment. At the apical end of Drosophila testis, self-renewal and differentiation of germline stem cells (GSCs) are tightly controlled by distinct somatic cells that comprise a specialised stem cell niche known as the hub. The hub maintains GSC homeostasis through adhesion and cell signaling. The Salvador/Warts/Hippo (SWH) pathway, which suppresses the transcriptional co-activator YAP/Yki via a kinase cascade, is a known regulator of stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Here, we show that increasing YAP/Yki expression in the germline, as well as reducing Warts levels, blocks the decrease of GSC numbers observed in aging flies, with only a small increase on their proliferation. An increased expression of YAP/Yki in the germline or a reduction in Warts levels also stymies an age-related reduction in hub cell number, suggesting a bilateral relationship between GSCs and the hub. Conversely, RNAi-based knockdown of YAP/Yki in the germline leads to a significant drop in hub cell number, further suggesting the existence of such a SC-to-niche relationship. All together, our data implicate the SWH pathway in Drosophila GSC maintenance and raise questions about its role in stem cell homeostasis in aging organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beatriz Fernandez
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tiffany Mak
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel M. Palacios
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, United Kingdom
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ATP synthase is required for male fertility and germ cell maturation in Drosophila testes. Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:1561-1570. [PMID: 30628672 PMCID: PMC6390039 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.9834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cell maturation is essential for spermatogenesis and testis homeostasis. ATP synthase serves significant roles in energy storage in germ cell survival and is catalyzed by alterations in the mitochondrial membrane proton concentration. The intrinsic cellular mechanisms governing stem cell maturation remain largely unknown. In the present study, in vivo RNA interference (RNAi) screening of major ATP synthase subunits was performed, and the function of ATP synthase for male fertility and spermatogenesis in Drosophila was explored. A Upstream Activation Sequence/Gal4 transcription factor system was used to knock down gene expression in specific cell types, and immunofluorescence staining was conducted to assess the roles of ATP synthase subunits in Drosophila testes. It was identified that knockdown of ATP synthase resulted in male infertility and abnormal spermatogenesis in Drosophila testes. In addition, knockdown of the ATP synthase β subunit in germ cells resulted in defects in male infertility and germ cell maturation, while the hub and cyst cell populations were maintained. Other major ATP synthase subunits were also examined and similar phenotypes in Drosophila testes were identified. Taken together, the data from the present study revealed that ATP synthase serves important roles for male fertility during spermatogenesis by regulating germ cell maturation in Drosophila testes.
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Mageeney CM, Kearse MG, Gershman BW, Pritchard CE, Colquhoun JM, Ware VC. Functional interplay between ribosomal protein paralogues in the eRpL22 family in Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin) 2018; 12:143-163. [PMID: 30465696 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2018.1549419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Duplicated ribosomal protein (RP) genes in the Drosophila melanogaster eRpL22 family encode structurally-divergent and differentially-expressed rRNA-binding RPs. eRpL22 is expressed ubiquitously and eRpL22-like expression is tissue-restricted with highest levels in the adult male germline. We explored paralogue functional equivalence using the GAL4-UAS system for paralogue knockdown or overexpression and a conditional eRpL22-like knockout in a heat- shock flippase/FRT line. Ubiquitous eRpL22 knockdown with Actin-GAL4 resulted in embryonic lethality, confirming eRpL22 essentiality. eRpL22-like knockdown (60%) was insufficient to cause lethality; yet, conditional eRpL22-like knockout at one hour following egg deposition caused lethality within each developmental stage. Therefore, each paralogue is essential. Variation in timing of heat-shock-induced eRpL22-like knockout highlighted early embryogenesis as the critical period where eRpL22-like expression (not compensated for by eRpL22) is required for normal development of several organ systems, including testis development and subsequent sperm production. To determine if eRpL22-like can substitute for eRpL22, we used Actin-GAL4 for ubiquitous eRpL22 knockdown and eRpL22-like-FLAG (or FLAG-eRpL22: control) overexpression. Emergence of adults demonstrated that ubiquitous eRpL22-like-FLAG or FLAG-eRpL22 expression eliminates embryonic lethality resulting from eRpL22 depletion. Adults rescued by eRpL22-like-FLAG (but not by FLAG-eRpL22) overexpression had reduced fertility and longevity. We conclude that eRpL22 paralogue roles are not completely interchangeable and include functionally-diverse roles in development and spermatogenesis. Testis-specific paralogue knockdown revealed molecular phenotypes, including increases in eRpL22 protein and mRNA levels following eRpL22-like depletion, implicating a negative crosstalk mechanism regulating eRpL22 expression. Paralogue depletion unmasked mechanisms, yet to be defined that impact paralogue co-expression within germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael G Kearse
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Lehigh University , Bethlehem , PA , USA
| | - Brett W Gershman
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Lehigh University , Bethlehem , PA , USA
| | | | | | - Vassie C Ware
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Lehigh University , Bethlehem , PA , USA
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Tovey CA, Tubman CE, Hamrud E, Zhu Z, Dyas AE, Butterfield AN, Fyfe A, Johnson E, Conduit PT. γ-TuRC Heterogeneity Revealed by Analysis of Mozart1. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2314-2323.e6. [PMID: 29983314 PMCID: PMC6065531 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microtubules are essential for various cell processes [1] and are nucleated by multi-protein γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) at various microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs), including centrosomes [2-6]. Recruitment of γ-TuRCs to different MTOCs at different times influences microtubule array formation, but how this is regulated remains an open question. It also remains unclear whether all γ-TuRCs within the same organism have the same composition and how any potential heterogeneity might influence γ-TuRC recruitment. MOZART1 (Mzt1) was recently identified as a γ-TuRC component [7, 8] and is conserved in nearly all eukaryotes [6, 9]. Mzt1 has so far been studied in cultured human cells, yeast, and plants; its absence leads to failures in γ-TuRC recruitment and cell division, resulting in cell death [7, 9-15]. Mzt1 is small (∼8.5 kDa), binds directly to core γ-TuRC components [9, 10, 14, 15], and appears to mediate the interaction between γ-TuRCs and proteins that tether γ-TuRCs to MTOCs [9, 15]. Here, we use Drosophila to investigate the function of Mzt1 in a multicellular animal for the first time. Surprisingly, we find that Drosophila Mzt1 is expressed only in the testes and is present in γ-TuRCs recruited to basal bodies, but not to mitochondria, in developing sperm cells. mzt1 mutants are viable but have defects in basal body positioning and γ-TuRC recruitment to centriole adjuncts; sperm formation is affected and mutants display a rapid age-dependent decline in sperm motility and male fertility. Our results reveal that tissue-specific and MTOC-specific γ-TuRC heterogeneity exist in Drosophila and highlight the complexity of γ-TuRC recruitment in a multicellular animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne A Tovey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Chloe E Tubman
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Eva Hamrud
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Zihan Zhu
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Anna E Dyas
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Andrew N Butterfield
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Alex Fyfe
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Errin Johnson
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Paul T Conduit
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Prudêncio P, Guilgur LG, Sobral J, Becker JD, Martinho RG, Navarro-Costa P. The Trithorax group protein dMLL3/4 instructs the assembly of the zygotic genome at fertilization. EMBO Rep 2018; 19:embr.201845728. [PMID: 30037897 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201845728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition from fertilized oocyte to totipotent embryo relies on maternal factors that are synthetized and accumulated during oocyte development. Yet, it is unclear how oocytes regulate the expression of maternal genes within the transcriptional program of oogenesis. Here, we report that the Drosophila Trithorax group protein dMLL3/4 (also known as Trr) is essential for the transition to embryo fate at fertilization. In the absence of dMLL3/4, oocytes develop normally but fail to initiate the embryo mitotic divisions after fertilization. This incapability results from defects in paternal genome reprogramming and maternal meiotic completion. The methyltransferase activity of dMLL3/4 is dispensable for both these processes. We further show that dMLL3/4 promotes the expression of a functionally coherent gene subset that is required for the initiation of post-fertilization development. Accordingly, we identify the evolutionarily conserved IDGF4 glycoprotein (known as oviductin in mammals) as a new oocyte-to-embryo transition gene under direct dMLL3/4 transcriptional control. Based on these observations, we propose that dMLL3/4 plays an instructive role in the oocyte-to-embryo transition that is functionally uncoupled from the requirements of oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Prudêncio
- Center for Biomedical Research and Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - João Sobral
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Rui Gonçalo Martinho
- Center for Biomedical Research and Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal .,Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Institute of Biomedicine - iBiMED and Department of Medical Sciences, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Paulo Navarro-Costa
- Center for Biomedical Research and Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal .,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
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The Germline Linker Histone dBigH1 and the Translational Regulator Bam Form a Repressor Loop Essential for Male Germ Stem Cell Differentiation. Cell Rep 2018; 21:3178-3189. [PMID: 29241545 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila spermatogenesis constitutes a paradigmatic system to study maintenance, proliferation, and differentiation of adult stem cell lineages. Each Drosophila testis contains 6-12 germ stem cells (GSCs) that divide asymmetrically to produce gonialblast cells that undergo four transit-amplifying (TA) spermatogonial divisions before entering spermatocyte differentiation. Mechanisms governing these crucial transitions are not fully understood. Here, we report the essential role of the germline linker histone dBigH1 during early spermatogenesis. Our results suggest that dBigH1 is a general silencing factor that represses Bam, a key regulator of spermatogonia proliferation that is silenced in spermatocytes. Reciprocally, Bam represses dBigH1 during TA divisions. This double-repressor mechanism switches dBigH1/Bam expression from off/on in spermatogonia to on/off in spermatocytes, regulating progression into spermatocyte differentiation. dBigH1 is also required for GSC maintenance and differentiation. These results show the critical importance of germline H1s for male GSC lineage differentiation, unveiling a regulatory interaction that couples transcriptional and translational repression.
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Spermiogenesis and Male Fertility Require the Function of Suppressor of Hairy-Wing in Somatic Cyst Cells of Drosophila. Genetics 2018; 209:757-772. [PMID: 29739818 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila Suppressor of Hairy-wing [Su(Hw)] protein is an example of a multivalent transcription factor. Although best known for its role in establishing the chromatin insulator of the gypsy retrotransposon, Su(Hw) functions as an activator and repressor at non-gypsy genomic sites. It remains unclear how the different regulatory activities of Su(Hw) are utilized during development. Motivated from observations of spatially restricted expression of Su(Hw) in the testis, we investigated the role of Su(Hw) in spermatogenesis to advance an understanding of its developmental contributions as an insulator, repressor, and activator protein. We discovered that Su(Hw) is required for sustained male fertility. Although dynamics of Su(Hw) expression coincide with changes in nuclear architecture and activation of coregulated testis-specific gene clusters, we show that loss of Su(Hw) does not disrupt meiotic chromosome pairing or transcription of testis-specific genes, suggesting that Su(Hw) has minor architectural or insulator functions in the testis. Instead, Su(Hw) has a prominent role as a repressor of neuronal genes, consistent with suggestions that Su(Hw) is a functional homolog of mammalian REST, a repressor of neuronal genes in non-neuronal tissues. We show that Su(Hw) regulates transcription in both germline and somatic cells. Surprisingly, the essential spermatogenesis function of Su(Hw) resides in somatic cyst cells, implying context-specific consequences due to loss of this transcription factor. Together, our studies highlight that Su(Hw) has a major developmental function as a transcriptional repressor, with the effect of its loss dependent upon the cell-specific factors.
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38
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Identification of genetic networks that act in the somatic cells of the testis to mediate the developmental program of spermatogenesis. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007026. [PMID: 28957323 PMCID: PMC5634645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a dynamic developmental process requiring precisely timed transitions between discrete stages. Specifically, the germline undergoes three transitions: from mitotic spermatogonia to spermatocytes, from meiotic spermatocytes to spermatids, and from morphogenetic spermatids to spermatozoa. The somatic cells of the testis provide essential support to the germline throughout spermatogenesis, but their precise role during these developmental transitions has not been comprehensively explored. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of genes that are required in the somatic cells of the Drosophila melanogaster testis for progress through spermatogenesis. Phenotypic analysis of candidate genes pinpointed the stage of germline development disrupted. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that particular gene classes were associated with specific developmental transitions. Requirement for genes associated with endocytosis, cell polarity, and microtubule-based transport corresponded with the development of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids, respectively. Overall, we identify mechanisms that act specifically in the somatic cells of the testis to regulate spermatogenesis. Sexual reproduction in animals requires the production of male and female gametes, spermatozoa and ova, respectively. Gametes are derived from specialized cells known as the germline through a process called gametogenesis. Gametogenesis typically takes place in a gonad and requires the germ cells to be surrounded by specialized somatic cells that support germline development. While many prior studies have identified germline specific genes required for gametogenesis few have systematically identified genes required in the somatic cells for gametogenesis. To this end we performed an RNAi screen where we disrupted the function of genes specifically in the somatic cyst cells of the Drosophila melanogaster testis. Using fertility assays we identified 281 genes that are required in somatic cyst cells for fertility. To better understand the role of these genes in regulating spermatogenesis we classified the resulting phenotypes by the stage of germline development disrupted. This revealed distinct sets of genes required to support specific stages of spermatogenesis. Our study characterizes the somatic specific defects resulting from disruption of candidate genes and provides insight into their function in the testes. Overall, our findings reveal the mechanisms controlling Drosophila melanogaster spermatogenesis and provide a resource for studying soma-germline interactions more broadly.
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39
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Gubala AM, Schmitz JF, Kearns MJ, Vinh TT, Bornberg-Bauer E, Wolfner MF, Findlay GD. The Goddard and Saturn Genes Are Essential for Drosophila Male Fertility and May Have Arisen De Novo. Mol Biol Evol 2017; 34:1066-1082. [PMID: 28104747 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
New genes arise through a variety of mechanisms, including the duplication of existing genes and the de novo birth of genes from noncoding DNA sequences. While there are numerous examples of duplicated genes with important functional roles, the functions of de novo genes remain largely unexplored. Many newly evolved genes are expressed in the male reproductive tract, suggesting that these evolutionary innovations may provide advantages to males experiencing sexual selection. Using testis-specific RNA interference, we screened 11 putative de novo genes in Drosophila melanogaster for effects on male fertility and identified two, goddard and saturn, that are essential for spermatogenesis and sperm function. Goddard knockdown (KD) males fail to produce mature sperm, while saturn KD males produce few sperm, and these function inefficiently once transferred to females. Consistent with a de novo origin, both genes are identifiable only in Drosophila and are predicted to encode proteins with no sequence similarity to any annotated protein. However, since high levels of divergence prevented the unambiguous identification of the noncoding sequences from which each gene arose, we consider goddard and saturn to be putative de novo genes. Within Drosophila, both genes have been lost in certain lineages, but show conserved, male-specific patterns of expression in the species in which they are found. Goddard is consistently found in single-copy and evolves under purifying selection. In contrast, saturn has diversified through gene duplication and positive selection. These data suggest that de novo genes can acquire essential roles in male reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Gubala
- Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
| | - Jonathan F Schmitz
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Tery T Vinh
- Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Geoffrey D Findlay
- Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
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40
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Saari S, Andjelković A, Garcia GS, Jacobs HT, Oliveira MT. Expression of Ciona intestinalis AOX causes male reproductive defects in Drosophila melanogaster. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 17:9. [PMID: 28673232 PMCID: PMC5496232 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-017-0151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Mitochondrial alternative respiratory-chain enzymes are phylogenetically widespread, and buffer stresses affecting oxidative phosphorylation in species that possess them. However, they have been lost in the evolutionary lineages leading to vertebrates and arthropods, raising the question as to what survival or reproductive disadvantages they confer. Recent interest in using them in therapy lends a biomedical dimension to this question. Methods Here, we examined the impact of the expression of Ciona intestinalis alternative oxidase, AOX, on the reproductive success of Drosophila melanogaster males. Sperm-competition assays were performed between flies carrying three copies of a ubiquitously expressed AOX construct, driven by the α-tubulin promoter, and wild-type males of the same genetic background. Results In sperm-competition assays, AOX conferred a substantial disadvantage, associated with decreased production of mature sperm. Sperm differentiation appeared to proceed until the last stages, but was spatially deranged, with spermatozoids retained in the testis instead of being released to the seminal vesicle. High AOX expression was detected in the outermost cell-layer of the testis sheath, which we hypothesize may disrupt a signal required for sperm maturation. Conclusions AOX expression in Drosophila thus has effects that are deleterious to male reproductive function. Our results imply that AOX therapy must be developed with caution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12861-017-0151-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Saari
- Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology, Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, FI-33014, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ana Andjelković
- Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology, Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, FI-33014, Tampere, Finland
| | - Geovana S Garcia
- Departamento de Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Howard T Jacobs
- Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology, Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, FI-33014, Tampere, Finland. .,Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Marcos T Oliveira
- Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology, Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, FI-33014, Tampere, Finland.,Departamento de Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil
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41
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Drosophila melanogaster “a potential model organism” for identification of pharmacological properties of plants/plant-derived components. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 89:1331-1345. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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42
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Tanabe K, Okazaki R, Kaizuka K, Inoue YH. Time-lapse Observation of Chromosomes, Cytoskeletons and Cell Organelles during Male Meiotic Divisions in Drosophila. Bio Protoc 2017; 7:e2225. [PMID: 34541226 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.2225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In this protocol, we provide an experimental procedure that perform time-lapse observation of intra-cellular structures such as chromosomes, cytoskeletons and cell organelles during meiotic cell divisions in Drosophila males. As primary spermatocyte is the largest dividing diploid cell in Drosophila, which is equivalent in size to mammalian cultured cells, one can observe dynamics of cellular components during division of the model cells more precisely. Using this protocol, we have showed that a microtubule-associated protein plays an essential role in microtubule dynamics and initiation of cleavage furrowing through interaction between microtubules and actomyosin filaments. We have also reported that nuclear membrane components are required for a formation and/or maintenance of the spindle envelope essential for cytokinesis in the Drosophila cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tanabe
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Center for Advanced Insect Research Promotion, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryotaro Okazaki
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Center for Advanced Insect Research Promotion, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kana Kaizuka
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Center for Advanced Insect Research Promotion, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro H Inoue
- Department of Insect Biomedical Research, Center for Advanced Insect Research Promotion, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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Prophage WO genes recapitulate and enhance Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nature 2017; 543:243-247. [PMID: 28241146 PMCID: PMC5358093 DOI: 10.1038/nature21391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The genus Wolbachia is an archetype of maternally inherited intracellular bacteria that infect the germline of numerous invertebrate species worldwide. They can selfishly alter arthropod sex ratios and reproductive strategies to increase the proportion of the infected matriline in the population. The most common reproductive manipulation is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), which results in embryonic lethality in crosses between infected males and uninfected females. Females infected with the same Wolbachia strain rescue this lethality. Despite more than 40 years of research1 and relevance to symbiont-induced speciation2,3, as well as control of arbovirus vectors4,5,6 and agricultural pests7, the bacterial genes underlying CI remain unknown. Here, we use comparative and transgenic approaches to demonstrate that two differentially transcribed, codiverging genes in the eukaryotic association module of prophage WO8 from Wolbachia strain wMel recapitulate and enhance CI. Dual expression in transgenic, uninfected males of Drosophila melanogaster crossed to uninfected females causes embryonic lethality. Each gene additively augments embryonic lethality in infected males crossed to uninfected females. Lethality associates with embryonic defects that parallel those of wild type CI and is notably rescued by wMel-infected embryos in all cases. The discovery of cytoplasmic incompatibility factor genes cifA and cifB pioneers genetic studies of prophage WO-induced reproductive manipulations and informs Wolbachia’s ongoing utility to control dengue and Zika transmission to humans.
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Kotov AA, Olenkina OM, Godneeva BK, Adashev VE, Olenina LV. Progress in understanding the molecular functions of DDX3Y (DBY) in male germ cell development and maintenance. Biosci Trends 2017; 11:46-53. [PMID: 28190795 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2016.01216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human DDX3 paralogs are housed on the X chromosome (DDX3X) as well as in the non- recombining region Yq11 of the Y-chromosome (DDX3Y or DBY). A gene encoding RNA helicase DDX3Y is located in the AZoospermia Factor a (AZFa) region of the Y-chromosome and expressed only in male germ cells. Deletions encompassing the DDX3Y gene lead to azoospermia and cause Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome (SCOS) in humans. SCOS is characterized by a complete germ cell lack with preservation of somatic Sertoli cells. This review summarizes current advances in the study of DDX3Y functions in maintenance and development of early male germ cells. Data obtained from a mouse xenotransplantation model reveals that DDX3Y expression is enough to drive germ cell differentiation of AZFa-deleted human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and for activation of the specific set of germline developmental genes. Results achieved using the testes of Drosophila demonstrate that DDX3Y homolog Belle is required cell-autonomously for mitotic progression and survival of germline stem cells and spermatogonia as the upstream regulator of mitotic cyclin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei A Kotov
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics of Animals, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences
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Siddall NA, Hime GR. A Drosophila toolkit for defining gene function in spermatogenesis. Reproduction 2017; 153:R121-R132. [PMID: 28073824 DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Expression profiling and genomic sequencing methods enable the accumulation of vast quantities of data that relate to the expression of genes during the maturation of male germ cells from primordial germ cells to spermatozoa and potential mutations that underlie male infertility. However, the determination of gene function in specific aspects of spermatogenesis or linking abnormal gene function with infertility remain rate limiting, as even in an era of CRISPR analysis of gene function in mammalian models, this still requires considerable resources and time. Comparative developmental biology studies have shown the remarkable conservation of spermatogenic developmental processes from insects to vertebrates and provide an avenue of rapid assessment of gene function to inform the potential roles of specific genes in rodent and human spermatogenesis. The vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been used as a model organism for developmental genetic studies for over one hundred years, and research with this organism produced seminal findings such as the association of genes with chromosomes, the chromosomal basis for sexual identity, the mutagenic properties of X-irradiation and the isolation of the first tumour suppressor mutations. Drosophila researchers have developed an impressive array of sophisticated genetic techniques for analysis of gene function and genetic interactions. This review focuses on how these techniques can be utilised to study spermatogenesis in an organism with a generation time of 9 days and the capacity to introduce multiple mutant alleles into an individual organism in a relatively short time frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- N A Siddall
- Department of Anatomy and NeuroscienceThe University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - G R Hime
- Department of Anatomy and NeuroscienceThe University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Khire A, Jo KH, Kong D, Akhshi T, Blachon S, Cekic AR, Hynek S, Ha A, Loncarek J, Mennella V, Avidor-Reiss T. Centriole Remodeling during Spermiogenesis in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2016; 26:3183-3189. [PMID: 28094036 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The first cell of an animal (zygote) requires centrosomes that are assembled from paternally inherited centrioles and maternally inherited pericentriolar material (PCM) [1]. In some animals, sperm centrioles with typical ultrastructure are the origin of the first centrosomes in the zygote [2-4]. In other animals, however, sperm centrioles lose their proteins and are thought to be degenerated and non-functional during spermiogenesis [5, 6]. Here, we show that the two sperm centrioles (the giant centriole [GC] and the proximal centriole-like structure [PCL]) in Drosophila melanogaster are remodeled during spermiogenesis through protein enrichment and ultrastructure modification in parallel to previously described centrosomal reduction [7]. We found that the ultrastructure of the matured sperm (spermatozoa) centrioles is modified dramatically and that the PCL does not resemble a typical centriole. We also describe a new phenomenon of Poc1 enrichment of the atypical centrioles in the spermatozoa. Using various mutants, protein expression during spermiogenesis, and RNAi knockdown of paternal Poc1, we found that paternal Poc1 enrichment is essential for the formation of centrioles during spermiogenesis and for the formation of centrosomes after fertilization in the zygote. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that the sperm centrioles are remodeled both in their protein composition and in ultrastructure, yet they are functional and are essential for normal embryogenesis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Khire
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 3050 W. Towerview Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Kyoung H Jo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 3050 W. Towerview Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Dong Kong
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
| | - Tara Akhshi
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | | | - Anthony R Cekic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 3050 W. Towerview Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Sarah Hynek
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 3050 W. Towerview Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Andrew Ha
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 3050 W. Towerview Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Jadranka Loncarek
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
| | - Vito Mennella
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Tomer Avidor-Reiss
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 3050 W. Towerview Boulevard, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
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Hoang KP, Teo TM, Ho TX, Le VS. Mechanisms of sex determination and transmission ratio distortion in Aedes aegypti. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:49. [PMID: 26818000 PMCID: PMC4730765 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1331-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background More effective mosquito control strategies are urgently required due to the increasing prevalence of insecticide resistance. The sterile insect technique (SIT) and the release of insects carrying a dominant lethal allele (RIDL) are two proposed methods for environmentally-friendly, species-targeted population control. These methods may be more suitable for developing countries if producers reduce the cost of rearing insects. The cost of control programs could be reduced by producing all-male mosquito populations to circumvent the isolation of females before release without reducing male mating competitiveness caused by transgenes. Results An RNAi construct targeting the RNA recognition motif of the Aedes aegypti transformer-2 (tra-2) gene does not trigger female-to-male sex conversion as commonly observed among dipterous insects. Instead, homozygous insects show greater mortality among m-chromosome-bearing sperm and mm zygotes, yielding up to 100 % males in the subsequent generations. The performance of transgenic males was not significantly different to wild-type males in narrow-cage competitive mating experiments. Conclusion Our data provide preliminary evidence that the knockdown of Ae. aegypti tra-2 gene expression causes segregation distortion acting at the level of gametic function, which is reinforced by sex-specific zygotic lethality. This finding could promote the development of new synthetic sex distorter systems for the production of genetic sexing mosquito strains. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1331-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Phuc Hoang
- University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 144 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Tze Min Teo
- Advanced Agriecological Research Sdn. Bhd, No. 11 Jalan Teknologi 3/6, 47810, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Thien Xuan Ho
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, 495 N Campus Drive, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.
| | - Vinh Sy Le
- University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 144 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Romero-Soriano V, Garcia Guerreiro MP. Expression of the Retrotransposon Helena Reveals a Complex Pattern of TE Deregulation in Drosophila Hybrids. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147903. [PMID: 26812285 PMCID: PMC4728067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), repeated mobile sequences, are ubiquitous in the eukaryotic kingdom. Their mobilizing capacity confers on them a high mutagenic potential, which must be strongly regulated to guarantee genome stability. In the Drosophila germline, a small RNA-mediated silencing system, the piRNA (Piwi-interacting RNA) pathway, is the main responsible TE regulating mechanism, but some stressful conditions can destabilize it. For instance, during interspecific hybridization, genomic stress caused by the shock of two different genomes can lead, in both animals and plants, to higher transposition rates. A recent study in D. buzatii-D. koepferae hybrids detected mobilization of 28 TEs, yet little is known about the molecular mechanisms explaining this transposition release. We have characterized one of the mobilized TEs, the retrotransposon Helena, and used quantitative expression to assess whether its high transposition rates in hybrids are preceded by increased expression. We have also localized Helena expression in the gonads to see if cellular expression patterns have changed in the hybrids. To give more insight into changes in TE regulation in hybrids, we analysed Helena-specific piRNA populations of hybrids and parental species. Helena expression is not globally altered in somatic tissues, but male and female gonads have different patterns of deregulation. In testes, Helena is repressed in F1, increasing then its expression up to parental values. This is linked with a mislocation of Helena transcripts along with an increase of their specific piRNA levels. Ovaries have additive levels of Helena expression, but the ping-pong cycle efficiency seems to be reduced in F1 hybrids. This could be at the origin of new Helena insertions in hybrids, which would be transmitted to F1 hybrid female progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valèria Romero-Soriano
- Grup de Genòmica, Bioinformàtica i Biologia Evolutiva, Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia (Edifici C), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Pilar Garcia Guerreiro
- Grup de Genòmica, Bioinformàtica i Biologia Evolutiva, Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia (Edifici C), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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Levings DC, Arashiro T, Nakato H. Heparan sulfate regulates the number and centrosome positioning of Drosophila male germline stem cells. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:888-96. [PMID: 26792837 PMCID: PMC4791133 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-07-0528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Heparan sulfate (HS) regulates the number and asymmetric division of germline stem cells (GSCs) in Drosophila testes. Hub-specific HS controls both stem cell number and functioning of the centrosome-anchoring machinery. The results suggest that HS-mediated niche signaling acts upstream of GSC division orientation control. Stem cell division is tightly controlled via secreted signaling factors and cell adhesion molecules provided from local niche structures. Molecular mechanisms by which each niche component regulates stem cell behaviors remain to be elucidated. Here we show that heparan sulfate (HS), a class of glycosaminoglycan chains, regulates the number and asymmetric division of germline stem cells (GSCs) in the Drosophila testis. We found that GSC number is sensitive to the levels of 6-O sulfate groups on HS. Loss of 6-O sulfation also disrupted normal positioning of centrosomes, a process required for asymmetric division of GSCs. Blocking HS sulfation specifically in the niche, termed the hub, led to increased GSC numbers and mispositioning of centrosomes. The same treatment also perturbed the enrichment of Apc2, a component of the centrosome-anchoring machinery, at the hub–GSC interface. This perturbation of the centrosome-anchoring process ultimately led to an increase in the rate of spindle misorientation and symmetric GSC division. This study shows that specific HS modifications provide a novel regulatory mechanism for stem cell asymmetric division. The results also suggest that HS-mediated niche signaling acts upstream of GSC division orientation control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Levings
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Takeshi Arashiro
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Hiroshi Nakato
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Niche signaling promotes stem cell survival in the Drosophila testis via the JAK-STAT target DIAP1. Dev Biol 2015; 404:27-39. [PMID: 25941003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Tissue-specific stem cells are thought to resist environmental insults better than their differentiating progeny, but this resistance varies from one tissue to another, and the underlying mechanisms are not well-understood. Here, we use the Drosophila testis as a model system to study the regulation of cell death within an intact niche. This niche contains sperm-producing germline stem cells (GSCs) and accompanying somatic cyst stem cells (or CySCs). Although many signals are known to promote stem cell self-renewal in this tissue, including the highly conserved JAK-STAT pathway, the response of these stem cells to potential death-inducing signals, and factors promoting stem cell survival, have not been characterized. Here we find that both GSCs and CySCs resist cell death better than their differentiating progeny, under normal laboratory conditions and in response to potential death-inducing stimuli such as irradiation or starvation. To ask what might be promoting stem cell survival, we characterized the role of the anti-apoptotic gene Drosophila inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (diap1) in testis stem cells. DIAP1 protein is enriched in the GSCs and CySCs and is a JAK-STAT target. diap1 is necessary for survival of both GSCs and CySCs, and ectopic up-regulation of DIAP1 in somatic cyst cells is sufficient to non-autonomously rescue stress-induced cell death in adjacent differentiating germ cells (spermatogonia). Altogether, our results show that niche signals can promote stem cell survival by up-regulation of highly conserved anti-apoptotic proteins, and suggest that this strategy may underlie the ability of stem cells to resist death more generally.
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