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Hense JD, Garcia DN, Isola JV, Alvarado-Rincón JA, Zanini BM, Prosczek JB, Stout MB, Mason JB, Walsh PT, Brieño-Enríquez MA, Schadock I, Barros CC, Masternak MM, Schneider A. Senolytic treatment reverses obesity-mediated senescent cell accumulation in the ovary. GeroScience 2022; 44:1747-1759. [PMID: 35460445 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00573-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Senescent cells are in a cell cycle arrest state and accumulate with aging and obesity, contributing to a chronic inflammatory state. Treatment with senolytic drugs dasatinib and quercetin (D + Q) can reduce senescent cell burden in several tissues, increasing lifespan. Despite this, there are few reports about senescent cells accumulating in female reproductive tissues. Therefore, the aim of the study was to characterize the ovarian reserve and its relationship with cellular senescence in genetically obese mice (ob/ob). In experiment 1, ob/ob (n = 5) and wild-type (WT) mice (n = 5) at 12 months of age were evaluated. In experiment 2, 2-month-old female ob/ob mice were treated with senolytics (D + Q, n = 6) or placebo (n = 6) during the 4 months. Obese mice had more senescent cells in ovaries, indicated by increased p21 and p16 and lipofuscin staining and macrophage infiltration. Treatment with D + Q significantly reduced senescent cell burden in ovaries of obese mice. Neither obesity nor treatment with D + Q affected the number of ovarian follicles. In conclusion, our data indicate that obesity due to leptin deficiency increases the load of senescent cells in the ovary, which is reduced by treatment by senolytics. However, neither obesity nor D + Q treatment affected the ovarian reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica D Hense
- Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Driele N Garcia
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - José V Isola
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Joao A Alvarado-Rincón
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de La Salle, Campus Utopía, Yopal, Casanare, Colombia
| | - Bianka M Zanini
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Juliane B Prosczek
- Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Gomes Carneiro, 1, Pelotas, RS, 96010-610, Brazil
| | - Michael B Stout
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Mason
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Center for Integrated BioSystems, School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Patrick T Walsh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ines Schadock
- Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Gomes Carneiro, 1, Pelotas, RS, 96010-610, Brazil
| | - Carlos C Barros
- Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Gomes Carneiro, 1, Pelotas, RS, 96010-610, Brazil
| | - Michal M Masternak
- College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Augusto Schneider
- Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Gomes Carneiro, 1, Pelotas, RS, 96010-610, Brazil.
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2
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Pereira C, Smolka MB, Weiss RS, Brieño-Enríquez MA. ATR signaling in mammalian meiosis: From upstream scaffolds to downstream signaling. Environ Mol Mutagen 2020; 61:752-766. [PMID: 32725817 PMCID: PMC7747128 DOI: 10.1002/em.22401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In germ cells undergoing meiosis, the induction of double strand breaks (DSBs) is required for the generation of haploid gametes. Defects in the formation, detection, or recombinational repair of DSBs often result in defective chromosome segregation and aneuploidies. Central to the ability of meiotic cells to properly respond to DSBs are DNA damage response (DDR) pathways mediated by DNA damage sensor kinases. DDR signaling coordinates an extensive network of DDR effectors to induce cell cycle arrest and DNA repair, or trigger apoptosis if the damage is extensive. Despite their importance, the functions of DDR kinases and effector proteins during meiosis remain poorly understood and can often be distinct from their known mitotic roles. A key DDR kinase during meiosis is ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR). ATR mediates key signaling events that control DSB repair, cell cycle progression, and meiotic silencing. These meiotic functions of ATR depend on upstream scaffolds and regulators, including the 9-1-1 complex and TOPBP1, and converge on many downstream effectors such as the checkpoint kinase CHK1. Here, we review the meiotic functions of the 9-1-1/TOPBP1/ATR/CHK1 signaling pathway during mammalian meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Pereira
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Marcus B. Smolka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Robert S. Weiss
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Miguel A. Brieño-Enríquez
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Corresponding author: ; Phone: 412-641-7531
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3
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Brieño-Enríquez MA, Moak SL, Abud-Flores A, Cohen PE. Characterization of telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) localization and protein interactions in primordial germ cells of the mouse†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:950-962. [PMID: 30423030 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are dynamic nucleoprotein structures capping the physical ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. They consist of telomeric DNA repeats (TTAGGG), the shelterin protein complex, and telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA). Proposed TERRA functions are wide ranging and include telomere maintenance, telomerase inhibition, genomic stability, and alternative lengthening of telomere. However, the presence and role of TERRA in primordial germ cells (PGCs), the embryonic precursors of germ cells, is unknown. Using RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization, we identify TERRA transcripts in female PGCs at 11.5, 12.5, and 13.5 days postcoitum. In male PGCs, the earliest detection TERRA was at 12.5 dpc where we observed cells with either zero or one TERRA focus. Using qRT-PCR, we evaluated chromosome-specific TERRA expression. Female PGCs showed TERRA expression at 11.5 dpc from eight different chromosome subtelomeric regions (chromosomes 1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, and 18) while in male PGCs, TERRA expression was confined to the chromosome 17. Most TERRA transcription in 13.5 dpc male PGCs arose from chromosomes 2 and 6. TERRA interacting proteins were evaluated using identification of direct RNA interacting proteins (iDRiP), which identified 48 in female and 26 in male protein interactors from PGCs at 13.5 dpc. We validated two different proteins: the splicing factor, proline- and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) in PGCs and non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein (NONO) in somatic cells. Taken together, our data indicate that TERRA expression and interactome during PGC development are regulated in a dynamic fashion that is dependent on gestational age and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Cornell Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Steffanie L Moak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Cornell Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Anyul Abud-Flores
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Cornell Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Cornell Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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4
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Toledo M, Sun X, Brieño-Enríquez MA, Raghavan V, Gray S, Pea J, Milano CR, Venkatesh A, Patel L, Borst PL, Alani E, Cohen PE. A mutation in the endonuclease domain of mouse MLH3 reveals novel roles for MutLγ during crossover formation in meiotic prophase I. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008177. [PMID: 31170160 PMCID: PMC6588253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiotic prophase I, double-strand breaks (DSBs) initiate homologous recombination leading to non-crossovers (NCOs) and crossovers (COs). In mouse, 10% of DSBs are designated to become COs, primarily through a pathway dependent on the MLH1-MLH3 heterodimer (MutLγ). Mlh3 contains an endonuclease domain that is critical for resolving COs in yeast. We generated a mouse (Mlh3DN/DN) harboring a mutation within this conserved domain that is predicted to generate a protein that is catalytically inert. Mlh3DN/DN males, like fully null Mlh3-/- males, have no spermatozoa and are infertile, yet spermatocytes have grossly normal DSBs and synapsis events in early prophase I. Unlike Mlh3-/- males, mutation of the endonuclease domain within MLH3 permits normal loading and frequency of MutLγ in pachynema. However, key DSB repair factors (RAD51) and mediators of CO pathway choice (BLM helicase) persist into pachynema in Mlh3DN/DN males, indicating a temporal delay in repair events and revealing a mechanism by which alternative DSB repair pathways may be selected. While Mlh3DN/DN spermatocytes retain only 22% of wildtype chiasmata counts, this frequency is greater than observed in Mlh3-/- males (10%), suggesting that the allele may permit partial endonuclease activity, or that other pathways can generate COs from these MutLγ-defined repair intermediates in Mlh3DN/DN males. Double mutant mice homozygous for the Mlh3DN/DN and Mus81-/- mutations show losses in chiasmata close to those observed in Mlh3-/- males, indicating that the MUS81-EME1-regulated crossover pathway can only partially account for the increased residual chiasmata in Mlh3DN/DN spermatocytes. Our data demonstrate that mouse spermatocytes bearing the MLH1-MLH3DN/DN complex display the proper loading of factors essential for CO resolution (MutSγ, CDK2, HEI10, MutLγ). Despite these functions, mice bearing the Mlh3DN/DN allele show defects in the repair of meiotic recombination intermediates and a loss of most chiasmata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Toledo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Xianfei Sun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Miguel A. Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Vandana Raghavan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Stephen Gray
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Pea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Carolyn R. Milano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Anita Venkatesh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Lekha Patel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Peter L. Borst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Eric Alani
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Paula E. Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- The Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
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5
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del Mazo J, Brieño-Enríquez MA, Larriba E. A human mutated gene is guillotining spermatozoa. Transl Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.21037/tcr.2018.03.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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6
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Fernández-Pérez D, Brieño-Enríquez MA, Isoler-Alcaraz J, Larriba E, Del Mazo J. MicroRNA dynamics at the onset of primordial germ and somatic cell sex differentiation during mouse embryonic gonad development. RNA 2018; 24:287-303. [PMID: 29187591 PMCID: PMC5824349 DOI: 10.1261/rna.062869.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, commitment and specification of germ cell lines involves complex programs that include sex differentiation, control of proliferation, and meiotic initiation. Regulation of these processes is genetically controlled by fine-tuned mechanisms of gene regulation in which microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved. We have characterized, by small-RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses, the miRNA expression patterns of male and female mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) and gonadal somatic cells at embryonic stages E11.5, E12.5, and E13.5. Differential expression analyses revealed differences in the regulation of key miRNA clusters such as miR-199-214, miR-182-183-96, and miR-34c-5p, whose targets have defined roles during gonadal sexual determination in both germ and somatic cells. Extensive analyses of miRNA sequences revealed an increase in noncanonical isoforms on PGCs at E12.5 and dramatic changes of 3' isomiR expression and 3' nontemplate nucleotide additions in female PGCs at E13.5. Additionally, RT-qPCR analyses of genes encoding proteins involved in miRNA biogenesis and 3' nucleotide addition uncovered sexually and developmentally specific expression, characterized by the decay of Drosha, Dgcr8, and Xpo5 expression along gonadal development. These results demonstrate that miRNAs, their isomiRs, and miRNA machinery are differentially regulated and participate actively in gonadal sexual differentiation in both PGCs and gonadal somatic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Fernández-Pérez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Javier Isoler-Alcaraz
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Eduardo Larriba
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Jesús Del Mazo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
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7
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Brieño-Enríquez MA, Moak SL, Holloway JK, Cohen PE. NIMA-related kinase 1 (NEK1) regulates meiosis I spindle assembly by altering the balance between α-Adducin and Myosin X. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185780. [PMID: 28982183 PMCID: PMC5628868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
NIMA-related kinase 1 (NEK1) is a serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase that is highly expressed in mammalian germ cells. Mutations in Nek1 induce anemia, polycystic kidney and infertility. In this study we evaluated the role of NEK1 in meiotic spindle formation in both male and female gametes. Our results show that the lack of NEK1 provokes an abnormal organization of the meiosis I spindle characterized by elongated and/or multipolar spindles, and abnormal chromosome congression. The aberrant spindle structure is concomitant with the disruption in localization and protein levels of myosin X (MYO10) and α-adducin (ADD1), both of which are implicated in the regulation of spindle formation during mitosis. Interaction of ADD1 with MYO10 is dependent on phosphorylation, whereby phosphorylation of ADD1 enables its binding to MYO10 on mitotic spindles. Reduction in ADD1 protein in NEK1 mutant mice is associated with hyperphosphorylation of ADD1, thereby preventing the interaction with MYO10 during meiotic spindle formation. Our results reveal a novel regulatory role for NEK1 in the regulation of spindle architecture and function during meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefannie L. Moak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - J. Kim Holloway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Paula E. Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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Brieño-Enríquez MA, Moak SL, Toledo M, Filter JJ, Gray S, Barbero JL, Cohen PE, Holloway JK. Cohesin Removal along the Chromosome Arms during the First Meiotic Division Depends on a NEK1-PP1γ-WAPL Axis in the Mouse. Cell Rep 2016; 17:977-986. [PMID: 27760328 PMCID: PMC5123770 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.09.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian NIMA-like kinase-1 (NEK1) is a dual-specificity kinase highly expressed in mouse germ cells during prophase I of meiosis. Loss of NEK1 induces retention of cohesin on chromosomes at meiotic prophase I. Timely deposition and removal of cohesin is essential for accurate chromosome segregation. Two processes regulate cohesin removal: a non-proteolytic mechanism involving WAPL, sororin, and PDS5B and direct cleavage by separase. Here, we demonstrate a role for NEK1 in the regulation of WAPL loading during meiotic prophase I, via an interaction between NEK1 and PDS5B. This regulation of WAPL by NEK1-PDS5B is mediated by protein phosphatase 1 gamma (PP1γ), which both interacts with and is a phosphotarget of NEK1. Taken together, our results reveal that NEK1 phosphorylates PP1γ, leading to the dephosphorylation of WAPL, which, in turn, results in its retention on chromosome cores to promote loss of cohesion at the end of prophase I in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Stefannie L Moak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Melissa Toledo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Joshua J Filter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Stephen Gray
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - José L Barbero
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Chromosomal Dynamics in Meiosis, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - J Kim Holloway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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9
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Sun X, Brieño-Enríquez MA, Cornelius A, Modzelewski AJ, Maley TT, Campbell-Peterson KM, Holloway JK, Cohen PE. FancJ (Brip1) loss-of-function allele results in spermatogonial cell depletion during embryogenesis and altered processing of crossover sites during meiotic prophase I in mice. Chromosoma 2015; 125:237-52. [PMID: 26490168 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-015-0549-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Fancj, the gene associated with Fanconi anemia (FA) Complementation Group J, encodes a DNA helicase involved in homologous recombination repair and the cellular response to replication stress. FANCJ functions in part through its interaction with key DNA repair proteins, including MutL homolog-1 (MLH1), Breast Cancer Associated gene-1 (BRCA1), and Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM). All three of these proteins are involved in a variety of events that ensure genome stability, including the events of DNA double strand break (DSB) repair during prophase I of meiosis. Meiotic DSBs are repaired through homologous recombination resulting in non-crossovers (NCO) or crossovers (CO). The frequency and placement of COs are stringently regulated to ensure that each chromosome receives at least one CO event, and that longer chromosomes receive at least one additional CO, thus facilitating the accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes at the first meiotic division. In the present study, we investigated the role of Fancj during prophase I using a gene trap mutant allele. Fancj (GT/GT) mutants are fertile, but their testes are very much smaller than wild-type littermates, predominantly as a result of impeded spermatogonial proliferation and mildly increased apoptosis during testis development in the fetus. This defect in spermatogonial proliferation is consistent with mutations in other FA genes. During prophase I, early events of synapsis and DSB induction/repair appear mostly normal in Fancj (GT/GT) males, and the FANCJ-interacting protein BRCA1 assembles normally on meiotic chromosome cores. However, MLH1 focus frequency is increased in Fancj (GT/GT) males, indicative of increased DSB repair via CO, and is concomitant with increased chiasmata at diakinesis. This increase in COs in the absence of FANCJ is associated with increased localization of BLM helicase protein, indicating that BLM may facilitate the increased rate of crossing over in Fancj (GT/GT) males. Taken together, these results demonstrate a critical role for FANCJ in spermatogenesis at two stages: firstly in the proliferative activity that gives rise to the full complement of testicular spermatogonia and secondly in the establishment of appropriate CO numbers during prophase I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianfei Sun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Alyssa Cornelius
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Andrew J Modzelewski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tyler T Maley
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Kadeine M Campbell-Peterson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - J Kim Holloway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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10
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Abstract
Crossing over, or reciprocal recombination, is essential for accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes at the first meiotic division, resulting in gametes containing the correct chromosome number. A new study in human oocytes analyzes the genome-wide recombination and segregation patterns in all the products of female meiosis, providing experimental support for existing theories about the origin of human aneuploidies and highlighting a novel reverse segregation mechanism of chromosome segregation during meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Paula E Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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11
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García-López J, Alonso L, Cárdenas DB, Artaza-Alvarez H, Hourcade JDD, Martínez S, Brieño-Enríquez MA, Del Mazo J. Diversity and functional convergence of small noncoding RNAs in male germ cell differentiation and fertilization. RNA 2015; 21:946-962. [PMID: 25805854 PMCID: PMC4408801 DOI: 10.1261/rna.048215.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) are considered as post-transcriptional key regulators of male germ cell development. In addition to microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), other sncRNAs generated from small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), tRNAs, or rRNAs processing may also play important regulatory roles in spermatogenesis. By next-generation sequencing (NGS), we characterized the sncRNA populations detected at three milestone stages in male germ differentiation: primordial germ cells (PGCs), pubertal spermatogonia cells, and mature spermatozoa. To assess their potential transmission through the spermatozoa during fertilization, the sncRNAs of mouse oocytes and zygotes were also analyzed. Both, microRNAs and snoRNA-derived small RNAs are abundantly expressed in PGCs but transiently replaced by piRNAs in spermatozoa and endo-siRNAs in oocytes and zygotes. Exhaustive analysis of miRNA sequence variants also shows an increment of noncanonical microRNA forms along male germ cell differentiation. RNAs-derived from tRNAs and rRNAs interacting with PIWI proteins are not generated by the ping-pong pathway and could be a source of primary piRNAs. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that the small RNAs-derived from tRNAs and rRNAs are interacting with PIWI proteins, and specifically with MILI. Finally, computational analysis revealed their potential involvement in post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA transcripts suggesting functional convergence among different small RNA classes in germ cells and zygotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús García-López
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lola Alonso
- Department of Bioinformatics Service, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - David B Cárdenas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Haydeé Artaza-Alvarez
- Department of Bioinformatics Service, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan de Dios Hourcade
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Martínez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Del Mazo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Brieño-Enríquez MA, García-López J, Cárdenas DB, Guibert S, Cleroux E, Děd L, Hourcade JDD, Pěknicová J, Weber M, del Mazo J. Exposure to endocrine disruptor induces transgenerational epigenetic deregulation of microRNAs in primordial germ cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124296. [PMID: 25897752 PMCID: PMC4405367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, germ cell differentiation is initiated in the Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) during fetal development. Prenatal exposure to environmental toxicants such as endocrine disruptors may alter PGC differentiation, development of the male germline and induce transgenerational epigenetic disorders. The anti-androgenic compound vinclozolin represents a paradigmatic example of molecule causing transgenerational effects on germ cells. We performed prenatal exposure to vinclozolin in mice and analyzed the phenotypic and molecular changes in three successive generations. A reduction in the number of embryonic PGCs and increased rate of apoptotic cells along with decrease of fertility rate in adult males were observed in F1 to F3 generations. Blimp1 is a crucial regulator of PGC differentiation. We show that prenatal exposure to vinclozolin deregulates specific microRNAs in PGCs, such as miR-23b and miR-21, inducing disequilibrium in the Lin28/let-7/Blimp1 pathway in three successive generations of males. As determined by global maps of cytosine methylation, we found no evidence for prominent changes in DNA methylation in PGCs or mature sperm. Our data suggest that embryonic exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors induces transgenerational epigenetic deregulation of expression of microRNAs affecting key regulatory pathways of germ cells differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús García-López
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - David B. Cárdenas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sylvain Guibert
- Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS UMR7242, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Elouan Cleroux
- Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS UMR7242, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lukas Děd
- Institute of Biotechnology AS CR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Juan de Dios Hourcade
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jana Pěknicová
- Institute of Biotechnology AS CR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michael Weber
- Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS UMR7242, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jesús del Mazo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Del-Mazo J, Brieño-Enríquez MA, García-López J, López-Fernández LA, De-Felici M. Endocrine disruptors, gene deregulation and male germ cell tumors. Int J Dev Biol 2014; 57:225-39. [PMID: 23784834 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.130042jd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Endocrine disruptors (EDs) belong to a large group of compounds, usually present as environmental pollutants, which can alter the homeostasis of living organisms by modifying hormonal balance and changing the normal patterns of gene regulation during development and cell differentiation. Hence, the development of male gonads and their functionality may be affected by exposure to specific EDs or their mixtures. The molecular mechanisms of action of these reprotoxicants leading to pathologies of the reproductive system such as testicular cancer, are complex and not well characterized. It is likely, however, that these compounds alter the interaction between the mechanisms of gene regulation and functional gene networks in windows of risk, mainly during embryonic development. Moreover, such changes could be transmitted through generations by epigenetic mechanisms. There are examples of the action of EDs on the expression of mRNAs, small non-coding RNAs and epigenetic marks in the developing testis associated with cellular and molecular alterations found in germ cell tumors. In the present review, we will discuss various aspects of genetic, transcriptomic and epigenetic changes related to testicular development, exposure to EDs and the occurrence of germ cell tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Del-Mazo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
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García-López J, Brieño-Enríquez MA, del Mazo J. MicroRNA biogenesis and variability. Biomol Concepts 2013; 4:367-80. [DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2013-0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are cell-endogenous small noncoding RNAs that, through RNA interference, are involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of mRNAs. The biogenesis and function of miRNAs entail multiple elements with different alternative pathways. These confer a high versatility of regulation and a high variability to generate different miRNAs and hence possess a broad potential to regulate gene expression. Here we review the different mechanisms, both canonical and noncanonical, that generate miRNAs in animals. The ‘miRNome’ panorama enhances our knowledge regarding the fine regulation of gene expression and provides new insights concerning normal, as opposed to pathological, cell differentiation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús García-López
- 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Brieño-Enríquez
- 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús del Mazo
- 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
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