RXRG associated in PPAR signal regulated the differentiation of primordial germ cell

Biomimetic mineralized mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes for dual modulation of ferroptosis and lactic acid-driven inflammation in acute liver injury therapy

Acute liver injury (ALI) is characterized by rapid and severe hepatocellular damage, leading to ferroptosis and an exacerbated inflammatory response. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-exo) have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for ALI due to their ability to deliver antioxidants and stabilize solute carrier family 7 members 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) system. In this study, we developed a novel engineered exosome, MSC-exo/MnO2@DEX, by encapsulating the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone (DEX) within MSC-exo and modifying its surface with manganese dioxide (MnO2) via a bionano-mineralization approach. MnO2 exhibits multi-enzymatic activity, enabling efficient scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions. When combined with MSC-exo, MnO2 not only reduces ROS levels and generates oxygen but also stabilizes the SLC7A11/GPX4 axis, thereby protecting hepatocytes from ferroptosis. Concurrently, DEX suppresses the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, inhibits macrophage M1 polarization, and alleviates hepatic inflammation. The oxygen produced by MnO2 catalysis further mitigates hypoxia, decreases lactic acid accumulation, and downregulates histone lactylation, synergizing with DEX to enhance NF-κB pathway inhibition and amplify anti-inflammatory effects. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that MSC-exo/MnO2@DEX significantly enhances antioxidant capacity, metabolic processes, and immune function, while improving liver function and suppressing ferroptosis, lactylation and inflammatory responses. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of MSC-exo/MnO2@DEX as an effective treatment for ALI.

Nutritional supplementation of breeding hens may promote embryonic development through the growth hormone-insulin like growth factor axis

The late stage of embryo development is a crucial period of metabolic changes, with rapid organ development requiring a substantial supply of nutrients. During this phase, maternal nutritional levels play a vital role in the growth, development, and metabolism of the offspring. In this study, we added 2 doses of β-carotene (βc) (120 mg/kg and 240 mg/kg) to the daily diet of Hailan Brown laying hens to investigate the impact of maternal nutritional enrichment on embryo development. Maternal nutrition supplementation significantly increased the expression of chicken embryo liver index, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in serum. At the same time, the expression of GH/growth hormone receptor (GHR), IGF-1 mRNA, and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) protein in the liver was upregulated, indicating that maternal nutrition intervention may promote chicken embryo liver development through the GH-IGF-1 axis. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that differential genes in liver after maternal nutritional supplementation with β-carotene were enriched in pathways related to cell proliferation and metabolism. Consequently, we postulated that maternal β-carotene supplementation might operate via the GH-IGF-1 axis to regulate the expression of genes involved in growth and development, thereby promoting liver development. These results contribute to formulating more effective poultry feeding strategies to promote offspring growth and development.

Identification of key events and regulatory networks in the formation process of primordial germ cell based on proteomics

Currently, studies have analyzed the formation mechanism of primordial germ cell (PGC) at the transcriptional level, but few at the protein level, which made the mechanism study of PGC formation not systematic. Here, we screened differential expression proteins (DEPs) regulated PGC formation by label-free proteomics with a novel sampling strategy of embryonic stem cells and PGC. Analysis of DEPs showed that multiple key events were involved, such as the transition from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation, activation of autophagy, low DNA methylation ensured the normal formation of PGC, beyond that, protein ubiquitination also played an important role in PGC formation. Importantly, the progression of such events was attributed to the inconsistency between transcription and translation. Interestingly, MAPK, PPAR, Wnt, and JAK signaling pathways not only interact with each other but also interact with different events to participate in the formation of PGC, which formed the PGC regulatory network. According to the regulatory network, the efficiency of PGC formation in induction system can be significantly improved. In conclusion, our results indicate that chicken PGC formation is a complex process involving multiple events and signals, which provide technical support for the specific application in PGC research.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics-Based Study of Transcriptional Regulatory Features in the Non-Obstructive Azoospermia Testis

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is one of the most important causes of male infertility. Although many congenital factors have been identified, the aetiology in the majority of idiopathic NOA (iNOA) cases remains unknown. Herein, using single-cell RNA-Seq data sets (GSE149512) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we constructed transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) to explain the mutual regulatory relationship and the causal relationship between transcription factors (TFs). We defined 10 testicular cell types by their marker genes and found that the proportion of Leydig cells (LCs) and macrophages (tMΦ) was significantly increased in iNOA testis. We identified specific TFs including LHX9, KLF8, KLF4, ARID5B and RXRG in iNOA LCs. In addition, we found specific TFs in iNOA tMΦ such as POU2F2, SPIB IRF5, CEBPA, ELK4 and KLF6. All these identified TFs are strongly engaged in cellular fate, function and homeostasis of the microenvironment. Changes in the activity of the above-mentioned TFs might affect the function of LCs and tMΦ and ultimately cause spermatogenesis failure. This study illustrate that these TFs play important regulatory roles in the occurrence and development of NOA.

H3K4me2 Promotes the Activation of lncCPSET1 by Jun in the Chicken PGC Formation

Primordial germ cells are the ancestors of female and male cells. Current research has shown that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and Histone methylation are the pivotal epigenetic factors in the PGC formation. However, there are few studies on the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA in the formation of PGC. Here, we define the lncRNA highly expressed in chicken PGC, lncCPSET1 (chicken-PGC-specifically-expressed transcript 1) This study found that compared with the interference of lncCPSET1/histone methylase Mll2 alone, the PGC formation was severely inhibited with the interference of lncCPSET1 and histone methylase Mll2 jointly in vivo and in vitro. Studies on the transcription level of lncCPSET1 found that H3K4me2 and transcription factor Jun have a positive effect on the activation of lncCPSET1; while DNA hypomethylation inhibits the expression of lncCPSET1. In terms of mechanism, compared with DNA methylation, H3K4me2 dominates lncCPSET1 activation. H3K4me2 can be enriched in the lncCPSET1 promoter, change its chromosome conformation, recruit the transcription factor Jun, and activate the expression of lncCPSET1. Taken together, we confirmed the model that H3K4me2 rather than DNA hypomethylation mediates Jun to regulate lncCPSET1 transcription, which broadens the study of lncCPSET1 pre-transcriptional mechanism.

Consensus module analysis of abdominal fat deposition across multiple broiler lines

BACKGROUND

Despite several RNA-Seq and microarray studies on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low-abdominal fat deposition in different broiler lines, to our knowledge, gene coexpression analysis across multiple broiler lines has rarely been reported. Here, we constructed a consensus gene coexpression network focused on identifying consensus gene coexpression modules associated with abdominal fat deposition across multiple broiler lines using two public RNA-Seq datasets (GSE42980 and GSE49121).

RESULTS

In the consensus gene coexpression network, we identified eight consensus modules significantly correlated with abdominal fat deposition across four broiler lines using the consensus module analysis function in the weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) package. The eight consensus modules were moderately to strongly preserved in the abdominal fat RNA-Seq dataset of another broiler line (SRP058295). Furthermore, we identified 5462 DEGs between high- and low-abdominal fat lines (FL and LL) (GSE42980) and 6904 DEGs between high- and low-growth (HG and LG) (GSE49121), including 1828 overlapping DEGs with similar expression profiles in both datasets, which were clustered into eight consensus modules. Pyruvate metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and steroid biosynthesis were significantly enriched in the green, yellow, and medium purple 3 consensus modules. The PPAR signaling pathway and adipocytokine signaling pathway were significantly enriched in the green and purple consensus modules. Autophagy, mitophagy, and lysosome were significantly enriched in the medium purple 3 and yellow consensus modules.

CONCLUSION

Based on lipid metabolism pathways enriched in eight consensus modules and the overexpression of numerous lipogenic genes in both FL vs. LL and HG vs. LG, we hypothesize that more fatty acids, triacylglycerols (TAGs), and cholesterol might be synthesized in broilers with high abdominal fat than in broilers with low abdominal fat. According to autophagy, mitophagy, and lysosome enrichment in eight consensus modules, we inferred that autophagy might participate in broiler abdominal fat deposition. Altogether, these studies suggest eight consensus modules associated with abdominal fat deposition in broilers. Our study also provides an idea for investigating the molecular mechanism of abdominal fat deposition across multiple broiler lines.

Sex-Dependent RNA Editing and N6-adenosine RNA Methylation Profiling in the Gonads of a Fish, the Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) are two of the most abundant RNA modifications. Here, we examined the characteristics of the RNA editing and transcriptome-wide m6A modification profile in the gonads of the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, an important maricultured fish in Asia. The gonadal differentiation and development of the flounder are controlled by genetic as well as environmental factors, and the epigenetic mechanism may play an important role. In total, 742 RNA editing events were identified, 459 of which caused A to I conversion. Most A-to-I sites were located in 3′UTRs, while 61 were detected in coding regions (CDs). The number of editing sites in the testis was higher than that in the ovary. Transcriptome-wide analyses showed that more than one-half of the transcribed genes presented an m6A modification in the flounder gonads, and approximately 60% of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the testis and ovary appeared to be negatively correlated with m6A methylation enrichment. Further analyses revealed that the mRNA expression of some sex-related genes (e.g., dmrt1 and amh) in the gonads may be regulated by changes in mRNA m6A enrichment. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the RNA editing and m6A modifications were enriched in several canonical pathways (e.g., Wnt and MAPK signaling pathways) in fish gonads and in some pathways whose roles have not been investigated in relation to fish sex differentiation and gonadal development (e.g., PPAR and RNA degradation pathways). There were 125 genes that were modified by both A-to-I editing and m6A, but the two types of modifications mostly occurred at different sites. Our results suggested that the presence of sex-specific RNA modifications may be involved in the regulation of gonadal development and gametogenesis.

C1EIP Functions as an Activator of ENO1 to Promote Chicken PGCs Formation via Inhibition of the Notch Signaling Pathway

The production of germ cells, especially primordial germ cells (PGCs), is important for avian stem cells and reproduction biology. However, key factors involved in the regulation of PGCs remain unknown. Here, we report a PGC-related marker gene: C1EIP (Chromosome 1 Expression in PGCs), whose activation and expression are regulated by the transcription factor STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), histone acetylation, and promoter methylation. C1EIP regulates PGCs formation by mediating the expression of PGC-associated genes, such as CVH (Chicken Vasa Homologous) and CKIT (Chicken KIT proto-oncogene). C1EIP knockdown during embryonic development reduces PGC generation efficiency both in vitro and in ovo. Conversely, C1EIP overexpression increases the formation efficiency of PGCs. C1EIP encodes a cytoplasmic protein that interacts with ENO1 (Enolase 1) in the cytoplasm, inhibits the Notch signaling pathway, and positively regulates PGC generation. Collectively, our findings demonstrate C1EIP as a novel gene involved in PGC formation, which regulates genes involved in embryonic stem cell differentiation through interaction with ENO1 and subsequent inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway by the impression of Myc (MYC proto-oncogene).