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Lau ESW, Zhu B, Sun MA, Ngai SM, Ge W. Proteomic analysis of zebrafish folliculogenesis identifies YB-1 (Ybx1/ybx1) as a potential gatekeeping molecule controlling early ovarian folliculogenesis. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:482-497. [PMID: 37471641 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
As in mammals, ovarian folliculogenesis in teleosts also consists of two phases: the primary growth (PG) and secondary growth (SG) phases, which are analogous to the preantral and antral phases respectively in mammals. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis on zebrafish follicles undergoing the PG-SG transition aiming to identify factors involved in the event. Numerous proteins showed significant changes, and the most prominent one was Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1; Ybx1/ybx1), a transcription factor and mRNA-binding protein. YB-1 belongs to the Y-box binding protein family, which also includes the gonad-specific YB-2. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis showed no YB-2 homolog in zebrafish. Although ybx1 mRNA was expressed in various tissues, its protein Ybx1 was primarily produced in the gonads, similar to YB-2 in other species. In the ovary, Ybx1 protein started to appear in early follicles newly emerged from the germ cell cysts, reached the highest level in late PG oocytes, but decreased precipitously when the follicles entered the SG phase. In PG follicles, Ybx1 might function as a key component of the messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) in association with other RNA-binding proteins. Similar to mammalian YB-1, zebrafish Ybx1 also contains functional signals that determine its intracellular localization. In conclusion, Ybx1 may play dual roles of YB-1 and YB-2 in zebrafish. In the ovary, Ybx1 binds mRNAs to stabilize them while preventing their translation. At PG-SG transition, Ybx1 is removed to release the masked mRNAs for translation into functional proteins, leading to follicle activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Shuk-Wa Lau
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Ming-An Sun
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Sai Ming Ngai
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
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Osman FH, Koe JSE, Lau ESW, Nagaraj D, Ng HHL, Ong LA, McGuire L, Ng A, Asif A, Uberoi R, Chan VWS, Lakshminarayan R, Wah TM. Evaluation of learning and exposure in the undergraduate interventional radiology curriculum (ELIXIR). Clin Radiol 2023; 78:e773-e781. [PMID: 37550131 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
AIM To gauge current final year medical students' exposure to interventional radiology (IR)and assess their perceptions of IR as a prospective career option. MATERIALS AND METHODS An online questionnaire comprising of questions that gauge final-year medical students' understanding of and exposure to IR based on the recommendations set out by the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR), was sent out to final-year students across 34 UK medical schools. RESULTS Five hundred and ten responses were collected from 33 out of 34 eligible medical schools. Sixty-four per cent of respondents rated their own IR knowledge as inadequate. On average, only 50% of all subtopics proposed in the BSIR undergraduate curriculum was covered during medical school and 32.7% of respondents were not exposed to any fundamental IR principles and techniques recommended by the BSIR during medical school. Regarding careers, 2.7% of respondents reported a definite interest in pursuing a career in IR. Most respondents (89.8%) felt that there was insufficient undergraduate teaching on IR and that they lacked information to consider pursuing a career in IR (87.5%). CONCLUSION Insufficient exposure and teaching on IR throughout medical schools have led to a lack of awareness and consideration of IR as a future career choice amongst UK medical students. The re-evaluation of IR teaching in the medical school curricula is needed. In the long-term, such recommendations could provide the much-needed solution to the workforce shortages seen in IR.
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Affiliation(s)
- F H Osman
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J S E Koe
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - E S W Lau
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - D Nagaraj
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - H H-L Ng
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - L A Ong
- University of Nottingham Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - L McGuire
- Undergraduate School of Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - A Ng
- UCL Medical School, University College London, London WC1E 6DE, UK; British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST), London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - A Asif
- British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST), London W1W 7TS, UK; Leicester Medical School, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7HA, UK
| | - R Uberoi
- Department of Radiology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9BQ, UK
| | - V W-S Chan
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST), London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - R Lakshminarayan
- Department of Vascular Radiology, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull HU3 2JZ, UK
| | - T M Wah
- Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute of Oncology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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Ai N, Liu L, Lau ESW, Tse ACK, Ge W. Separation of Oocyte and Follicle Layer for Gene Expression Analysis in Zebrafish. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2218:1-9. [PMID: 33606218 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0970-5_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish ovarian follicles are mainly composed of the oocyte and a thin layer of follicle cells. Recent studies have demonstrated extensive cell-cell interactions between the oocyte and surrounding follicle layer and that the two compartments communicate mostly through paracrine factors. To understand the paracrine communication within the follicle, it is essential to know the spatial expression patterns of genes in the two compartments. However, since the follicle layer is extremely thin and the oocytes are enormous in size in fish, it is often difficult to detect gene expression by traditional methods such as in situ hybridization. Separation of the oocyte and surrounding follicle layer followed by RT-PCR detection provides a sensitive way to reveal the expression of individual genes in the two compartments of the follicle. This chapter introduces a method for mechanic separation of the oocyte and follicle layer at full-grown stage for expression analysis. Since fish have similar follicle structure, this method may also be used in other species as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Ai
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.,School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Esther Shuk-Wa Lau
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Anna Chung-Kwan Tse
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), University of Macau, Macau, China.
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Song W, Lu H, Wu K, Zhang Z, Shuk-Wa Lau E, Ge W. Genetic evidence for estrogenicity of bisphenol A in zebrafish gonadal differentiation and its signalling mechanism. J Hazard Mater 2020; 386:121886. [PMID: 31887561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) can induce endocrine disorders in humans and animals. In this study, we used several zebrafish mutants deficient in estrogen production and signalling, which could be valuable for evaluating estrogenic activities and mechanisms of EDCs. With low endogenous estrogens, the all-male aromatase mutant (cyp19a1a-/-) is expected to be more responsive to estrogenic exposure, and mutants of nuclear estrogen receptors (nERs; esr1-/-, esr2a-/- and esr2b-/-) alone or in combination would allow us to evaluate the action mechanisms of estrogenic EDCs. Exposure to BPA could rescue the all-male phenotype of the cyp19a1a-/- mutant, delayed gonadal development in both sexes, resulting in infertility or subfertility, and caused follicle atresia in females and impairment of spermatogenesis in males. To understand the mechanisms of these effects, we tested BPA in cyp19a1a and nER mutants of different combinations. The feminizing effect of BPA on sexual differentiation was dependent on nERs, in particular esr2a. As for males, nERs were also involved in BPA-induced impairment of spermatogenesis. Taken together, with genome editing technology our study provides the most comprehensive genetic evidence for estrogenic activities of BPA in zebrafish and its action mechanisms. This study also establishes a powerful platform for studying other EDCs with estrogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Song
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Huijie Lu
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Kun Wu
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Esther Shuk-Wa Lau
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China.
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Lau ESW, Zhang Z, Qin M, Ge W. Knockout of Zebrafish Ovarian Aromatase Gene (cyp19a1a) by TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9 Leads to All-male Offspring Due to Failed Ovarian Differentiation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37357. [PMID: 27876832 PMCID: PMC5120357 DOI: 10.1038/srep37357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual or gonadal differentiation is a complex event and its mechanism remains elusive in teleosts. Despite its complexity and plasticity, the process of ovarian differentiation is believed to involve gonadal aromatase (cyp19a1a) in nearly all species studied. However, most data concerning the role of aromatase have come from gene expression analysis or studies involving pharmacological approaches. There has been a lack of genetic evidence for the importance of aromatase in gonadal differentiation, especially the timing when the enzyme starts to exert its effect. This is due to the lack of appropriate loss-of-function approaches in fish models for studying gene functions. This situation has changed recently with the development of genome editing technologies, namely TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9. Using both TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9, we successfully established three mutant zebrafish lines lacking the ovarian aromatase. As expected, all mutant fish were males, supporting the view that aromatase plays a critical role in directing ovarian differentiation and development. Further analysis showed that the ovarian aromatase did not seem to affect the formation of so-called juvenile ovary and oocyte-like germ cells; however, it was essential for further differentiation of the juvenile ovary into the true ovary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Shuk-Wa Lau
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Mingming Qin
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Wei Ge
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.,Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
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