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Yang L, Liao J, Huang H, Lee TL, Qi H. Stage-specific regulation of undifferentiated spermatogonia by AKT1S1-mediated AKT-mTORC1 signaling during mouse spermatogenesis. Dev Biol 2024; 509:11-27. [PMID: 38311163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.02.002] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Undifferentiated spermatogonia are composed of a heterogeneous cell population including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of various spermatogonial cohorts during their self-renewal and differentiation are largely unclear. Here we show that AKT1S1, an AKT substrate and inhibitor of mTORC1, regulates the homeostasis of undifferentiated spermatogonia. Although deletion of Akt1s1 in mouse appears not grossly affecting steady-state spermatogenesis and male mice are fertile, the subset of differentiation-primed OCT4+ spermatogonia decreased significantly, whereas self-renewing GFRα1+ and proliferating PLZF+ spermatogonia were sustained. Both neonatal prospermatogonia and the first wave spermatogenesis were greatly reduced in Akt1s1-/- mice. Further analyses suggest that OCT4+ spermatogonia in Akt1s1-/- mice possess altered PI3K/AKT-mTORC1 signaling, gene expression and carbohydrate metabolism, leading to their functionally compromised developmental potential. Collectively, these results revealed an important role of AKT1S1 in mediating the stage-specific signals that regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonia during mouse spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lele Yang
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Jinyue Liao
- GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Hongying Huang
- The Experimental Animal Center, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Tin Lap Lee
- GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Huayu Qi
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China; GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
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Wang R, Li M, Wu Z, Gong W, Zhang M, Liu Y, Yao Y, Ji Y. PBA alleviates cadmium-induced mouse spermatogonia apoptosis by suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress. Toxicol In Vitro 2024; 96:105784. [PMID: 38242296 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2024.105784] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mediates Cd-caused germ cell apoptosis in testis. The effects of 4-phenylbutyric acid (PBA), a classical chaperone, were investigated on Cd-induced apoptosis in mouse GC-1 spermatogonia cells. METHODS The cells were pretreated with PBA before Cd exposure. TUNEL and flow cytometry assays were applied to determine apoptosis. Some key biomarkers of ER stress were analyzed using RT-PCR and western blot. RESULTS as expected, the apoptotic cells exposed to Cd apparently increased. The mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78 and ATF6α, were elevated in the Cd groups. Additional experiments displayed that Cd notably increased IRE1α and JNK phosphorylation, and upregulated XBP-1 mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, p-eIF2α and CHOP expressions were clearly elevated in the Cd groups. Interestingly, PBA almost completely inhibited ER stress and protected spermatogonia against apoptosis induced by Cd. CONCLUSION PBA alleviated Cd-induced ER stress and spermatogonia apoptosis, and may have the therapeutic role in Cd-induced male reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Wang
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Department of Histology and Embryology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Mengyuan Li
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhen Wu
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The People's Hospital of Bozhou, Anhui, China
| | - Wenjing Gong
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yehao Liu
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics / Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University; Hefei Anhui, China
| | - Yuyou Yao
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics / Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University; Hefei Anhui, China.
| | - Yanli Ji
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics / Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University; Hefei Anhui, China.
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Indu S, Devi AN, Sahadevan M, Sengottaiyan J, Basu A, K SR, Kumar PG. Expression profiling of stemness markers in testicular germline stem cells from neonatal and adult Swiss albino mice during their transdifferentiation in vitro. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:93. [PMID: 38561834 PMCID: PMC10985951 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03701-8] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) were considered to be stem cells with limited potencies due to their existence in adult organisms. However, the production of spermatogonial stem cell colonies with broader differentiation capabilities in primary germ cell cultures from mice of select genetic backgrounds (C57BL6/Tg14, ddY, FVB and 129/Ola) indicated that SSCs from these strains were pluripotent. METHODS We established primary cultures of SSCs from neonatal and adult Swiss 3T3 Albino mice. Stemness of SSC colonies were evaluated by performing real-time PCR and immunofluorescence analysis for a panel of chosen stemness markers. Differentiation potentials of SSCs were examined by attempting the generation of embryoid bodies and evaluating the expression of ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal markers using immunofluorescence and real-time PCR analysis. RESULTS Spermatogonial stem cells from neonatal and mature mice testes colonised in vitro and formed compact spermatogonial stem cell colonies in culture. The presence of stem cell markers ALPL, ITGA6 and CD9 indicated stemness in these colonies. The differentiation potential of these SSC colonies was demonstrated by their transformation into embryoid bodies upon withdrawal of growth factors from the culture medium. SSC colonies and embryoid bodies formed were evaluated using immunofluorescence and real-time PCR analysis. Embryoid body like structures derived from both neonatal and adult mouse testis were quite similar in terms of the expression of germ layer markers. CONCLUSION These results strongly suggest that SSC-derived EB-like structures could be used for further differentiation into cells of interest in cell-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivankutty Indu
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India
| | - Anandavally N Devi
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India
| | - Mahitha Sahadevan
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India
| | - Jeeva Sengottaiyan
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, Kerala, India
| | - Asmita Basu
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, Kerala, India
| | - Shabith Raj K
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, Kerala, India
| | - Pradeep G Kumar
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, Kerala, India.
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, Kerala, India.
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Fernandes da Costa D, de Oliveira Ribeiro A, Morena Bonita Ricci J, da Silva Rodrigues M, Antonio de Oliveira M, Felipe da Rosa I, Benites Doretto L, Takahiro Nakajima R, Henrique Nóbrega R. A83-01 and DMH1 effects in the zebrafish spermatogonial niche: Unraveling the roles of TGF-β and BMP signaling in the Fsh-mediated spermatogonial fate. Gene 2024; 897:148082. [PMID: 38101710 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148082] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling has fundamental roles in the regulation of the stem cell niche for both embryonic and adult stem cells. In zebrafish, male germ stem cell niche is regulated by follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) through different members of the TGF-β superfamily. On the other hand, the specific roles of TGF-β and BMP signaling pathways are unknown in the zebrafish male germ stem cell niche. Considering this lack of information, the present study aimed to investigate the pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β (A83-01) and BMP (DMH1) signaling pathways in the presence of recombinant zebrafish Fsh using testicular explants. We also reanalyzed single cell-RNA sequencing (sc-RNA-seq) dataset from adult zebrafish testes to identify the testicular cellular sites of smad expression, and to understand the physiological significance of the changes in smad transcript levels after inhibition of TGF-β or BMP pathways. Our results showed that A83-01 potentiated the pro-stimulatory effects of Fsh on spermatogonial differentiation leading to an increase in the proportion area occupied by differentiated spermatogonia with concomitant reduction of type A undifferentiated (Aund) spermatogonia. In agreement, expression analysis showed lower mRNA levels for the pluripotency gene pou5f3, and increased expression of dazl (marker of type B spermatogonia and spermatocyte) and igf3 (pro-stimulatory growth factor) following the co-treatment with TGF-β inhibitor and Fsh. Contrariwise, the inhibition of BMP signaling nullified the pro-stimulatory effects of Fsh, resulting in a reduction of differentiated spermatogonia and increased proportion area occupied by type Aund spermatogonia. Supporting this evidence, BMP signaling inhibition increased the mRNA levels of pluripotency genes nanog and pou5f3, and decreased dazl levels when compared to control. The sc-RNA-seq data unveiled a distinctive pattern of smad expression among testicular cells, primarily observed in spermatogonia (smad 2, 3a, 3b, 8), spermatocytes (smad 2, 3a, 8), Sertoli cells (smad 1, 3a, 3b), and Leydig cells (smad 1, 2). This finding supports the notion that inhibition of TGF-β and BMP signaling pathways may predominantly impact cellular components within the spermatogonial niche, namely spermatogonia, Sertoli, and Leydig cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that TGF-β and BMP signaling pathways exert antagonistic roles in the zebrafish germ stem cell niche. The members of the TGF-β subfamily are mainly involved in maintaining the undifferentiated state of spermatogonia, while the BMP subfamily promotes spermatogonial differentiation. Therefore, in the complex regulation of the germ stem cell niche by Fsh, members of the BMP subfamily (pro-differentiation) should be more predominant in the niche than those belonging to the TGF-β (anti-differentiation). Overall, these findings are not only relevant for understanding the regulation of germ stem cell niche but may also be useful for expanding in vitro the number of undifferentiated spermatogonia more efficiently than using recombinant hormones or growth factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Fernandes da Costa
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda de Oliveira Ribeiro
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Morena Bonita Ricci
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maira da Silva Rodrigues
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Antonio de Oliveira
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivana Felipe da Rosa
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Benites Doretto
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Takahiro Nakajima
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Henrique Nóbrega
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic.
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Wang J, Liu L, Li Z, Wang H, Ren Y, Wang K, Liu Y, Tao X, Zheng L. JMJD3 regulate H3K27me3 modification via interacting directly with TET1 to affect spermatogonia self-renewal and proliferation. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:225. [PMID: 38424516 PMCID: PMC10905883 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10120-9] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In epigenetic modification, histone modification and DNA methylation coordinate the regulation of spermatogonium. Not only can methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) function as a DNA demethylase, converting 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, it can also form complexes with other proteins to regulate gene expression. H3K27me3, one of the common histone modifications, is involved in the regulation of stem cell maintenance and tumorigenesis by inhibiting gene transcription. METHODS we examined JMJD3 at both mRNA and protein levels and performed Chip-seq sequencing of H3K27me3 in TET1 overexpressing cells to search for target genes and signaling pathways of its action. RESULTS This study has found that JMJD3 plays a leading role in spermatogonia self-renewal and proliferation: at one extreme, the expression of the self-renewal gene GFRA1 and the proliferation-promoting gene PCNA was upregulated following the overexpression of JMJD3 in spermatogonia; at the other end of the spectrum, the expression of differentiation-promoting gene DAZL was down-regulated. Furthermore, the fact that TET1 and JMJD3 can form a protein complex to interact with H3K27me3 has also been fully proven. Then, through analyzing the sequencing results of CHIP-Seq, we found that TET1 targeted Pramel3 when it interacted with H3K27me3. Besides, TET1 overexpression not only reduced H3K27me3 deposition at Pramel3, but promoted its transcriptional activation as well, and the up-regulation of Pramel3 expression was verified in JMJD3-overexpressing spermatogonia. CONCLUSION In summary, our study identified a novel link between TET1 and H3K27me3 and established a Tet1-JMJD3-H3K27me3-Pramel3 axis to regulate spermatogonia self-renewal and proliferation. Judging from the evidence offered above, we can safely conclude that this study provides new ideas for further research regarding the mechanism of spermatogenesis and spermatogenesis disorders on an apparent spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Lingling Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zebin Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ren
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kaisheng Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xinjie Tao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Liming Zheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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Xu J, Zhang L, Si Y, Huang W, Liu R, Liu Z, Jiang Z, Xu F. Ferritinophagy-mediated ferroptosis of spermatogonia is involved in busulfan-induced oligospermia in the mice. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 390:110870. [PMID: 38220133 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110870] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Busulfan, a bifunctional alkylated chemotherapeutic agent, has male reproductive toxicity and induce oligospermia, which is associated with ferroptosis. However, the specific target cells of busulfan-induced oligospermia triggered by ferroptosis are largely elusive, and the detailed mechanisms also require further exploration. In the present study, busulfan (0.6, and 1.2 mM, 48 h) causes ferroptosis in GC-1 spg cells through inducing Fe2+, ROS and MDA accumulation and functional inhibition of Xc-GSH-GPX4 antioxidant system. After inhibition of ferroptosis by Fer-1 (1 μM, pretreatment for 2 h) or DFO (10 μM, pretreatment for 2 h) reverses busulfan-induced destructive effects in GC-1 spg cells. Furthermore, using RNA-seq and Western blotting, we found that busulfan promotes autophagy-dependent ferritin degradation, as reflected by enriching in autophagy, increased LC3 II, Beclin1 and NCOA4, as well as decreased P62 and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1). Ultimately, GC-1 spg cells and Balb/c mice were treated with busulfan and/or 3-MA, the inhibitor of autophagy. The results displayed that inhibition of autophagy relieves busulfan-induced FTH1 degradation and then blocks the occurrence of ferroptosis in GC-1 spg cells and testicular spermatogonia, which subsequently alleviates busulfan-caused testicular damage and spermatogenesis disorders. In summary, these data collectively indicated that ferroptosis of spermatogonia is involved in busulfan-induced oligospermia and mediated by autophagy-dependent FTH1 degradation, identifying a new target for the therapy of busulfan-induced male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Xu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 246003, China; Xu Rongxiang Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Lianshuang Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 246003, China; Xu Rongxiang Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Yaru Si
- Xu Rongxiang Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China; Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Wanyue Huang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Ranran Liu
- Clinical Laboratory, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264199, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- College of Clinical Medicine, Bin Zhou Medical University, Yan Tai, 264003, China
| | - Zhonglin Jiang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 246003, China; Xu Rongxiang Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Feibo Xu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 246003, China; Xu Rongxiang Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
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Li S, Yan RG, Gao X, He Z, Wu SX, Wang YJ, Zhang YW, Tao HP, Zhang XN, Jia GX, Yang QE. Single-cell transcriptome analyses reveal critical regulators of spermatogonial stem cell fate transitions. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:138. [PMID: 38310206 PMCID: PMC10837949 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10072-0] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the foundation cells for continual spermatogenesis and germline regeneration in mammals. SSC activities reside in the undifferentiated spermatogonial population, and currently, the molecular identities of SSCs and their committed progenitors remain unclear. RESULTS We performed single-cell transcriptome analysis on isolated undifferentiated spermatogonia from mice to decipher the molecular signatures of SSC fate transitions. Through comprehensive analysis, we delineated the developmental trajectory and identified candidate transcription factors (TFs) involved in the fate transitions of SSCs and their progenitors in distinct states. Specifically, we characterized the Asingle spermatogonial subtype marked by the expression of Eomes. Eomes+ cells contained enriched transplantable SSCs, and more than 90% of the cells remained in the quiescent state. Conditional deletion of Eomes in the germline did not impact steady-state spermatogenesis but enhanced SSC regeneration. Forced expression of Eomes in spermatogenic cells disrupted spermatogenesis mainly by affecting the cell cycle progression of undifferentiated spermatogonia. After injury, Eomes+ cells re-enter the cell cycle and divide to expand the SSC pool. Eomes+ cells consisted of 7 different subsets of cells at single-cell resolution, and genes enriched in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and the PI3/Akt signaling pathway participated in the SSC regeneration process. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we explored the molecular characteristics and critical regulators of subpopulations of undifferentiated spermatogonia. The findings of the present study described a quiescent SSC subpopulation, Eomes+ spermatogonia, and provided a dynamic transcriptional map of SSC fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute of Medical Technology, Luoyang Polytechnic, Luoyang, Henan, 471000, China
| | - Rong-Ge Yan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xue Gao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhen He
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shi-Xin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu-Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yi-Wen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hai-Ping Tao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Na Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Gong-Xue Jia
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810001, China
| | - Qi-En Yang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810001, China.
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Chen Z, Wang Z, Zhu C, Deng H, Chen X. Inhibiting neddylation with MLN4924 potentiates hypoxia-induced apoptosis of mouse type B spermatogonia GC-2 cells. Gene 2024; 893:147935. [PMID: 38381506 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147935] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Hypoxia, an inadequate supply of tissue oxygen tension, has been reported to induce apoptosis of spermatogenic cells and is associated with male infertility. Neddylation, a post-translational modification similar to ubiquitination, has been shown to be involved in the hypoxia stress response. However, the functions of neddylation in hypoxia-induced apoptosis of spermatogenic cells and its association with male infertility remain largely unexplored. In this study, aiming to explore the role of neddylation in male infertility, we used the specific neddylation inhibitor MLN4924 for treatment in mouse type B spermatogonia GC-2 cells. Our results showed that MLN4924 had no apparent effect on GC-2 cell apoptosis under normoxia, but significantly increased apoptotic cells under hypoxia. Transcriptomic analysis and qPCR assay confirmed that MLN4924 could suppress the expression of hypoxia target genes in GC-2 cells under hypoxia. In addition, MLN4924 could enhance the induction of intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) under hypoxia. These results indicate that the neddylation inhibitor MLN4924 potentiates hypoxia-induced apoptosis of mouse type B spermatogonia GC-2 cells, and neddylation may play an important role in promoting spermatogenic cells to adapt to hypoxia stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Chen
- Department of Reproduction, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
| | - Zixuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Chunchun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Hongyan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, PR China; College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Xiaoyun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
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9
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Li B, Zhao X, Jin T, Wu Z, Yang H. Efficient isolation and purification of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids from mice, piglets, and adult boars using an optimized STA-PUT method. Theriogenology 2024; 213:97-108. [PMID: 37820498 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.09.023] [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: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a delicate and complex biological process in which spermatogonial stem cells continue to proliferate and differentiate into mature spermatozoa, maintaining sperm production in male mammals throughout the lifetime. To study the molecular mechanism of spermatogenesis, researchers had to isolate different germ cell subpopulations for in vitro culture and characterization. However, due to the existence of several stages of germ cells and a variety of populations of somatic cells in the testis of male mammals, it is a challenge for us to obtain high-purity germ cell subpopulations for further research. Here, we optimized the STA-PUT device and successfully applied it to isolate and purify spermatogonia populations in piglets, and multiple germ cell populations at different developmental stages in testes of adult mice and boars. This work provides a simple platform for germ cell fractionation to facilitate the molecular mechanistic study of animal spermatogenesis in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Taili Jin
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zhenfang Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Huaqiang Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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10
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Morimoto H, Kanatsu-Shinohara M, Shinohara T. WIN18,446 enhances spermatogonial stem cell homing and fertility after germ cell transplantation by increasing blood-testis barrier permeability. J Reprod Dev 2023; 69:347-355. [PMID: 37899250 PMCID: PMC10721852 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2023-074] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) possess a unique ability to recolonize the seminiferous tubules. Upon microinjection into the adluminal compartment of the seminiferous tubules, SSCs transmigrate through the blood-testis barrier (BTB) to the basal compartment of the tubule and reinitiate spermatogenesis. It was recently discovered that inhibiting retinoic acid signaling with WIN18,446 enhances SSC colonization by transiently suppressing spermatogonia differentiation, thereby promoting fertility restoration. In this study, we report that WIN18,446 increases SSC colonization by disrupting the BTB. WIN18,446 altered the expression patterns of tight junction proteins (TJPs) and disrupted the BTB in busulfan-treated mice. WIN18,446 upregulated the expression of FGF2, one of the self-renewal factors for SSCs. While WIN18,446 enhanced SSC colonization in busulfan-treated wild-type mice, it did not increase colonization levels in busulfan-treated Cldn11-deficient mice, which lack the BTB, indicating that the enhancement of SSC colonization in wild-type testes depended on the loss of the BTB. Serial transplantation analysis revealed impaired self-renewal caused by WIN18,446, indicating that WIN18,446-mediated inhibition of retinoic acid signaling impaired SSC self-renewal. Strikingly, WIN18,446 administration resulted in the death of 45% of busulfan-treated recipient mice. These findings suggest that TJP modulation is the primary mechanism behind enhanced SSC homing by WIN18,446 and raise concerns regarding the use of WIN18,446 for human SSC transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Morimoto
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Mito Kanatsu-Shinohara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- AMED-CREST, AMED, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Takashi Shinohara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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11
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Chen T, Zhang L, Yao L, Luan J, Zhou X, Cong R, Guo X, Qin C, Song N. Zinc oxide nanoparticles-induced testis damage at single-cell resolution: Depletion of spermatogonia reservoir and disorder of Sertoli cell homeostasis. Environ Int 2023; 181:108292. [PMID: 37918063 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The widespread application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in our daily life has initiated an enhanced awareness of their biosafety concern. An incredible boom of evidence of organismal disorder has accumulated for ZnO NPs, yet there has been no relevant study at the single-cell level. Here, we profiled > 28,000 single-cell transcriptomes and assayed > 25,000 genes in testicular tissues from two healthy Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and two SD rats orally exposed to ZnO NPs. We identified 10 cell types in the rat testis. ZnO NPs had more deleterious effects on spermatogonia, Sertoli cells, and macrophages than on the other cell types. Cell-cell communication analysis indicated a sharp decrease of interaction intensity for all cell types except macrophages in the ZnO NPs group than in the control group. Interestingly, two distinct maturation states of spermatogonia were detected during pseudotime analysis, and ZnO NPs induced reservoir exhaustion of undifferentiated spermatogonia. Mechanically, ZnO NPs triggered fatty acid accumulation in GC-1 cells through protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα)/acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1) axis, contributing to cell apoptosis. In terms of Sertoli cells, downregulated genes were highly enriched for tight junction. In vitro and in vivo experiments verified that ZnO NPs disrupted blood-testis barrier formation and growth factors synthesis, which subsequently inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of spermatogonia. As for the macrophages, ZnO NPs activated oxidative stress of Raw264.7 cells through nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway and promoted cell apoptosis through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 pathway. Collectively, our work reveals the cell type-specific and cellularly heterogenetic mechanism of ZnO NPs-induced testis damage and paves the path for identifying putative biomarkers and therapeutics against this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Clinical Medical Research Center for Women and Children Diseases, Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, 250001 Jinan, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Genetic Medicine of Shandong Health Commission, Shandong University, 250001 Jinan, PR China
| | - Liangyu Yao
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China
| | - Jiaochen Luan
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China
| | - Rong Cong
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China
| | - Xuejiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chao Qin
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China.
| | - Ninghong Song
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210000 Nanjing, PR China.
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12
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Li HT, Zhong K, Xia YF, Song J, Chen XQ, Zhao W, Zeng XH, Chen TX. Puerarin improves busulfan-induced disruption of spermatogenesis by inhibiting MAPK pathways. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115231. [PMID: 37516022 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is a global concern, with a noticeable increase in the decline of spermatogenesis and sperm quality. However, there are limited clinically effective treatments available. This study aimed to investigate the potential effectiveness of puerarin in treating male infertility, which leads to gonadal changes. The results obtained from various analyses such as CASA, immunofluorescence, DIFF-Quick, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining demonstrated that puerarin supplementation significantly alleviated the busulfan-induced reduction in spermatogenesis and sperm quality in both young and adult mice. Furthermore, puerarin exhibited a marked improvement in the damage caused by busulfan to the architecture of seminiferous tubules, causal epididymis, blood-testicular barrier (BTB), as well as spermatogonia and Sertoli cells. Similarly, puerarin significantly reduced the levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and caspase-3 in the testes of busulfan-induced mice, as determined by microplate reader analysis. Additionally, RNA-seq data, RT-qPCR, and western blotting revealed that puerarin restored the abnormal gene expressions induced by busulfan to nearly healthy levels. Notably, puerarin significantly reversed the impact of busulfan on the expression of marker genes involved in spermatogenesis and oxidative stress. Moreover, puerarin suppressed the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, and JNK in the testes, as observed through testicular analysis. Consequently, this study concludes that puerarin may serve as a potential alternative for treating busulfan-induced damage to male fertility by inactivating the testicular MAPK pathways. These findings may pave the way for the use of puerarin in addressing chemotherapy- or other factors-induced male infertility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Li
- Medical School, Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kun Zhong
- Medical School, Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yun-Fei Xia
- Department of Rheumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Jian Song
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Chen
- Human Resources Division and Clinical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xu-Hui Zeng
- Medical School, Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Tian-Xing Chen
- Medical School, Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China.
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13
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Cabrita E, Pacchiarini T, Fatsini E, Sarasquete C, Herráez MP. Post-thaw quality assessment of testicular fragments as a source of spermatogonial cells for surrogate production in the flatfish Solea senegalensis. Fish Physiol Biochem 2023:10.1007/s10695-023-01232-2. [PMID: 37644252 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01232-2] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Cryopreservation of germ cells would facilitate the availability of cells at any time allowing the selection of donors and maintaining quality control for further applications such as transplantation and germline recovery. In the present study, we analyzed the efficiency of four cryopreservation protocols applied either to isolated cell suspensions or to testes fragments from Senegalese sole. In testes fragments, the quality of cryopreserved germ cells was analyzed in vitro in terms of cell recovery, integrity and viability, DNA integrity (fragmentation and apoptosis), and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels). Transplantation of cryopreserved germ cells was performed to check the capacity of cells to in vivo incorporate into the gonadal primordium of Senegalese sole early larval stages (6 days after hatching (dah), pelagic live), during metamorphosis (10 dah) and at post-metamorphic stages (16 dah and 20 dah, benthonic life). Protocols incorporating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a cryoprotectant showed higher number of recovered spermatogonia, especially in samples cryopreserved with L-15 + DMSO (0.39 ± 0.18 × 106 cells). Lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation were also significantly lower in this treatment compared with other treatments. An important increase in oxidation (MDA levels) was detected in samples containing glycerol as a cryoprotectant, reflected also in terms of DNA damage. Transplantation of L-15 + DMSO cryopreserved germ cells into larvae during early metamorphosis (10 dah, 5.2 mm) showed higher incorporation of cells (27.30 ± 5.27%) than other larval stages (lower than 11%). Cryopreservation of germ cells using testes fragments frozen with L-15 + DMSO was demonstrated to be a useful technique to store Senegalese sole germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Cabrita
- Centre of Marine Sciences-CCMAR, University of Algarve, Campus Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Tiziana Pacchiarini
- Sea4tech, Incubadora de Alta Tecnología INCUBAZUL, Edificio Europa, Zona Franca de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Elvira Fatsini
- Centre of Marine Sciences-CCMAR, University of Algarve, Campus Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Carmen Sarasquete
- Institute of Marine Science of Andalusia- ICMAN.CSIC, Av Republica Saharaui 2, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - María Paz Herráez
- Dept. Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de León, 24071, León, Spain
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14
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Wei Y, Bao R, Hu L, Geng Y, Chen X, Wen Y, Wang Y, Qin M, Zhang Y, Liu X. Ti 3C 2 (MXene) nanosheets disrupt spermatogenesis in male mice mediated by the ATM/p53 signaling pathway. Biol Direct 2023; 18:30. [PMID: 37312207 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-023-00382-w] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two-dimensional ultrathin Ti3C2 nanosheets are increasingly being used in biomedical applications owing to their special physicochemical properties. But, the biological effects of its exposure on the reproductive system is still unclear. This study evaluated the reproductive toxicity of Ti3C2 nanosheets in the testes. RESULTS Ti3C2 nanosheets at doses of 2.5 mg/kg bw and 5 mg/kg bw in mice caused defects in spermatogenic function, and we also clarified an underlying molecular mechanism of it in vivo and in vitro model. Ti3C2 nanosheets induced an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in testicular and GC-1 cells, which in turn led to the imbalance in oxidative and antioxidant systems (also known as oxidative stress). Additionally, oxidative stress often induces cellular DNA strand damages via the oxidative DNA damages, which triggered cell cycle arrest in the G1/G0 phase, leading to cell proliferation inhibition and irreversible apoptosis. ATM/p53 signaling manifest key role in DNA damage repair (DDR), and we demonstrate that ATM/p53 signaling was activated, and mediated the toxic damage process caused by Ti3C2 nanosheet exposure. CONCLUSION Ti3C2 nanosheet-induced disruption of proliferation and apoptosis of spermatogonia perturbed normal spermatogenic function that was mediated by ATM/p53 signaling pathway. Our findings shed more light on the mechanisms of male reproductive toxicity induced by Ti3C2 nanosheets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wei
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruilin Bao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Le Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanqing Geng
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemei Chen
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixian Wen
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingxiong Wang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Mao Qin
- Department of Andrology, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
- College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xueqing Liu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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15
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Omri-Charai RE, Gilbert I, Prunier J, Desmarais R, Ghinet MG, Robert C, Boissonneault G, Delbes G. DNA methylation dynamic in male rat germ cells during gametogenesis. Development 2023:316594. [PMID: 37283046 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201606] [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] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, a near complete resetting of DNA methylation (DNAme) is observed during germline establishment. This wave of epigenetic reprogramming is sensitive to the environment which could impair the establishment of an optimal state of the gametes' epigenome, hence proper embryo development. Yet, we lack a comprehensive understanding of DNAme dynamics during spermatogenesis, especially in rats, the model of choice for toxicological studies. Using a combination of cell sorting and DNA methyl-seq capture, we generated a stage-specific mapping of DNAme in 9 populations of differentiating germ cells from perinatal life to spermiogenesis. DNAme was found to reach its lowest level at gestational day 18, the last demethylated coding regions being associated with negative regulation of cell movement. The following de novo DNAme displayed three different kinetics with common and distinct genomic enrichments, suggesting a non-random process. DNAme variations were also detected at key steps of chromatin remodeling during spermiogenesis, revealing potential sensitivity. These methylome datasets for coding sequences during normal spermatogenesis in rat provide an essential reference for studying epigenetic-related effects of disease or environmental factors on the male germline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabelle Gilbert
- Department of Animal Sciences, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Julien Prunier
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec-Université Laval, Genomics Center, Québec, Canada
| | - Rebecka Desmarais
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Mariana Gabriela Ghinet
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Claude Robert
- Department of Animal Sciences, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Guylain Boissonneault
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
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16
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Capponi C, Palazzoli M, Di Persio S, Fera S, Spadetta G, Franco G, Wistuba J, Schlatt S, Neuhaus N, de Rooij D, Vicini E. Interplay of spermatogonial subpopulations during initial stages of spermatogenesis in adult primates. Development 2023; 150:310726. [PMID: 37222410 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The spermatogonial compartment maintains spermatogenesis throughout the reproductive lifespan. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revealed the presence of several spermatogonial clusters characterized by specific molecular signatures. However, it is unknown whether the presence of such clusters can be confirmed in terms of protein expression and whether protein expression in the subsets overlaps. To investigate this, we analyzed the expression profile of spermatogonial markers during the seminiferous epithelial cycle in cynomolgus monkeys and compared the results with human data. We found that in cynomolgus monkeys, as in humans, undifferentiated spermatogonia are largely quiescent, and the few engaged in the cell cycle were immunoreactive to GFRA1 antibodies. Moreover, we showed that PIWIL4+ spermatogonia, considered the most primitive undifferentiated spermatogonia in scRNA-seq studies, are quiescent in primates. We also described a novel subset of early differentiating spermatogonia, detectable from stage III to stage VII of the seminiferous epithelial cycle, that were transitioning from undifferentiated to differentiating spermatogonia, suggesting that the first generation of differentiating spermatogonia arises early during the epithelial cycle. Our study makes key advances in the current understanding of male germline premeiotic expansion in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Capponi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Martina Palazzoli
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Sara Di Persio
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Stefania Fera
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Gustavo Spadetta
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Giorgio Franco
- Department of Urology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Joachim Wistuba
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Stefan Schlatt
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Nina Neuhaus
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Dirk de Rooij
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Elena Vicini
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
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17
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Wu Y, Zeng S, Miao C, Wu H, Xu X, Chen L, Lu G, Lin G, Dai C. A 1-kb human CDCA8 promoter directs the spermatogonia-specific luciferase expression in adult testis. Gene 2023; 866:147350. [PMID: 36898512 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147350] [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] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Cell division cycle associated 8 (CDCA8) is a component of the chromosomal passenger complex and plays an essential role in mitosis, meiosis, cancer growth, and undifferentiated state of embryonic stem cells. However, its expression and role in adult tissues remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we studied the CDCA8 transcription in adult tissues by generating a transgenic mouse model, in which the luciferase was driven by a 1-kb human CDCA8 promoter. Our previous study showed that this 1-kb promoter was active enough to dictate reporter expression faithfully reflecting endogenous CDCA8 expression. Two founder mice carrying the transgene were identified. In vivo imaging and luciferase assays in tissue lysates revealed that CDCA8 promoter was highly activated and drove robust luciferase expression in testes. Subsequently, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent staining showed that in adult transgenic testes, the expression of luciferase was restricted to a subset of spermatogonia that were located along the basement membrane and positive for the expression of GFRA1, a consensus marker for early undifferentiated spermatogonia. These findings for the first time indicate that the CDCA8 was transcriptionally activated in testis and thus may play a role in adult spermatogenesis. Moreover, the 1-kb CDCA8 promoter could be used for spermatogonia-specific gene expression in vivo and the transgenic lines constructed here could also be used for recovery of spermatogonia from adult testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueren Wu
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Sicong Zeng
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China; Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Congxiu Miao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Huixia Wu
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Xiaoming Xu
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Liansheng Chen
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Guangxiu Lu
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China; Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha 410078, China; National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cell, Changsha 410205, China
| | - Ge Lin
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha 410078, China; National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cell, Changsha 410205, China.
| | - Can Dai
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China; Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410008, China.
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18
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You X, Li T, Cui Y, Liu W, Cheng Z, Zeng W, Wang P, Zheng Y. Retinoic acid-induced differentiation of porcine pro spermatogonia in vitro. Theriogenology 2023; 198:344-55. [PMID: 36640739 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is an intricate developmental process occurring in testes by which spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) self-renew and differentiate into mature sperm. The molecular mechanisms for SSC self-renewal and differentiation, while have been well studied in mice, may differ between mice and domestic animals including pigs. To gain knowledge about the molecular mechanisms for porcine SSC self-renewal and differentiation that have so far been poorly understood, here we isolated and enriched prospermatogonia from neonatal porcine testes, and exposed the cells to retinoic acid, a direct inducer for spermatogonial differentiation. We then identified that retinoic acid could induce porcine prospermatogonial differentiation, which was accompanied by a clear transcriptomic alteration, as revealed by the RNA-sequencing analysis. We also compared retinoic acid-induced in vitro porcine spermatogonial differentiation with the in vivo process, and compared retinoic acid-induced in vitro spermatogonial differentiation between pigs and mice. Furthermore, we analyzed retinoic acid-induced differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and demonstrated that a pig-specific lncRNA, lncRNA-106504875, positively regulated porcine spermatogonial proliferation by targeting the core transcription factor ZBTB16. Taken together, these results would help to elucidate the roles of retinoic acid in porcine spermatogonial differentiation, thereby contributing to further knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying porcine SSC development and, in the long run, to optimization of both long-term culture and induced differentiation systems for porcine SSCs.
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19
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Liu H, Wang R, OuYang H, Wang Y, Wu J, Li M, Hu Y, Yao Y, Liu Y, Ji Y. Cadmium induced mouse spermatogonia apoptosis via mitochondrial calcium overload mediated by IP 3R-MCU signal pathway. Toxicology 2023; 486:153448. [PMID: 36731763 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal and also a well-known reproductive toxicant. Cd could induce germ cells apoptosis in mouse testes, however, the mechanism remains unclear. This study designed in vitro using GC-1 spermatogonial (spg) cells to explore the cytotoxicity and the molecular mechanisms induced by cadmium chloride(CdCl2). As expected, CdCl2 elevated the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced the release of AIF and Cyt-c from the mitochondria to the cytosol in spermatogonia. Correspondingly, CdCl2 apparently increased the apoptotic rate in spermatogonia. Further researches found that CdCl2 could activate IP3R-MCU pathway, trigger Ca2+ transfer from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria, and cause mitochondrial Ca2+ overload. BAPTA acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM), a calcium chelator, almost completely attenuated IP3R phosphorylation, inhibited the mRNA and protein expression levels of VDAC1, MCU and MCUR1 upregulated by CdCl2, reduced the calcium ion content in the mitochondria. Moreover, BAPTA-AM could decrease the level of ROS, antagonize CdCl2-induced release of AIF and Cyt-c from the mitochondria to the cytosol and alleviate CdCl2-induced apoptosis in spermatogonia. As above, these results provided the evidence that CdCl2 might induce apoptosis of spermatogonia via mitochondrial Ca2+ overload mediated by IP3R-MCU signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Huijuan OuYang
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Mengyuan Li
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yuan Hu
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yuyou Yao
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Yehao Liu
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 230032 Anhui, China.
| | - Yanli Ji
- Department of health inspection and quarantine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 230032 Anhui, China.
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20
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He H, Ding T, Zhang T, Geng W, Xu J, Wei Y, Zhai J. BDE-209 disturbed proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonia during mitotic process through estrogen receptor α. Reprod Biol 2023; 23:100737. [PMID: 36821943 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2023.100737] [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] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Deca-bromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) exposure caused spermatogenesis disorder resulting in poor sperm quality has become a public concern in recent years. Spermatogenesis refers to the process by which the division of spermatogonia stem cells (SSCs) produces haploid spermatozoa, including mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. However, the mechanism of mitosis including proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonia dysfunction induced by BDE-209 remains largely unclear. Here, our data showed that BDE-209 exposure caused a decline in sperm quality with seminiferous tubule structure disorder in rats. In addition, BDE-209 exposure damage spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation with decreasing level of PLZF and cKit in testis. Moreover, rats exposed to BDE-209 decreased the expression of ERα, whereas an elevated expression of Wnt3a and Wnt5a. Mechanistically, supplementation with propipyrazole triol (PPT, a selective ERα pathway agonist) rescued sperm quality and attenuated impairment of proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonia in BDE-209-induced rats. Therefore, ERα plays a crucial role in the proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonia during mitotic process. In conclusion, our study clarified the role of ERα in BDE-209-induced spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation in rats and provides a potential therapeutic application on poor sperm quality caused by BDE-209 exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Tao Ding
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China; Guangming District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518106, China
| | - Taifa Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Wenfeng Geng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jixiang Xu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yu Wei
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jinxia Zhai
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei 230032, China.
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21
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Costa GMJ, Lacerda SMSN, Figueiredo AFA, Wnuk NT, Brener MRG, Andrade LM, Campolina-Silva GH, Kauffmann-Zeh A, Pacifico LGG, Versiani AF, Antunes MM, Souza FR, Cassali GD, Caldeira-Brant AL, Chiarini-Garcia H, de Souza FG, Costa VV, da Fonseca FG, Nogueira ML, Campos GRF, Kangussu LM, Martins EMN, Antonio LM, Bittar C, Rahal P, Aguiar RS, Mendes BP, Procópio MS, Furtado TP, Guimaraes YL, Menezes GB, Martinez-Marchal A, Orwig KE, Brieño-Enríquez M, Furtado MH. High SARS-CoV-2 tropism and activation of immune cells in the testes of non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19 patients. BMC Biol 2023; 21:36. [PMID: 36797789 PMCID: PMC9933832 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to rely on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, whose expression in the testis is among the highest in the body. Additionally, the risk of mortality seems higher among male COVID-19 patients, and though much has been published since the first cases of COVID-19, there remain unanswered questions regarding SARS-CoV-2 impact on testes and potential consequences for reproductive health. We investigated testicular alterations in non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19-patients, the precise location of the virus, its replicative activity, and the immune, vascular, and molecular fluctuations involved in the pathogenesis. RESULTS We found that SARS-CoV-2 testicular tropism is higher than previously thought and that reliable viral detection in the testis requires sensitive nanosensors or RT-qPCR using a specific methodology. Through an in vitro experiment exposing VERO cells to testicular macerates, we observed viral content in all samples, and the subgenomic RNA's presence reinforced the replicative activity of SARS-CoV-2 in testes of the severe COVID-19 patients. The cellular structures and viral particles, observed by transmission electron microscopy, indicated that macrophages and spermatogonial cells are the main SARS-CoV-2 lodging sites, where new virions form inside the endoplasmic reticulum Golgi intermediate complex. Moreover, we showed infiltrative infected monocytes migrating into the testicular parenchyma. SARS-CoV-2 maintains its replicative and infective abilities long after the patient's infection. Further, we demonstrated high levels of angiotensin II and activated immune cells in the testes of deceased patients. The infected testes show thickening of the tunica propria, germ cell apoptosis, Sertoli cell barrier loss, evident hemorrhage, angiogenesis, Leydig cell inhibition, inflammation, and fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that high angiotensin II levels and activation of mast cells and macrophages may be critical for testicular pathogenesis. Importantly, our findings suggest that patients who become critically ill may exhibit severe alterations and harbor the active virus in the testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme M. J. Costa
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Samyra M. S. N. Lacerda
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - André F. A. Figueiredo
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Natália T. Wnuk
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Marcos R. G. Brener
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Lídia M. Andrade
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Alice F. Versiani
- grid.419029.70000 0004 0615 5265Faculdade de Medicina de São Jose do Rio Preto, São Jose do Rio Preto, SP Brazil ,grid.176731.50000 0001 1547 9964Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Maísa M. Antunes
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Fernanda R. Souza
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Geovanni D. Cassali
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - André L. Caldeira-Brant
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Hélio Chiarini-Garcia
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Fernanda G. de Souza
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Vivian V. Costa
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Flavio G. da Fonseca
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Maurício L. Nogueira
- grid.419029.70000 0004 0615 5265Faculdade de Medicina de São Jose do Rio Preto, São Jose do Rio Preto, SP Brazil ,grid.176731.50000 0001 1547 9964Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Guilherme R. F. Campos
- grid.419029.70000 0004 0615 5265Faculdade de Medicina de São Jose do Rio Preto, São Jose do Rio Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Lucas M. Kangussu
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Estefânia M. N. Martins
- grid.466576.00000 0004 0635 4678Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear-CDTN/CNEN, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Loudiana M. Antonio
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Cintia Bittar
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XUniversidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Paula Rahal
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XUniversidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Renato S. Aguiar
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Yuri L. Guimaraes
- Clínica MF Fertilidade Masculina, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,Departamentos de Urologia e de Reprodução Humana da Rede Mater Dei de Saúde, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Gustavo B. Menezes
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Ana Martinez-Marchal
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Kyle E. Orwig
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Miguel Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women's Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
| | - Marcelo H. Furtado
- Clínica MF Fertilidade Masculina, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,Departamentos de Urologia e de Reprodução Humana da Rede Mater Dei de Saúde, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
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22
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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23
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Ferreiro ME, Méndez CS, Glienke L, Sobarzo CM, Ferraris MJ, Pisera DA, Lustig L, Jacobo PV, Theas MS. Unraveling the effect of the inflammatory microenvironment in spermatogenesis progression. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:581-604. [PMID: 36627392 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03703-z] [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] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes progressive spermatogenic impairment. EAO is characterized by high intratesticular levels of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) causing germ cell apoptosis and Sertoli cell dysfunction. However, the impact of this inflammatory milieu on the spermatogenic wave is unknown. Therefore, we studied the effect of inflammation on spermatogonia and preleptotene spermatocyte cell cycle progression in an EAO context and through the intratesticular DETA-NO and TNFα injection in the normal rat testes. In EAO, premeiotic germ cell proliferation is limited as a consequence of the undifferentiated spermatogonia (CD9+) cell cycle arrest in G2/M and the reduced number of differentiated spermatogonia (c-kit+) and preleptotene spermatocytes that enter in the meiotic S-phase. Although inflammation disrupts spermatogenesis in EAO, it is maintained in some seminiferous tubules at XIV and VII-VIII stages of the epithelial cell cycle, thereby guaranteeing sperm production. We found that DETA-NO (2 mM) injected in normal testes arrests spermatogonia and preleptotene spermatocyte cell cycle; this effect reduces the number of proliferative spermatogonia and the number of preleptotene spermatocytes in meiosis S-phase (36 h after). The temporal inhibition of spermatogonia clonal amplification delayed progression of the spermatogenic wave (5 days after) finally altering spermatogenesis. TNFα (0.5 and 1 µg) exposure did not affect premeiotic germ cell cycle or spermatogenic wave. Our results show that in EAO the inflammatory microenvironment altered spermatogenesis kinetics through premeiotic germ cell cycle arrest and that NO is a sufficient factor contributing to this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cinthia Soledad Méndez
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 7, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1421ABG, Argentina
| | - Leilane Glienke
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Biología Celular, Cátedra II de Histología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 7, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1421ABG, Argentina
| | - Cristian Marcelo Sobarzo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Biología Celular, Cátedra II de Histología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 7, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1421ABG, Argentina
| | - María Jimena Ferraris
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Alberto Pisera
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 7, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1421ABG, Argentina
| | - Livia Lustig
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Biología Celular, Cátedra II de Histología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 7, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1421ABG, Argentina
| | - Patricia Verónica Jacobo
- Laboratorio de Reproducción y Fisiología Materno-Placentaria (CONICET), Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental (DBEE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, Piso 4, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - María Susana Theas
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Biología Celular, Cátedra II de Histología, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 7, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1421ABG, Argentina.
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24
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Wang H, Li Y, Liu C, Lu T, Zhai Q, Wang H, Zhang J. Inhibition of VDAC1 prevents oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by bisphenol A in spermatogonia via AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. J Toxicol Sci 2023; 48:109-119. [PMID: 36858637 DOI: 10.2131/jts.48.109] [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: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the main components of industrial products, is clinically associated with the increased male infertility rate. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the BPA-resulted reproductive toxicity is not fully elucidated. Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) is a pore protein and located at the outer mitochondrial membrane. As a mitochondrial gatekeeper, VDAC1 controls the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the metabolic and energetic functions of mitochondria, and serves as a critical player in mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Herein, we explored the role of VDAC1 in BPA-induced apoptosis of spermatogonia. The results showed that BPA increased spermatogonia cell line GC-1 spg cell apoptosis and intracellular ROS level, and suppressed AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway at a dose of 80 μM for 48 hr. Lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA targeting VDAC1 (Lv-shVDAC1) silenced VDAC1 expression and enhanced BPA-restricted cell viability. Knockdown of VDAC1 inhibited the apoptosis of BPA-treated GC-1 spg cells determined by with changes of the expressions of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins. Knockdown of VDAC1 also alleviated the BPA-triggered intracellular ROS generation and oxidative stress. Moreover, silence of VDAC1 increased AMPKα1/2 phosphorylation and suppressed mTOR phosphorylation under BPA exposure. Dorsomorphin, an AMPK inhibitor, partially abolished the effects of VDAC1 gene silencing on BPA-stimulated GC-1 spg cells. In conclusion, inhibition of VDAC1 attenuated the BPA-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis and promoted the cell viability in spermatogonia through modulating AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
| | - Chuang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
| | - Tianxiang Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
| | - Qian Zhai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
| | - Hongna Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
| | - Jianfang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of The Fourth Military Medical University, China
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25
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van Melis V, Roa-de la Cruz L, Hermann BP. Isolation of Undifferentiated Spermatogonia from Adult and Developing Mouse Testes. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:179-193. [PMID: 37249872 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_10] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In the mammalian testis, the mitotic complements of spermatogenic cells are spermatogonia, including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) which form the basis of life-long spermatogenesis and male fertility. Thus, investigating spermatogonia and subdivisions thereof is essential to increase our understanding of male germline development and infertility. This protocol describes the isolation of spermatogonia from both adult and developing [postnatal day 6 (P6)] mouse testes. Cell suspensions of the adult mouse testis from the Id4-Egfp transgenic mouse line are obtained through a two-step enzymatic digestion and are subjected to Percoll pre-enrichment before spermatogonia are isolated by selecting testis cells that are CD9bright and ID4-EGFP+ through FACS. For P6 mice, the testis is digested using trypsin-DNase, and spermatogonia are isolated by FACS selection of ID4-EGFP+ testis cells. In both cases, nearly pure populations of undifferentiated spermatogonia are obtained that can be further subdivided using additional parameters (e.g., EGFP intensity, cell surface protein immunostaining), and recovered for use in various downstream applications, such as biochemical analyses (e.g., transcriptome/epigenome), functional analyses by SSC transplantation or propagation in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera van Melis
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Lorena Roa-de la Cruz
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Brian P Hermann
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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26
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Legrand JMD, Hobbs RM. Defining Gene Function in Spermatogonial Stem Cells Through Conditional Knockout Approaches. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:261-307. [PMID: 37249877 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_15] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian male fertility is maintained throughout life by a population of self-renewing mitotic germ cells known as spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Much of our current understanding regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying SSC activity is derived from studies using conditional knockout mouse models. Here, we provide a guide for the selection and use of mouse strains to develop conditional knockout models for the study of SSCs, as well as their precursors and differentiation-committed progeny. We describe Cre recombinase-expressing strains, breeding strategies to generate experimental groups, and treatment regimens for inducible knockout models and provide advice for verifying and improving conditional knockout efficiency. This resource can be beneficial to those aiming to develop conditional knockout models for the study of SSC development and postnatal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien M D Legrand
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Robin M Hobbs
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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27
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Chiarini-Garcia H, Caldeira-Brant AL. Optimization of Testicular Fixation-Embedding Techniques for Improved Evaluation of Mammalian Spermatogonial Morphology and Function. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:7-20. [PMID: 37249864 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Numerous methods have been successfully used to evaluate mammalian spermatogonial biology However, the conventional light microscopy assays present a challenge in precisely identifying spermatogonial phenotypes, which can result in discrepancies between molecular and morphological findings. Such precise association could lead to a more robust interpretation of spermatogonial activity in steady-state spermatogenesis, which may facilitate the translation from basic research to clinical applications. In this chapter, we present two histological processing methods that enable a comprehensive analysis of spermatogonial morphology and function, involving fixation of mammalian testicular tissue in glutaraldehyde and embedding in plastic resin. These techniques have proven to be effective in light microscopy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helio Chiarini-Garcia
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural e Reprodução, Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Andre L Caldeira-Brant
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural e Reprodução, Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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28
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Shetty G. Models and Methods for Evaluating Regeneration of Spermatogenesis After Cytotoxic Treatments. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:239-260. [PMID: 37249876 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cytotoxic exposure, predominantly during radiation and/or chemotherapy treatment for cancer, interferes with fertility in men. While moderate doses cause temporary azoospermia allowing eventual recovery of spermatogenesis, higher doses of sterilizing agents can cause permanent sterility by killing the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). In this chapter, the methods involved in the following aspects of cytotoxic regeneration are described: (i) designing rodent and non-human primate models for regeneration of spermatogenesis after cytotoxic treatment by radiation and chemotherapy; (ii) analysis of SSCs with respect to the impact of the cytotoxic treatment, including analysis of spermatogonial clones, scoring the testicular section to analyze the extent of spermatogenic recovery, preparation of testicular and epididymal sperm, and collection of semen in non-human primates for sperm analysis; and (iii) preparation and delivery of a GnRH antagonist and steroids for enhancement or induction of spermatogonial differentiation, leading to the regeneration of spermatogenesis, largely applicable in the rat model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunapala Shetty
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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29
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Munyoki SK, Orwig KE. Perspectives: Methods for Evaluating Primate Spermatogonial Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:341-364. [PMID: 37249880 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_18] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian spermatogenesis is a complex, highly productive process generating millions of sperm per day. Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are at the foundation of spermatogenesis and can either self-renew, producing more SSCs, or differentiate to initiate spermatogenesis and produce sperm. The biological potential of SSCs to produce and maintain spermatogenesis makes them a promising tool for the treatment of male infertility. However, translating knowledge from rodents to higher primates (monkeys and humans) is challenged by different vocabularies that are used to describe stem cells and spermatogenic lineage development in those species. Furthermore, while rodent SSCs are defined by their biological potential to produce and maintain spermatogenesis in a transplant assay, there is no equivalent routine and accessible bioassay to test monkey and human SSCs or replicate their functions in vitro. This chapter describes progress characterizing, isolating, culturing, and transplanting SSCs in higher primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Munyoki
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Integrative Systems Biology Graduate Program, Magee-Women's Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kyle E Orwig
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Integrative Systems Biology Graduate Program, Magee-Women's Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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30
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Yang F, Sun J, Wu X. Primary Cultures of Spermatogonia and Testis Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:127-143. [PMID: 37249869 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_7] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) maintain adult spermatogenesis in mammals by undergoing self-renewal and differentiation into spermatozoa. In order to study the biology of SSCs as related to spermatogenesis, an in vitro, long-term expansion system of SSCs constitutes an ideal tool. In this chapter, we describe a robust culture system for mouse and rat SSCs in vitro. In the presence of GDNF, GFRα1, and bFGF, SSCs maintained on STO feeder layers with serum-free medium continuously proliferate for over 6 months. Complete spermatogenesis in infertile recipient mice can be attained following transplantation of the cultured mouse and rat SSCs. Using the in vitro SSC culture systems, elucidation of stem cell biology can be advanced that significantly advances our understanding of spermatogenesis and male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiachen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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31
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Hermann BP, Oatley JM. Introduction: The Why's and How's for Studying Spermatogenesis and Spermatogonial Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2656:1-6. [PMID: 37249863 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3139-3_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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is maintained throughout adulthood by a pool of adult stem cells termed spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Research investigations into spermatogenesis can provide insight into the etiology of certain types of male infertility (e.g., Sertoli cell only syndrome), elucidate means of improving food animal production, reveal new therapeutic avenues to address naturally occurring defects in sperm production, mitigate iatrogenic male infertility (e.g., arising from cancer therapy), and potentially intervene for male contraception. This chapter will serve as a commentary about why studying spermatogenesis is important, including a high-level overview of spermatogonia and SSCs, and make the case for a critical need for use of stringent definitions for SSCs and experimental platforms that allow for clear distinction of the multiple types of spermatogonia that exist in testes of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Hermann
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Jon M Oatley
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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32
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Hasani Fard AH, Valizadeh M, Mazaheri Z, Hosseini SJ. miR-106b-5p Intensifies the Proliferative Potential of Spermatogonial Stem Cells as a Prerequisite for Male Infertility Treatment. Reprod Sci 2022; 29:3394-3403. [PMID: 35320579 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-00884-4] [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] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous studies have investigated the molecular basis of male infertility, various aspects of this area have remained uncovered. Over the past years, researchers have reported the significant potential of miRNAs in posttranscriptional regulatory roles. By targeting mRNAs, these notable molecules can modulate the processes related to male infertility. On the other side, the outstanding potential of male germline stem cells, SSCs, includes their application in infertility treatment. SSCs retain normal spermatogenesis and fertility by adjusting both SSC self-renewal and differentiation. Therefore, for the characterization and manipulation of SSCs, effective and efficient in vitro culture methods are essential in supporting their maintenance and development. In this regard, the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the impact of one of the recently conspicuous miRNAs, miR-106b, in SSCs enrichment. As a result, we first found that the SSCs induced with miR-106b-5p highly express TGF-β1, which is known as a regulator of epigenetic modifiers and downstream genes. We next sought to show that self-renewal markers, including c-Myc, Oct-4, and Sox2, are increased in the induced SSC group. The intended miRNA also induced the inhibitor of differentiation 4 (ID4) and aided to remain unmethylated in SSCs. Additionally, for the tumorigenicity possibility of the manipulation, we indicated that PTEN, a tumor-suppressor gene, expressed remarkably in the induced SSCs. In conclusion, our findings showed that miR-106b-5p enhances the proliferative potential of SSCs, making it a substantial factor for therapeutic strategies of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hossein Hasani Fard
- Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Valizadeh
- Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zohreh Mazaheri
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Jalil Hosseini
- Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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33
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Kirsanov O, Johnson T, Malachowski T, Niedenberger BA, Gilbert EA, Bhowmick D, Ozdinler PH, Gray DA, Fisher-Wellman K, Hermann BP, Geyer CB. Modeling mammalian spermatogonial differentiation and meiotic initiation in vitro. Development 2022; 149:282465. [PMID: 36250451 PMCID: PMC9845750 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200713] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian testes, premeiotic spermatogonia respond to retinoic acid by completing an essential lengthy differentiation program before initiating meiosis. The molecular and cellular changes directing these developmental processes remain largely undefined. This wide gap in knowledge is due to two unresolved technical challenges: (1) lack of robust and reliable in vitro models to study differentiation and meiotic initiation; and (2) lack of methods to isolate large and pure populations of male germ cells at each stage of differentiation and at meiotic initiation. Here, we report a facile in vitro differentiation and meiotic initiation system that can be readily manipulated, including the use of chemical agents that cannot be safely administered to live animals. In addition, we present a transgenic mouse model enabling fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based isolation of millions of spermatogonia at specific developmental stages as well as meiotic spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Kirsanov
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Taylor Johnson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Taylor Malachowski
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Bryan A. Niedenberger
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Emma A. Gilbert
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - Debajit Bhowmick
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | - P. Hande Ozdinler
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60611, USA
| | - Douglas A. Gray
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1H 8M5, Canada,Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Kelsey Fisher-Wellman
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Brian P. Hermann
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Christopher B. Geyer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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34
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Noghani AE, Asadpour R, Saberivand A, Mazaheri Z, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Hamidian G. Differentiation of neonate mouse spermatogonia on two-dimensional and three-dimensional culture systems supplemented with d-Serine and Dizocilpine (MK-801). Theriogenology 2022; 191:168-178. [PMID: 35998400 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.08.004] [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] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) modulates the spermatogenesis process through stimulating the steroid hormone biosynthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of NMDA receptors agonists (d-Serine) and antagonists (MK801) on spermatogonia differentiation on decellularization testicular matrix (DTM) hydrogel scaffold. Four treatment groups were planned: 2D + D-Serine, 3D + D-Serine, 2D + MK801, and 3D + MK801. Results showed that cell viability was significantly decreased after 48 h in the 3D + D-Serine group and after 24 and 48 h in the 3D + MK801 group compared to the controls. The spermatogonia proliferation after two, four, and eight weeks was significantly increased in the 3D + D-Serine culture, while it was significantly reduced in the 2D + MK801 and 3D + MK801 groups after four and eight weeks. Real-time PCR results demonstrated that pre-meiotic gene (Plzf) expression was significantly increased only in the 3D + D-Serine culture compared to the control groups after four weeks of culture. The meiotic gene (Sycp3) expression was significantly increased in the 2D + D-Serine and 3D + D-Serine compared to the 2D controls after four and eight weeks. The post-meiotic gene (Tnp1) level in the 3D + D-Serine was significantly higher than the other groups. Flow-cytometry results indicated that the protein expression of Plzf (after four and eight weeks), Sycp3 (after eight weeks), and Tnp1 (after eight weeks) in the d-Serine-treated groups was significantly increased compared with the 2D control groups. There were not any significant changes in the gene expression of spermatogenic-related markers in MK801 culture media. However, a significant decrease in the protein levels of Plzf after eight weeks and Sycp3 after four and eight weeks was observed. In conclusion, the addition of NMDARs agonists (d-Serine) could be used to regulate the differentiation of spermatogonia in the 3D culture system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhessam Eskafi Noghani
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Reza Asadpour
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Adel Saberivand
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Zohreh Mazaheri
- Basic Medical Science Research Center, Histogenotech Company, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Kenny A Rodriguez-Wallberg
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Reproductive Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Reproduction, Karolinska University Hospital, Novumhuset Plan 4, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Gholamreza Hamidian
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
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Xue J, Wu T, Huang C, Shu M, Shen C, Zheng B, Lv J. Identification of proline-rich protein 11 as a major regulator in mouse spermatogonia maintenance via an increase in BMI1 protein stability. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:9555-9564. [PMID: 35980531 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07846-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spermatogenesis accompanied by self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonia under complicated regulation is crucial for male fertility. Our previous study demonstrated that the loss of the B-lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 (BMI1) could cause male infertility and found a potential interaction between BMI1 and proline-rich protein 11 (PRR11); however, the specific co-regulatory effects of BMI1/PRR11 on spermatogonia maintenance remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS The expression of PRR11 was downregulated in a mouse spermatogonia cell line (GC-1) via transfection with PRR11-siRNAs, and PRR11 knockdown was verified by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The proliferative activity of GC-1 cells was determined using the cell counting kit (CCK-8), colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay. A Transwell assay was performed to evaluate the effects of PRR11 on GC-1 cell migration. A terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay was used to measure GC-1 cell apoptosis. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation, RT-qPCR, and western blot analyses were used for investigating the regulatory mechanisms involved in this regulation. It was found that downregulation of PRR11 could cause a marked inhibition of proliferation and migration and induced apoptosis in GC-1 cells. Moreover, silencing of PRR11 obviously led to a reduction in the BMI1 protein level. PRR11 was found to interact with BMII at the endogenous protein level. PRR11 knockdown produced a decrease in BMI1 protein stability via an increase in BMI1 ubiquitination after which derepression in the transcription of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type M (Ptprm) occurred. Importantly, knockdown of Ptprm in PRR11-deficient GC-1 cells led to a reversal of proliferation and migration of GC-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS This study uncovered a novel mechanism by which PRR11 cooperated with BMI1 to facilitate GC-1 maintenance through targeting Ptprm. Our findings may provide a better understanding of the regulatory network in spermatogonia maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Xue
- Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital (Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University), Suzhou, 215124, China
| | - Tiantian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Chao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Minghua Shu
- Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital (Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University), Suzhou, 215124, China
| | - Cong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Bo Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
| | - Jinxing Lv
- Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital (Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University), Suzhou, 215124, China.
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Xu CL, Tan QY, Yang H, Li CY, Wu Z, Ma YF. Melatonin enhances spermatogonia activity through promoting KIAA1429-mediated m 6A deposition to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling. Reprod Biol 2022; 22:100681. [PMID: 35987159 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2022.100681] [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: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin is a key neuroendocrine hormone that promotes spermatogenesis and sperm motility, but the underlying mechanisms remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible roles of m6A (N6--methyl-adenosine) in mediating melatonin-regulated spermatogonia activity alterations. In this study, mouse-derived GC-1 spermatogonia (spg) cell line was used as the in vitro cellular model. The viability, proliferation rates and apoptosis of spermatogonia were detected via CCK-8, Edu staining and flow cytometry respectively. Total m6A level was quantitated by dot blot, while mRNA and proteins contents in spermatogonia were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot respectively. Differentially expressed mRNAs were characterized by deep RNA sequencing method. Results showed that melatonin significantly promoted viability and proliferation rate while inhibited apoptosis in the GC-1 spg cells. The total m6A levels in GC-1 spg cells were also greatly increased by melatonin treatment, accompanied by remarkable expressional elevation of the m6A writer KIAA1429. Moreover, the regulation of GC-1 spg cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis by melatonin were greatly abrogated by KIAA1429 silencing but effectively strengthened by KIAA1429 overexpression. In addition, KIAA1429 overexpression regulates multiple biological process and signaling pathways in spermatogonia such as the PI3K/AKT signaling. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 effectively mitigated the regulation of spermatogonia activity by KIAA1429 overexpression under melatonin treatment. Taken together, melatonin promotes spermatogonia activity via enhancing KIAA1429 expression and m6A RNA methylation to activate the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Long Xu
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Nanning Second People Hospital, Nanning 530031, China; National Center for International Research of Bio-targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Talent Highland of Bio-targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
| | - Qing-Ying Tan
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Nanning Second People Hospital, Nanning 530031, China.
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Nanning Second People Hospital, Nanning 530031, China
| | - Chun-Yuan Li
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Nanning Second People Hospital, Nanning 530031, China
| | - Zhuo Wu
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Nanning Second People Hospital, Nanning 530031, China
| | - Ya-Feng Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxiang Hospital of Nanning Second People Hospital, Nanning 530031,China
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Abstract
In vitro production of functional gametes can revolutionize reproduction by reducing generation intervals and accelerating genetic breeding in aquaculture, especially in fish with relatively long generations. Nevertheless, functional sperm production from in vitro-cultured spermatogonia remains a challenge in most aquaculture fish. In this study, we isolated and characterized premeiotic spermatogonia from marine four-eyed sleepers (Bostrychus sinensis), which are prone to ovotesticular or sterile testicular development, and induced the differentiation of the spermatogonia into flagellated sperm in a three-dimensional (3D) culture system. Artificial insemination indicated that the in vitro-derived sperm were capable of fertilizing mature oocytes to develop into normal larvae. Furthermore, melatonin significantly promoted spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and thus increased the efficiency in functional sperm production. The 3D culture system and resulting functional sperm hold great promise for improving the genetic breeding of aquaculture fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - Wan-Wan Zhang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Mo
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - Meng-Dan Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - Kun-Tong Jia
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China. E-mail:
| | - Mei-Sheng Yi
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China. E-mail:
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de Castro RO, Carbajal A, Previato de Almeida L, Goitea V, Griffin CT, Pezza RJ. Mouse Chd4-NURD is required for neonatal spermatogonia survival and normal gonad development. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:16. [PMID: 35568926 PMCID: PMC9107693 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00448-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Testis development and sustained germ cell production in adults rely on the establishment and maintenance of spermatogonia stem cells and their proper differentiation into spermatocytes. Chromatin remodeling complexes regulate critical processes during gamete development by restricting or promoting accessibility of DNA repair and gene expression machineries to the chromatin. Here, we investigated the role of Chd4 and Chd3 catalytic subunits of the NURD complex during spermatogenesis. Germ cell-specific deletion of chd4 early in gametogenesis, but not chd3, resulted in arrested early gamete development due to failed cell survival of neonate undifferentiated spermatogonia stem cell population. Candidate assessment revealed that Chd4 controls expression of dmrt1 and its downstream target plzf, both described as prominent regulators of spermatogonia stem cell maintenance. Our results show the requirement of Chd4 in mammalian gametogenesis pointing to functions in gene expression early in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo O de Castro
- Cell Cycle and Cancer Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Suite B305. 825 NE 13th street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Agustin Carbajal
- Cell Cycle and Cancer Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Suite B305. 825 NE 13th street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Luciana Previato de Almeida
- Cell Cycle and Cancer Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Suite B305. 825 NE 13th street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Victor Goitea
- Cell Cycle and Cancer Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Suite B305. 825 NE 13th street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Courtney T Griffin
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Roberto J Pezza
- Cell Cycle and Cancer Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Suite B305. 825 NE 13th street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. .,Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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Ye H, Takeuchi Y, Du H, Yue H, Ruan R, Li C, Wei Q. Spermatogonia From Cryopreserved Testes of Critically Endangered Chinese Sturgeon Efficiently Colonized and Preferentially Proliferated in the Recipient Gonads of Yangtze Sturgeon. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2022; 24:136-150. [PMID: 35099661 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10092-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The critically endangered Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, presents late sexual maturity and has a large body size. Germ cell transplantation is a powerful technique for the production of gametes from large-bodied species in closely related recipients with a smaller body size and shorter generation time. To accelerate reproduction of Chinese sturgeon, donor spermatogonia collected from the cryopreserved testes of 3-year-old Chinese sturgeon were intraperitoneally transplanted into 7-8 days post-hatch larvae of Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) with shorter generation interval. At 2 months post-transplantation (mpt), donor spermatogonia had colonized in the 81.25% of recipient gonads, with average numbers about two times those of endogenous primordial germ cells. Within the next 2 months, the rate of endogenous germ cell division in females (2-3 times) was faster than that in males (once), whereas colonized donor-derived spermatogonia divided about 2-3 times and twice in recipient females and males, respectively. Furthermore, the expression of germ cell-related genes, dazl, dead end, and vasa, in transplanted fish was higher than that in non-transplanted fish, suggesting the incorporation and proliferation donor spermatogonia in recipient. At 18 mpt, donor-derived spermatogonia survived in the 75.00% of recipient gonads. These results showed that the somatic microenvironment of Yangtze sturgeon gonad can support the long-term colonization, proliferation, and survival of xenogeneic germ cells. Thus, this study suggested that small-bodied Yangtze sturgeon is promising recipient as surrogate for Chinese sturgeon gamete production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Yutaka Takeuchi
- Noto Center for Fisheries Science and Technology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, 927-0552, Japan
| | - Hao Du
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Huamei Yue
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Rui Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Chuangju Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China.
| | - Qiwei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China.
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40
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Zhu X, Yu C, Wu W, Shi L, Jiang C, Wang L, Ding Z, Liu Y. Zinc transporter ZIP12 maintains zinc homeostasis and protects spermatogonia from oxidative stress during spermatogenesis. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022; 20:17. [PMID: 35065654 PMCID: PMC8783530 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-022-00893-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overwhelming evidences suggest oxidative stress is a major cause of sperm dysfunction and male infertility. Zinc is an important non-enzymatic antioxidant with a wide range of biological functions and plays a significant role in preserving male fertility. Notably, zinc trafficking through the cellular and intracellular membrane is mediated by specific families of zinc transporters, i.e., SLC39s/ZIPs and SLC30s/ZnTs. However, their expression and function were rarely evaluated in the male germ cells. The aim of this study is to determine and characterize the crucial zinc transporter responsible for the maintenance of spermatogenesis. METHODS The expression patterns of all 14 ZIP members were characterized in the mouse testis. qRT-PCR, immunoblot and immunohistochemistry analyses evaluated the ZIP12 gene and protein expression levels. The role of ZIP12 expression was evaluated in suppressing the sperm quality induced by exposure to an oxidative stress in a spermatogonia C18-4 cell line. Zip12 RNAi transfection was performed to determine if its downregulation altered cell viability and apoptosis in this cell line. An obese mouse model fed a high-fat-diet was employed to determine if there is a correlation between changes in the ZIP12 expression level and sperm quality. RESULTS The ZIP12 mRNA and protein expression levels were higher than those of other ZIP family members in both the mouse testis and other tissues. Importantly, the ZIP12 expression levels were very significantly higher in both mice and human spermatogonia and spermatozoa. Moreover, the testicular ZIP12 expression levels significantly decreased in obese mice, which was associated with reduced sperm zinc content, excessive sperm ROS generation, poor sperm quality and male subfertility. Similarly, exposure to an oxidative stress induced significant declines in the ZIP12 expression level in C18-4 cells. Knockdown of ZIP12 expression mediated by transfection of a ZIP12 siRNA reduced both the zinc content and viability whereas apoptotic activity increased in the C18-4 cell line. CONCLUSIONS The testicular zinc transporter ZIP12 expression levels especially in spermatogonia and spermatozoa are higher than in other tissues. ZIP12 may play a key role in maintaining intracellular zinc content at levels that reduce the inhibitory effects of rises in oxidative stress on spermatogonia and spermatozoa viability during spermatogenesis which help counteract declines in male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Zhu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Chengxuan Yu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Wangshu Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Chenyi Jiang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Zhide Ding
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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41
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Goldsmith T, Bondareva A, Webster D, Voigt AL, Su L, Carlson DF, Dobrinski I. Targeted Gene Editing in Porcine Germ Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2495:245-258. [PMID: 35696037 PMCID: PMC9733455 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2301-5_13] [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: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
As the genetic mutations driving human disease are identified, there is an increasing need for a biomedical model that can accurately represent the disease of interest and provide a platform for potential therapeutic testing. Pigs are a better model for human disease than rodents because of their genetic and physiological similarities to humans. However, current methods to generate porcine models are both technically challenging and expensive. Germline genetic modification through gene edited spermatogonia provides an effective alternative to how these models are developed. Here, we report an improved technique of gene editing in spermatogonia of pigs using CRISPR-Cas9 to generate different edits that reflect the genotypes of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alla Bondareva
- Dept. of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; and Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Anna Laura Voigt
- Dept. of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; and Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Lin Su
- Dept. of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; and Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Ina Dobrinski
- Dept. of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; and Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Zheng Y, Zhang L, Jin L, Zhang P, Li F, Guo M, Gao Q, Zeng Y, Li M, Zeng W. Unraveling three-dimensional chromatin structural dynamics during spermatogonial differentiation. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101559. [PMID: 34979097 PMCID: PMC8814405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are able to undergo both self-renewal and differentiation. Unlike self-renewal, which replenishes the SSC and progenitor pool, differentiation is an irreversible process committing cells to meiosis. Although the preparations for meiotic events in differentiating spermatogonia (Di-SG) are likely to be accompanied by alterations in chromatin structure, the three-dimensional chromatin architectural differences between SSCs and Di-SG, and the higher-order chromatin dynamics during spermatogonial differentiation, have not been systematically investigated. Here, we performed in situ high-throughput chromosome conformation capture, RNA-seq, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analyses on porcine undifferentiated spermatogonia (which consist of SSCs and progenitors) and Di-SG. We identified that Di-SG exhibited less compact chromatin structural organization, weakened compartmentalization, and diminished topologically associating domains in comparison with undifferentiated spermatogonia, suggesting that diminished higher-order chromatin architecture in meiotic cells, as shown by recent reports, might be preprogrammed in Di-SG. Our data also revealed that A/B compartments, representing open or closed chromatin regions respectively, and topologically associating domains were related to dynamic gene expression during spermatogonial differentiation. Furthermore, we unraveled the contribution of promoter-enhancer interactions to premeiotic transcriptional regulation, which has not been accomplished in previous studies due to limited cell input and resolution. Together, our study uncovered the three-dimensional chromatin structure of SSCs/progenitors and Di-SG, as well as the interplay between higher-order chromatin architecture and dynamic gene expression during spermatogonial differentiation. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms for SSC self-renewal and differentiation and have implications for diagnosis and treatment of male sub-/infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Lingkai Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Long Jin
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Fuyuan Li
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yao Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Mingzhou Li
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
| | - Wenxian Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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Zhang K, Xu J, Ding Y, Shen C, Lin M, Dai X, Zhou H, Huang X, Xue B, Zheng B. BMI1 promotes spermatogonia proliferation through epigenetic repression of Ptprm. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 583:169-177. [PMID: 34739857 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.10.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Spermatogonia are accountable for spermatogenesis and male fertility, but the underlying mechanisms involved in spermatogonia maintenance are not clear. B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 (BMI1) is a key component of epigenetic silencers. BMI1 is essential for stem-cell maintenance. Here, we attempted to uncover the role of BMI1 in spermatogonia maintenance using a mouse spermatogonia cell line (GC-1) and Bmi1-knockout (KO) mouse model. We showed that BMI1 promoted the proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of GC-1 cells. Mechanistically, we present in vitro and in vivo evidence to show that BMI1 binds to the promoter region of the Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type M (PTPRM) gene, thereby driving chromatin remodeling and gene silencing. Knockdown of Ptprm expression significantly improved spermatogonia proliferation in BMI1-deficient GC-1 cells. Collectively, our data show, for the first time, an epigenetic mechanism involving in BMI1-mediated gene silencing in spermatogonia maintenance, and provide potential targets for the treatment of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jinfu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Meng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiuliang Dai
- Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, The Affiliated Changzhou Matemity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Human Reproductive and Genetic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xiaoyan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Boxin Xue
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Bo Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
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Farzaneh M, Mokhtari S, Moraveji SF, Sayahpour FA, Masoudi NS, Javadi A, Gourabi H, Esfandiari F. In vitro investigation of zinc oxide nanoparticle toxic effects in spermatogonial cells at the molecular level. Chem Biol Interact 2021; 351:109687. [PMID: 34653396 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2021.109687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Because spermatogonia transmit genetic information across generations, their DNA must be protected from environmental damages, including exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), which are frequently used in modern technology. Here, we used an in vitro system enriched for spermatogonia and exposed them to 10 and 20 μg/ml ZnO NPs for one/seven days. We did not detect any significant cell death, chromosomal instability, or DNA fragmentation in the spermatogonia treated with the ZnO NPs following one-day treatment with 10 or 20 μg/ml ZnO NPs. However, ZnO NPs (both 10 and 20 μg/ml) induced chromosomal instability in the spermatogonia after seven days of treatment. Moreover, one-day exposure to these NPs induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and upregulation of apoptotic pathway-related genes p53, Caspase3 and Il6, as an inflammatory factor. Taken together, our study provides preliminary evidence for possible damages induced by low concentrations of ZnO NPs in spermatogonia. We should pay increased attention when using these NPs because of the silent damages in spermatogonia that can be transmitted to the next generation and cause severe effects. However, more data and validation of these results are required to determine the extent of this concern.
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45
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Azizi H, Niazi Tabar A, Skutella T. Successful transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells into the seminiferous tubules of busulfan-treated mice. Reprod Health 2021; 18:189. [PMID: 34556135 PMCID: PMC8461838 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-021-01242-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the testis are crucial for transferring genetic information to the next generation. Successful transplantation of SSCs to infertile men is an advanced therapeutic application in reproductive biology research. Methods In this experimental research, both in vitro and in vivo characterization of undifferentiated and differentiated SSCs were performed by morphology—immunocytochemistry (ICC), immunohistochemistry (IMH), Fluidigm Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry analysis. The isolated SSCs were finally microinjected into the rete testis of busulfan-treated mice. The compact undifferentiated and more loosely connected round differentiated SSCs were isolated during testicular cell expansion from their specific feeder layer. Results ICC analysis indicated high and low expression levels of Zbtb16 in undifferentiated and differentiated germ cells. Also, IMH analysis showed different expression levels of Zbtb16 in the two different germ stem cell populations of the testicular tissue. While Fluidigm RT-PCR analysis indicated overexpression of the TAF4B germ cell gene, the expression of DAZL, VASA, and Zbtb16 were down-regulated during the differentiation of SSCs (P < 0.05). Also, flow cytometry analysis confirmed the significant downregulation of Itgb1 and Itga4 during differentiation. By transplantation of SSCs into busulfan-treated NOD/SCID mice, GFP-labeled sperm cells developed. Conclusions In the current study, we performed a transplantation technique that could be useful for the future microinjection of SSCs during infertility treatment and for studying in vivo differentiation of SSCs into sperm. Spermatogonia (SSCs) in the testis transmit genetic information to the next generation. Successful SSC transplantation into infertile men is an advanced therapeutic application in reproductive biology research. In this experimental research, both in vitro and in vivo characterization of undifferentiated and differentiated SSCs were performed by morphology—immunocytochemistry (ICC), immunohistochemistry (IMH), Fluidigm Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry analysis. The isolated SSCs were finally microinjected into the rete testis of busulfan-treated mice. ICC analysis indicated high and low expression levels of Zbtb16 in undifferentiated and differentiated germ cells. IMH analysis showed different expression levels of Zbtb16 in both populations. Fluidigm RT-PCR analysis indicated overexpression of the TAF4B germ cell gene and the down-regulated expression of DAZL, VASA, and Zbtb16 during SSCs differentiation of (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry analysis confirmed the significant downregulation of Itgb1 and Itga4 during differentiation. By transplantation of SSCs into busulfan-treated NOD/SCID mice, GFP-labeled sperm cells developed. We performed a transplantation technique that could be useful for the future microinjection of SSCs during infertility treatment and for studying in vivo differentiation of SSCs into sperm. Data analysis confirmed that zbtb16 is expressed in the undifferentiated germ cells located on the basal membrane of seminiferous tubules and SSCs in vitro. Also, spermatogenesis was resumed, and fertility improved after transplantation of undifferentiated cells into busulfan-treated mice; thus, improvements in vitro SSCs transplantation, isolation and culture would be helpful in future clinical treatments to solve the reproductive problems of families influenced by infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Azizi
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, P.O. Box 46168-49767, Amol, Iran.
| | - Amirreza Niazi Tabar
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, P.O. Box 46168-49767, Amol, Iran
| | - Thomas Skutella
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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Tao YR, Zhang YT, Han XY, Zhang L, Jiang LG, Ma Y, Meng LJ, He QL, Liu SZ. Intrauterine exposure to 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl alters spermatogenesis and testicular DNA methylation levels in F1 male mice. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2021; 224:112652. [PMID: 34461319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic biphenyl compounds with high toxicity. There are a total of 209 homologs, among which 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB118) is one of the dioxin-like PCBs. PCB118 can accumulate in pregnant mice, leading to fetus directly exposure during development. The stage of migration of mouse primordial germ cells ranges from 8.5 to 13.5 days of pregnancy, which is the stage undergoing a genome-wide DNA demethylation process. In this study, the mice were exposed to 20 μg/kg/day and 100 μg/kg/day PCB118 from 8.5 to 13.5 days of pregnancy. During the embryo stage at 18.5 days (E18.5 days), the expression level of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) was reduced in the testes, and the DNA methylation level in mouse testes were also decreased. We found that the seminiferous tubules showed vacuolization and that the sperm deformity rate increased in the treated groups compared with the control group in 7-week-old mice. Because exposure to PCB118 during pregnancy causes damage to the reproductive system of male offspring mice, attention should be devoted to the toxicity transmission of persistent environmental pollutants such as PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Rong Tao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Yong-Tao Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China; Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250062, Shandong, China
| | - Xiao-Ying Han
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Li-Gang Jiang
- Infertility Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Ying Ma
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Ling-Jiao Meng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Qi-Long He
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China; National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Shu-Zhen Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
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Asadi A, Ghahremani R, Abdolmaleki A, Rajaei F. Role of sperm apoptosis and oxidative stress in male infertility: A narrative review. Int J Reprod Biomed 2021; 19:493-504. [PMID: 34401644 PMCID: PMC8350854 DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v19i6.9371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of caspase, externalization of phosphatidyl serine, change in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and DNA fragmentation are apoptosis markers found in human ejaculated spermatozoa. Also, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a vital role in the different types of male infertility. In this review, data sources including Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct were searched for publications with no particular time restriction to get a holistic and comprehensive view of the research. Apoptosis regulates the male germ cells, correct function and development from the early embryonic stages of gonadal differentiation to fertilization. In addition to maintaining a reasonable ratio between the Sertoli and germ cells, apoptosis is one of the well-known quality control mechanisms in the testis. Also, high ROS levels cause a heightened and dysregulated apoptotic response. Apoptosis is one of the well-known mechanisms of quality control in the testis. Nevertheless, increased apoptosis may have adverse effects on sperm production. Recent studies have shown that ROS and the consequent oxidative stress play a crucial role in apoptosis. This review aims to assimilate and summarize recent findings on the apoptosis in male reproduction and fertility. Also, this review discusses the update on the role of ROS in normal sperm function to guide future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asadollah Asadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Rozita Ghahremani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Arash Abdolmaleki
- Department of Engineering Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Namin, Iran.,BioScience and Biotechnology Research Center (BBRC), Sabalan University of Advanced Technologies (SUAT), Namin, Iran
| | - Farzad Rajaei
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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Yu XW, Li TT, Du XM, Shen QY, Zhang MF, Wei YD, Yang DH, Xu WJ, Chen WB, Bai CL, Li XL, Li GP, Li N, Peng S, Liao MZ, Hua JL. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals atlas of dairy goat testis cells. Zool Res 2021; 42:401-405. [PMID: 34047080 PMCID: PMC8317185 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Wei Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Tong-Tong Li
- College of Life Science, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiao-Min Du
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiao-Yan Shen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Meng-Fei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yu-Dong Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Dong-Hui Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Jing Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Bo Chen
- College of Life Science, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chun-Ling Bai
- Key Laboratory for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Xue-Ling Li
- Key Laboratory for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Guang-Peng Li
- Key Laboratory for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Sha Peng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
| | - Ming-Zhi Liao
- College of Life Science, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
| | - Jin-Lian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
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Khanehzad M, Abbaszadeh R, Holakuyee M, Modarressi MH, Nourashrafeddin SM. FSH regulates RA signaling to commit spermatogonia into differentiation pathway and meiosis. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2021; 19:4. [PMID: 33407539 PMCID: PMC7789255 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-020-00686-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spermatogenesis is a complex process that is controlled by interactions between germ cells and somatic cells. The commitment of undifferentiated spermatogonia to differentiating spermatogonia and normal spermatogenesis requires the action of gonadotropins. Additionally, numerous studies revealed the role of retinoic acid signaling in induction of germ cell differentiation and meiosis entry. MAIN TEXT Recent studies have shown that expression of several RA signaling molecules including Rdh10, Aldh1a2, Crabp1/2 are influenced by changes in gonadotropin levels. Components of signaling pathways that are regulated by FSH signaling such as GDNF, Sohlh1/2, c-Kit, DMRT, BMP4 and NRGs along with transcription factors that are important for proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonia are also affected by retinoic acid signaling. CONCLUSION According to all studies that demonstrate the interface between FSH and RA signaling, we suggest that RA may trigger spermatogonia differentiation and initiation of meiosis through regulation by FSH signaling in testis. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the correlation between FSH and RA signaling in spermatogenesis is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Khanehzad
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Abbaszadeh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Seyed Mehdi Nourashrafeddin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
- School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Lee S, Bang WY, Yang HS, Lee DS, Song HY. Production of juvenile masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) from spermatogonia-derived sperm and oogonia-derived eggs via intraperitoneal transplantation of immature germ cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 535:6-11. [PMID: 33340766 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
No effective cryopreservation technique exists for fish eggs and embryos; thus, the cryopreservation of germ cells (spermatogonia or oogonia) and subsequent generation of eggs and sperm would be an alternative solution for the long-term preservation of piscine genetic resources. Nevertheless, in our previous study using rainbow trout, we showed that recipients transplanted with XY spermatogonia or XX oogonia produced unnatural sex-biased F1 offspring. To overcome these obstacles, we transplanted immature germ cells (XX oogonia or XY spermatogonia; frozen for 33 days) into the body cavities of triploid hatchlings, and the transplanted germ cells possessed a high capacity for differentiating into eggs and sperm in the ovaries and testes of recipients. Approximately 30% of triploid recipients receiving frozen germ cells generated normal salmon that displayed the donor-derived black body color phenotype, although all triploid salmon not receiving transplants were functionally sterile. Furthermore, F1 offspring obtained from insemination of the oogonia-derived eggs and spermatogonia-derived sperm show a normal sex ratio of 1:1 (female:male). Thus, this method presented a critical technique for practical conservation projects for other teleost fish species and masu salmon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungki Lee
- Biological and Genetic Resources Assessment Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea.
| | - Woo Young Bang
- Biological and Genetic Resources Assessment Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hee-Sun Yang
- Biological and Genetic Resources Assessment Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dae-Sung Lee
- Department of Genetic Resources, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon-gun, 33662, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ha Yeun Song
- Department of Genetic Resources, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon-gun, 33662, Republic of Korea.
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