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Wang F, Mehta P, Bach I. How does the Xist activator Rlim/Rnf12 regulate Xist expression? Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1099-1107. [PMID: 38747697 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Xist is crucially involved in a process called X chromosome inactivation (XCI), the transcriptional silencing of one of the two X chromosomes in female mammals to achieve X dosage compensation between the sexes. Because Xist RNA silences the X chromosome from which it is transcribed, the activation of Xist transcription marks the initiation of the XCI process and thus, mechanisms and players that activate this gene are of central importance to the XCI process. During female mouse embryogenesis, XCI occurs in two steps. At the 2-4 cell stages imprinted XCI (iXCI) silences exclusively the paternally inherited X chromosome (Xp). While extraembryonic cells including trophoblasts keep the Xp silenced, epiblast cells that give rise to the embryo proper reactivate the Xp and undergo random XCI (rXCI) around implantation. Both iXCI and rXCI are dependent on Xist. Rlim, also known as Rnf12, is an X-linked E3 ubiquitin ligase that is involved in the transcriptional activation of Xist. However, while data on the crucial involvement of Rlim during iXCI appear clear, its role in rXCI has been controversial. This review discusses data leading to this disagreement and recent evidence for a regulatory switch of Xist transcription in epiblasts of implanting embryos, partially reconciling the roles of Rlim during Xist activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, U.S.A
| | - Poonam Mehta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, U.S.A
| | - Ingolf Bach
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, U.S.A
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2
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Hogg EKJ, Findlay GM. Functions of SRPK, CLK and DYRK kinases in stem cells, development, and human developmental disorders. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2375-2415. [PMID: 37607329 PMCID: PMC10952393 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Human developmental disorders encompass a wide range of debilitating physical conditions and intellectual disabilities. Perturbation of protein kinase signalling underlies the development of some of these disorders. For example, disrupted SRPK signalling is associated with intellectual disabilities, and the gene dosage of DYRKs can dictate the pathology of disorders including Down's syndrome. Here, we review the emerging roles of the CMGC kinase families SRPK, CLK, DYRK, and sub-family HIPK during embryonic development and in developmental disorders. In particular, SRPK, CLK, and DYRK kinase families have key roles in developmental signalling and stem cell regulation, and can co-ordinate neuronal development and function. Genetic studies in model organisms reveal critical phenotypes including embryonic lethality, sterility, musculoskeletal errors, and most notably, altered neurological behaviours arising from defects of the neuroectoderm and altered neuronal signalling. Further unpicking the mechanisms of specific kinases using human stem cell models of neuronal differentiation and function will improve our understanding of human developmental disorders and may provide avenues for therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. J. Hogg
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeUK
| | - Greg M. Findlay
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeUK
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3
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Giassetti MI, Miao D, Law NC, Oatley MJ, Park J, Robinson LD, Maddison LA, Bernhardt ML, Oatley JM. ARRDC5 expression is conserved in mammalian testes and required for normal sperm morphogenesis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2111. [PMID: 37069147 PMCID: PMC10110545 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37735-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In sexual reproduction, sperm contribute half the genomic material required for creation of offspring yet core molecular mechanisms essential for their formation are undefined. Here, the α-arrestin molecule arrestin-domain containing 5 (ARRDC5) is identified as an essential regulator of mammalian spermatogenesis. Multispecies testicular tissue transcriptome profiling indicates that expression of Arrdc5 is testis enriched, if not specific, in mice, pigs, cattle, and humans. Knockout of Arrdc5 in mice leads to male specific sterility due to production of low numbers of sperm that are immotile and malformed. Spermiogenesis, the final phase of spermatogenesis when round spermatids transform to spermatozoa, is defective in testes of Arrdc5 deficient mice. Also, epididymal sperm in Arrdc5 knockouts are unable to capacitate and fertilize oocytes. These findings establish ARRDC5 as an essential regulator of mammalian spermatogenesis. Considering the role of arrestin molecules as modulators of cellular signaling and ubiquitination, ARRDC5 is a potential male contraceptive target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana I Giassetti
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Deqiang Miao
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Nathan C Law
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Melissa J Oatley
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Julie Park
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - LeeLa D Robinson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Lisette A Maddison
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Miranda L Bernhardt
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Jon M Oatley
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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Knockout of Rlim Results in a Sex Ratio Shift toward Males but Superovulation Cannot Compensate for the Reduced Litter Size. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13061079. [PMID: 36978620 PMCID: PMC10044649 DOI: 10.3390/ani13061079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Technologies that can preselect offspring gender hold great promise for improving farm animal productivity and preventing human sex-related hereditary diseases. The maternal Rlim allele is required for imprinted X-chromosome inactivation, which is essential for the normal development of female mouse embryos. In this study, we inactivated the maternal Rlim allele in embryos by crossing a male transgenic mouse line carrying an X-linked CMV-Cre transgene with a female line carrying a loxP-flanked Rlim gene. Knockout of the maternal Rlim gene in embryos resulted in a male-biased sex ratio skew in the offspring. However, it also reduced litter size, and this effect was not compensated for by superovulation in the mother mice. In addition, we showed that siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rlim in mouse embryos leads to the birth of male-only progenies. This study provides a new promising method for male-biased sex selection, which may help to improve the productivity in livestock and prevent sex-associated hereditary diseases in humans.
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Wen Z, Zhu H, Wang J, Wu B, Zhang A, Zhao H, Song C, Liu S, Cheng Y, Wang H, Li J, Sun D, Fu X, Gao J, Liu M. Conditional deletion of Hspa5 leads to spermatogenesis failure and male infertility in mice. Life Sci 2023; 314:121319. [PMID: 36574945 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have important roles in different developmental stages of spermatogenesis. The heat shock 70 kDa protein 5 (HSPA5) is an important component of the unfolded protein response that promotes cell survival under endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress conditions. In this study, we explored the function of HSPA5 in spermatogenesis, by generating a germ cell-specific deletion mutant of the Hspa5 gene (conditional knockout of the Hspa5 gene, Hspa5-cKO) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and the Cre/Loxp system. Hspa5 knockout resulted in severe germ cell loss and vacuolar degeneration of seminiferous tubules, leading to complete arrest of spermatogenesis, testicular atrophy, and male infertility in adult mice. Furthermore, defects occurred in the spermatogenic epithelium of Hspa5-cKO mice as early as Cre recombinase expression. Germ cell ablation of Hspa5 impaired spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation from post-natal day 7 (P7) to P10, which led to a dramatic reduction of differentiated spermatogonia, compromised meiosis, and led to impairment of testis development and the disruption of the first wave of spermatogenesis. Consistent with these results, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis showed that germ cells, especially differentiated spermatogonia, were dramatically reduced in Hspa5-cKO testes compared with controls at P10, further confirming that HSPA5 is crucial for germ cell development. These results suggest that HSPA5 is indispensable for normal spermatogenesis and male reproduction in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongzhuang Wen
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Haixia Zhu
- School of Life Science and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Basic Medicine, Jinan Vacational College of Nursing, Jinan 250102, PR China
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China
| | - Aizhen Zhang
- School of Life Science and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Chenyang Song
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Shuangyuan Liu
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Yin Cheng
- School of Life Science and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China
| | - Hongxiang Wang
- School of Life Science and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China
| | - Jianyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Health, Institute of Science and Technology, National Health Commission, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Daqing Sun
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300041, PR China
| | - Xiaolong Fu
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China.
| | - Jiangang Gao
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China; School of Life Science and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China.
| | - Min Liu
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250117, PR China.
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Segarra-Fas A, Espejo-Serrano C, Bustos F, Zhou H, Wang F, Toth R, Macartney T, Bach I, Nardocci G, Findlay GM. An RNF12-USP26 amplification loop drives germ cell specification and is disrupted by disease-associated mutations. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabm5995. [PMID: 35857630 PMCID: PMC7613676 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abm5995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF12 plays essential roles during development, and the gene encoding it, RLIM, is mutated in the X-linked human developmental disorder Tonne-Kalscheuer syndrome (TOKAS). Substrates of RNF12 include transcriptional regulators such as the pluripotency-associated transcriptional repressor REX1. Using global quantitative proteomics in male mouse embryonic stem cells, we identified the deubiquitylase USP26 as a putative downstream target of RNF12 activity. RNF12 relieved REX1-mediated repression of Usp26, leading to an increase in USP26 abundance and the formation of RNF12-USP26 complexes. Interaction with USP26 prevented RNF12 autoubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation, thereby establishing a transcriptional feed-forward loop that amplified RNF12-dependent derepression of REX1 targets. We showed that the RNF12-USP26 axis operated specifically in mouse testes and was required for the expression of gametogenesis genes and for germ cell differentiation in vitro. Furthermore, this RNF12-USP26 axis was disrupted by RLIM and USP26 variants found in TOKAS and infertility patients, respectively. This work reveals synergy within the ubiquitylation cycle that controls a key developmental process in gametogenesis and that is disrupted in human genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Segarra-Fas
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Carmen Espejo-Serrano
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Francisco Bustos
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Houjiang Zhou
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Rachel Toth
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Thomas Macartney
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Ingolf Bach
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gino Nardocci
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
- Program in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Center for Biomedical Research and Innovation (CIIB), Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
- IMPACT, Center of Interventional Medicine for Precision and Advanced Cellular Therapy, Santiago, Chile
| | - Greg M. Findlay
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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Joshi M, Andrabi SW, Singh V, Bansal SK, Makker GC, Mishra G, Gupta G, Rajender S. Coding and regulatory transcriptome comparisons between fertile and infertile spermatozoa identify RNA signatures of male infertility. Andrologia 2022; 54:e14437. [PMID: 35437806 DOI: 10.1111/and.14437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to identify RNA-based signatures of male infertility by sperm transcriptome analysis. In this study, deep sequencing analyses of coding (mRNA) and regulatory (miRNA) transcriptomes were performed by pooling 15 oligo/oligoasthenozoospermic infertile sperm and 9 normozoospermic fertile sperm samples. Furthermore, interesting candidates were selected for validation by real-time PCR. The comparison of miRNAs between cases and controls identified 94 differentially expressed miRNAs, of which at least 38 have known functions in spermatogenesis. In transcriptome (mRNA) data, a total of 60,505 transcripts were obtained. The comparison of coding RNAs between cases and controls revealed 11,688 differentially expressed genes. miRNA-mRNA paired analysis revealed that 94 differentially expressed miRNAs could potentially target 13,573 genes, of which 6419 transcripts were actually differentially expressed in our data. Out of these, 3303 transcripts showed inverse correlation with their corresponding regulatory miRNAs. Moreover, we found that most of the genes of miRNA-mRNA pairs were involved in male germ cell differentiation, apoptosis, meiosis, spermiogenesis and male infertility. In conclusion, we found that a number of sperm transcripts (miRNAs and mRNAs) have a very high potential of serving as infertility/sperm quality markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghali Joshi
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Syed Waseem Andrabi
- Department of Zoology, Lucknow University, Lucknow, India.,Makker Infertility Clinic, Lucknow, India
| | - Vertika Singh
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | | | | | | | - Gopal Gupta
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Singh Rajender
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Shihabi M, Lukic B, Cubric-Curik V, Brajkovic V, Oršanić M, Ugarković D, Vostry L, Curik I. Identification of Selection Signals on the X-Chromosome in East Adriatic Sheep: A New Complementary Approach. Front Genet 2022; 13:887582. [PMID: 35615375 PMCID: PMC9126029 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.887582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sheep are one of the most important livestock species in Croatia, found mainly in the Mediterranean coastal and mountainous regions along the East Adriatic coast, well adapted to the environment and mostly kept extensively. Our main objective was therefore to map the positive selection of the X-chromosome (18,983 SNPs that passed quality control), since nothing is known about the adaptation genes on this chromosome for any of the breeds from the Balkan cluster. Analyses were performed on a sample of eight native Croatian breeds (101 females and 100 males) representing the East Adriatic metapopulation and on 10 mouflons (five females and males), all sampled in Croatia. Three classical within-population approaches (extreme Runs of Homozygosity islands, integrated Haplotype Score, and number of Segregating Sites by Length) were applied along with our new approach called Haplotype Richness Drop (HRiD), which uses only the information contained in male haplotypes. We have also shown that phylogenetic analyses, such as the Median-joining network, can provide additional information when performed with the selection signals identified by HRiD. Our new approach identifies positive selection signals by searching for genomic regions that exhibit a sudden decline in haplotype richness. In total, we identified 14 positive selection signals, 11 using the classical approach and three using the HRiD approach, all together containing 34 annotated genes. The most reliable selection signal was mapped by all four approaches in the same region, overlapping between 13.17 and 13.60 Mb, and assigned to the CA5B, ZRSR2, AP1S2, and GRPR genes. High repeatability (86%) of results was observed, as 12 identified selection signals were also confirmed in other studies with sheep. HRiD offers an interesting possibility to be used complementary to other approaches or when only males are genotyped, which is often the case in genomic breeding value estimations. These results highlight the importance of the X-chromosome in the adaptive architecture of domestic ruminants, while our novel HRiD approach opens new possibilities for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Shihabi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- *Correspondence: Mario Shihabi, ; Ino Curik,
| | - Boris Lukic
- Department for Animal Production and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Vlatka Cubric-Curik
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vladimir Brajkovic
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Milan Oršanić
- Department of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Damir Ugarković
- Department of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luboš Vostry
- Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ino Curik
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- *Correspondence: Mario Shihabi, ; Ino Curik,
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