1
|
Bai M, Liang D, Cheng Y, Liu G, Wang Q, Li J, Wu Y. Gonadal mosaicism mediated female-biased gender control in mice. Protein Cell 2022; 13:863-868. [PMID: 35334072 PMCID: PMC9237195 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-022-00910-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meizhu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Dan Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Guolong Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Qiudao Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yuxuan Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Holmlund H, Yamauchi Y, Durango G, Fujii W, Ward MA. Two acquired mouse Y chromosome-linked genes, Prssly and Teyorf1, are dispensable for male fertility‡. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:752-764. [PMID: 35485405 PMCID: PMC9476217 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prssly (Protease, serine-like, Chr Y) and Teyorf1 (Testis expressed, chromosome Y open reading frame 1) are two acquired single-copy genes located on the distal tip of the non-pairing short arm of the mouse Y chromosome adjacent to telomeric sequence. Both genes lack X chromosome-linked homologues and are expressed in testicular germ cells. We first performed analysis of Prssly and Teyorf1 genomic sequences and demonstrated that previously reported Prssly sequence is erroneous and the true Prssly sequence is longer and encodes a larger protein than previously estimated. We also confirmed that both genes encode pseudogenes that are not expressed in testes. Next, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome targeting, we generated Prssly and Teyorf1 knockout (KO) mice and characterized their phenotype. To create Prssly KO mice, we targeted the conserved exon 5 encoding a trypsin domain typical for serine proteases. The targeting was successful and resulted in a frame shift mutation that introduced a premature stop codon, with the Prssly KO males retaining only residual transcript expression in testes. The Teyorf1 targeting removed the entire open reading frame of the gene, which resulted in no transcript expression in KO males. Both Prssly KO and Teyorf1 KO males were fertile and had normal testis size and normal sperm number, motility, and morphology. Our findings show that Prssly and Teyorf1 transcripts with potential to encode proteins are dispensable for male fertility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayden Holmlund
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Gerald Durango
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Wataru Fujii
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hughes JF, Skaletsky H, Nicholls PK, Drake A, Pyntikova T, Cho TJ, Bellott DW, Page DC. A gene deriving from the ancestral sex chromosomes was lost from the X and retained on the Y chromosome in eutherian mammals. BMC Biol 2022; 20:133. [PMID: 35676717 PMCID: PMC9178871 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01338-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The mammalian X and Y chromosomes originated from a pair of ordinary autosomes. Over the past ~180 million years, the X and Y have become highly differentiated and now only recombine with each other within a short pseudoautosomal region. While the X chromosome broadly preserved its gene content, the Y chromosome lost ~92% of the genes it once shared with the X chromosome. PRSSLY is a Y-linked gene identified in only a few mammalian species that was thought to be acquired, not ancestral. However, PRSSLY’s presence in widely divergent species—bull and mouse—led us to further investigate its evolutionary history. Results We discovered that PRSSLY is broadly conserved across eutherians and has ancient origins. PRSSLY homologs are found in syntenic regions on the X chromosome in marsupials and on autosomes in more distant animals, including lizards, indicating that PRSSLY was present on the ancestral autosomes but was lost from the X and retained on the Y in eutherian mammals. We found that across eutheria, PRSSLY’s expression is testis-specific, and, in mouse, it is most robustly expressed in post-meiotic germ cells. The closest paralog to PRSSLY is the autosomal gene PRSS55, which is expressed exclusively in testes, involved in sperm differentiation and migration, and essential for male fertility in mice. Outside of eutheria, in species where PRSSLY orthologs are not Y-linked, we find expression in a broader range of somatic tissues, suggesting that PRSSLY has adopted a germ-cell-specific function in eutherians. Finally, we generated Prssly mutant mice and found that they are fully fertile but produce offspring with a modest female-biased sex ratio compared to controls. Conclusions PRSSLY appears to be the first example of a gene that derives from the mammalian ancestral sex chromosomes that was lost from the X and retained on the Y. Although the function of PRSSLY remains to be determined, it may influence the sex ratio by promoting the survival or propagation of Y-bearing sperm. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01338-8.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Peter K Nicholls
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Present Address: Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, BD71DP, Bradford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Deletion in the Y chromosome of B10.BR-Ydel mice alters transcription from MSYq genes and has moderate effect on DNA methylation. Reprod Biol 2022; 22:100614. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2022.100614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
5
|
Haines BA, Barradale F, Dumont BL. Patterns and mechanisms of sex ratio distortion in the Collaborative Cross mouse mapping population. Genetics 2021; 219:6355587. [PMID: 34740238 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In species with single-locus, chromosome-based mechanisms of sex determination, the laws of segregation predict an equal ratio of females to males at birth. Here, we show that departures from this Mendelian expectation are commonplace in the 8-way recombinant inbred Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse population. More than one-third of CC strains exhibit significant sex ratio distortion (SRD) at wean, with twice as many male-biased than female-biased strains. We show that these pervasive sex biases persist across multiple breeding environments, are stable over time, and are not mediated by random maternal effects. SRD exhibits a heritable component, but QTL mapping analyses fail to nominate any large effect loci. These findings, combined with the reported absence of sex ratio biases in the CC founder strains, suggest that SRD manifests from multilocus combinations of alleles only uncovered in recombined CC genomes. We explore several potential complex genetic mechanisms for SRD, including allelic interactions leading to sex-biased lethality, genetic sex reversal, chromosome drive mediated by sex-linked selfish elements, and incompatibilities between specific maternal and paternal genotypes. We show that no one mechanism offers a singular explanation for this population-wide SRD. Instead, our data present preliminary evidence for the action of distinct mechanisms of SRD at play in different strains. Taken together, our work exposes the pervasiveness of SRD in the CC population and nominates the CC as a powerful resource for investigating diverse genetic causes of biased sex chromosome transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beth L Dumont
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Subrini J, Turner J. Y chromosome functions in mammalian spermatogenesis. eLife 2021; 10:67345. [PMID: 34606444 PMCID: PMC8489898 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian Y chromosome is critical for male sex determination and spermatogenesis. However, linking each Y gene to specific aspects of male reproduction has been challenging. As the Y chromosome is notoriously hard to sequence and target, functional studies have mostly relied on transgene-rescue approaches using mouse models with large multi-gene deletions. These experimental limitations have oriented the field toward the search for a minimum set of Y genes necessary for male reproduction. Here, considering Y-chromosome evolutionary history and decades of discoveries, we review the current state of research on its function in spermatogenesis and reassess the view that many Y genes are disposable for male reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremie Subrini
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - James Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Reddy HM, Bhattacharya R, Tiwari S, Mishra K, Annapurna P, Jehan Z, Praveena NM, Alex JL, Dhople VM, Singh L, Sivaramakrishnan M, Chaturvedi A, Rangaraj N, Shiju TM, Sreedevi B, Kumar S, Dereddi RR, Rayabandla SM, Jesudasan RA. Y chromosomal noncoding RNAs regulate autosomal gene expression via piRNAs in mouse testis. BMC Biol 2021; 19:198. [PMID: 34503492 PMCID: PMC8428117 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01125-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Deciphering the functions of Y chromosome in mammals has been slow owing to the presence of repeats. Some of these repeats transcribe coding RNAs, the roles of which have been studied. Functions of the noncoding transcripts from Y chromosomal repeats however, remain unclear. While a majority of the genes expressed during spermatogenesis are autosomal, mice with different deletions of the long arm of the Y chromosome (Yq) were previously also shown to be characterized by subfertility, sterility and sperm abnormalities, suggesting the presence of effectors of spermatogenesis at this location. Here we report a set of novel noncoding RNAs from mouse Yq and explore their connection to some of the autosomal genes expressed in testis. Results We describe a set of novel mouse male-specific Y long arm (MSYq)-derived long noncoding (lnc) transcripts, named Pirmy and Pirmy-like RNAs. Pirmy shows a large number of splice variants in testis. We also identified Pirmy-like RNAs present in multiple copies at different loci on mouse Y chromosome. Further, we identified eight differentially expressed autosome-encoded sperm proteins in a mutant mouse strain, XYRIIIqdel (2/3 Yq-deleted). Pirmy and Pirmy-like RNAs have homology to 5′/3′UTRs of these deregulated autosomal genes. Several lines of experiments show that these short homologous stretches correspond to piRNAs. Thus, Pirmy and Pirmy-like RNAs act as templates for several piRNAs. In vitro functional assays reveal putative roles for these piRNAs in regulating autosomal genes. Conclusions Our study elucidates a set of autosomal genes that are potentially regulated by MSYq-derived piRNAs in mouse testis. Sperm phenotypes from the Yq-deleted mice seem to be similar to that reported in inter-specific male-sterile hybrids. Taken together, this study provides novel insights into possible role of MSYq-derived ncRNAs in male sterility and speciation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01125-x.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hemakumar M Reddy
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Present address: Brown University BioMed Division, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 185 Meeting Street room 257, Sidney Frank Life Sciences Building, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Rupa Bhattacharya
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,, Pennington, NJ, 08534, USA
| | - Shrish Tiwari
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Kankadeb Mishra
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Department of Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, Rockefeller Research Laboratory, 430 East 67th Street, RRL 445, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Pranatharthi Annapurna
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery & Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 376A Stemmler Hall, 36th Street & Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Zeenath Jehan
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicines, Vasavi Medical and Research Centre, 6-1-91 Khairatabad, Hyderabad, 500 004, India
| | | | - Jomini Liza Alex
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Vishnu M Dhople
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Department of Functional Genomics, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 15 a, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lalji Singh
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Mahadevan Sivaramakrishnan
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Jubilant Biosystems Ltd., #96, Industrial Suburb, 2nd Stage, Yeshwantpur, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560022, India
| | - Anurag Chaturvedi
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nandini Rangaraj
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Thomas Michael Shiju
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44120, USA
| | - Badanapuram Sreedevi
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Sachin Kumar
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Ram Reddy Dereddi
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, building-307, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sunayana M Rayabandla
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India.,Telangana Social Welfare Residential Degree College for Women, Suryapet, Telangana, 508213, India
| | - Rachel A Jesudasan
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India. .,Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India. .,Inter University Centre for Genomics & Gene Technology, Karyavattom Campus, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Moretti C, Blanco M, Ialy-Radio C, Serrentino ME, Gobé C, Friedman R, Battail C, Leduc M, Ward MA, Vaiman D, Tores F, Cocquet J. Battle of the Sex Chromosomes: Competition between X and Y Chromosome-Encoded Proteins for Partner Interaction and Chromatin Occupancy Drives Multicopy Gene Expression and Evolution in Muroid Rodents. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:3453-3468. [PMID: 32658962 PMCID: PMC7743899 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission distorters (TDs) are genetic elements that favor their own transmission to the detriments of others. Slx/Slxl1 (Sycp3-like-X-linked and Slx-like1) and Sly (Sycp3-like-Y-linked) are TDs, which have been coamplified on the X and Y chromosomes of Mus species. They are involved in an intragenomic conflict in which each favors its own transmission, resulting in sex ratio distortion of the progeny when Slx/Slxl1 versus Sly copy number is unbalanced. They are specifically expressed in male postmeiotic gametes (spermatids) and have opposite effects on gene expression: Sly knockdown leads to the upregulation of hundreds of spermatid-expressed genes, whereas Slx/Slxl1-deficiency downregulates them. When both Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are knocked down, sex ratio distortion and gene deregulation are corrected. Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are, therefore, in competition but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. By comparing their chromatin-binding profiles and protein partners, we show that SLX/SLXL1 and SLY proteins compete for interaction with H3K4me3-reader SSTY1 (Spermiogenesis-specific-transcript-on-the-Y1) at the promoter of thousands of genes to drive their expression, and that the opposite effect they have on gene expression is mediated by different abilities to recruit SMRT/N-Cor transcriptional complex. Their target genes are predominantly spermatid-specific multicopy genes encoded by the sex chromosomes and the autosomal Speer/Takusan. Many of them have coamplified with not only Slx/Slxl1/Sly but also Ssty during muroid rodent evolution. Overall, we identify Ssty as a key element of the X versus Y intragenomic conflict, which may have influenced gene content and hybrid sterility beyond Mus lineage since Ssty amplification on the Y predated that of Slx/Slxl1/Sly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Moretti
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Mélina Blanco
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Clara Gobé
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Christophe Battail
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, IRIG, Biology of Cancer and Infection UMR_S 1036, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marjorie Leduc
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Plateforme Protéomique 3P5, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Tores
- Plateforme de Bio-informatique, Institut Imagine, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bhutani K, Stansifer K, Ticau S, Bojic L, Villani AC, Slisz J, Cremers CM, Roy C, Donovan J, Fiske B, Friedman RC. Widespread haploid-biased gene expression enables sperm-level natural selection. Science 2021; 371:science.abb1723. [PMID: 33446482 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb1723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sperm are haploid but must be functionally equivalent to distribute alleles equally among progeny. Accordingly, gene products are shared through spermatid cytoplasmic bridges that erase phenotypic differences between individual haploid sperm. Here, we show that a large class of mammalian genes are not completely shared across these bridges. We call these genes "genoinformative markers" (GIMs) and show that a subset can act as selfish genetic elements that spread alleles unevenly through murine, bovine, and human populations. We identify evolutionary pressure to avoid conflict between sperm and somatic function as GIMs are enriched for testis-specific gene expression, paralogs, and isoforms. Therefore, GIMs and sperm-level natural selection may help to explain why testis gene expression patterns are an outlier relative to all other tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alexandra-Chloé Villani
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Skinner BM, Rathje CC, Bacon J, Johnson EEP, Larson EL, Kopania EEK, Good JM, Yousafzai G, Affara NA, Ellis PJI. A high-throughput method for unbiased quantitation and categorization of nuclear morphology†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:1250-1260. [PMID: 30753283 PMCID: PMC6497523 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The physical arrangement of chromatin in the nucleus is cell type and species-specific, a fact particularly evident in sperm, in which most of the cytoplasm has been lost. Analysis of the characteristic falciform (“hook shaped”) sperm in mice is important in studies of sperm development, hybrid sterility, infertility, and toxicology. However, quantification of sperm shape differences typically relies on subjective manual assessment, rendering comparisons within and between samples difficult. We have developed an analysis program for morphometric analysis of asymmetric nuclei and characterized the sperm of mice from a range of inbred, outbred, and wild-derived mouse strains. We find that laboratory strains have elevated sperm shape variability both within and between samples in comparison to wild-derived inbred strains, and that sperm shape in F1 offspring from a cross between CBA and C57Bl6J strains is subtly affected by the direction of the cross. We further show that hierarchical clustering can discriminate distinct sperm shapes with greater efficiency and reproducibility than even experienced manual assessors, and is useful both to distinguish between samples and also to identify different morphological classes within a single sample. Our approach allows for the analysis of nuclear shape with unprecedented precision and scale and will be widely applicable to different species and different areas of biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joanne Bacon
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Erica Lee Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, MT, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rathje CC, Johnson EEP, Drage D, Patinioti C, Silvestri G, Affara NA, Ialy-Radio C, Cocquet J, Skinner BM, Ellis PJI. Differential Sperm Motility Mediates the Sex Ratio Drive Shaping Mouse Sex Chromosome Evolution. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3692-3698.e4. [PMID: 31630954 PMCID: PMC6839398 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The mouse sex chromosomes exhibit an extraordinary level of copy number amplification of postmeiotically expressed genes [1, 2], driven by an “arms race” (genomic conflict) between the X and Y chromosomes over the control of offspring sex ratio. The sex-linked ampliconic transcriptional regulators Slx and Sly [3, 4, 5, 6, 7] have opposing effects on global transcription levels of the sex chromosomes in haploid spermatids via regulation of postmeiotic sex chromatin (PMSC) [8, 9, 10, 11] and opposing effects on offspring sex ratio. Partial deletions of the Y chromosome (Yq) that reduce Sly copy number lead to global overexpression of sex-linked genes in spermatids and either a distorted sex ratio in favor of females (smaller deletions) or sterility (larger deletions) [12, 13, 14, 15, 16]. Despite a large body of work studying the role of the sex chromosomes in regulating spermatogenesis (recent reviews [17, 18, 19, 20]), most studies do not address differential fertility effects on X- and Y-bearing cells. Hence, in this study, we concentrate on identifying physiological differences between X- and Y-bearing sperm from Yq-deleted males that affect their relative fertilizing ability and consequently lead to sex ratio skewing. We show that X- and Y-bearing sperm in these males have differential motility and morphology but are equally able to penetrate the cumulus and fertilize the egg once at the site of fertilization. The altered motility is thus deduced to be the proximate cause of the skew. This represents the first demonstration of a specific difference in sperm function associated with sex ratio skewing. The sex ratio skew in the offspring of Yq-deleted male mice is abolished by IVF In Yqdel males, Y sperm are more severely morphologically distorted than X sperm Similarly, Y sperm in these males have relatively impaired motility This motility difference explains the sex ratio skew in offspring of these males
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Deborah Drage
- University Biomedical Services, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2SP, UK
| | | | | | - Nabeel Ahmed Affara
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- Department of Development, Reproduction and Cancer, INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Department of Development, Reproduction and Cancer, INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Matthew Skinner
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK; School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
In sexual reproduction, opportunities are limited and the stakes are high. This inevitably leads to conflict. One pervasive conflict occurs within genomes between alternative alleles at heterozygous loci. Each gamete and thus each offspring will inherit only one of the two alleles from a heterozygous parent. Most alleles 'play fair' and have a 50% chance of being included in any given gamete. However, alleles can gain an enormous advantage if they act selfishly to force their own transmission into more than half, sometimes even all, of the functional gametes. These selfish alleles are known as 'meiotic drivers', and their cheating often incurs a high cost on the fertility of eukaryotes ranging from plants to mammals. Here, we review how several types of meiotic drivers directly and indirectly contribute to infertility, and argue that a complete picture of the genetics of infertility will require focusing on both the standard alleles - those that play fair - as well as selfish alleles involved in genetic conflict.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
| | - Robert L Unckless
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
A Diallel of the Mouse Collaborative Cross Founders Reveals Strong Strain-Specific Maternal Effects on Litter Size. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:1613-1622. [PMID: 30877080 PMCID: PMC6505174 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive success in the eight founder strains of the Collaborative Cross (CC) was measured using a diallel-mating scheme. Over a 48-month period we generated 4,448 litters, and provided 24,782 weaned pups for use in 16 different published experiments. We identified factors that affect the average litter size in a cross by estimating the overall contribution of parent-of-origin, heterosis, inbred, and epistatic effects using a Bayesian zero-truncated overdispersed Poisson mixed model. The phenotypic variance of litter size has a substantial contribution (82%) from unexplained and environmental sources, but no detectable effect of seasonality. Most of the explained variance was due to additive effects (9.2%) and parental sex (maternal vs. paternal strain; 5.8%), with epistasis accounting for 3.4%. Within the parental effects, the effect of the dam's strain explained more than the sire's strain (13.2% vs. 1.8%), and the dam's strain effects account for 74.2% of total variation explained. Dams from strains C57BL/6J and NOD/ShiLtJ increased the expected litter size by a mean of 1.66 and 1.79 pups, whereas dams from strains WSB/EiJ, PWK/PhJ, and CAST/EiJ reduced expected litter size by a mean of 1.51, 0.81, and 0.90 pups. Finally, there was no strong evidence for strain-specific effects on sex ratio distortion. Overall, these results demonstrate that strains vary substantially in their reproductive ability depending on their genetic background, and that litter size is largely determined by dam's strain rather than sire's strain effects, as expected. This analysis adds to our understanding of factors that influence litter size in mammals, and also helps to explain breeding successes and failures in the extinct lines and surviving CC strains.
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Mammalian sex chromosomes evolved from an ordinary pair of autosomes. The X chromosome is highly conserved, whereas the Y chromosome varies among species in size, structure, and gene content. Unlike autosomes that contain randomly mixed collections of genes, the sex chromosomes are enriched in testis-biased genes related to sexual development and reproduction, particularly in spermatogenesis and male fertility. This review focuses on how sex chromosome dosage compensation takes place and why meiotic sex chromosome inactivation occurs during spermatogenesis. Furthermore, the review also emphasizes how testis-biased genes are enriched on the sex chromosomes and their functions in male fertility. It is concluded that sex chromosomes are critical to sexual development and male fertility; however, our understanding of how sex chromosome genes direct sexual development and fertility has been hampered by the structural complexities of the sex chromosomes and by the multicopy nature of the testis gene families that also play a role in immunity, cancer development, and brain function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Sheng Liu
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Dey SK, Kamle A, Dereddi RR, Thomas SM, Thummala SR, Kumar A, Chakravarty S, Jesudasan RA. Mice With Partial Deletion of Y-Heterochromatin Exhibits Stress Vulnerability. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:215. [PMID: 30297990 PMCID: PMC6160548 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of Y chromosome in sex determination and male fertility is well established. It is also known that infertile men are prone to psychological disturbances. Earlier studies in the laboratory identified genes expressed in testes that are putatively regulated by Y chromosome in man and mouse. With the availability of a Y-deleted mouse model, that is subfertile, we studied the effect of a partial deletion of Y-chromosomal heterochromatin on mouse behavior when compared to its wild type. The partial Y-deleted mice exhibited anxiety like phenotype under stress when different anxiety (open field test and elevated plus maze, EPM test) and depression related tests (tail suspension and force swim) were performed. The mutant mice also showed reduction in hippocampal neurogenesis and altered expression of neurogenesis markers such as Nestin, Sox2, Gfap, NeuroD1 and Dcx using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) analysis. The genes with altered expression contained short stretches of homology to Y-derived transcripts only in their Untranslated Regions (UTRs). Our study suggests putative regulation of these genes by the Y chromosome in mouse brain altering stress related behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar Dey
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Avijeet Kamle
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Shiju M. Thomas
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Arvind Kumar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
O'Neill MJ, O'Neill RJ. Sex chromosome repeats tip the balance towards speciation. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3783-3798. [PMID: 29624756 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Because sex chromosomes, by definition, carry genes that determine sex, mutations that alter their structural and functional stability can have immediate consequences for the individual by reducing fertility, but also for a species by altering the sex ratio. Moreover, the sex-specific segregation patterns of heteromorphic sex chromosomes make them havens for selfish genetic elements that not only create suboptimal sex ratios but can also foster sexual antagonism. Compensatory mutations to mitigate antagonism or return sex ratios to a Fisherian optimum can create hybrid incompatibility and establish reproductive barriers leading to species divergence. The destabilizing influence of these selfish elements is often manifest within populations as copy number variants (CNVs) in satellite repeats and transposable elements (TE) or as CNVs involving sex-determining genes, or genes essential to fertility and sex chromosome dosage compensation. This review catalogs several examples of well-studied sex chromosome CNVs in Drosophilids and mammals that underlie instances of meiotic drive, hybrid incompatibility and disruptions to sex differentiation and sex chromosome dosage compensation. While it is difficult to pinpoint a direct cause/effect relationship between these sex chromosome CNVs and speciation, it is easy to see how their effects in creating imbalances between the sexes, and the compensatory mutations to restore balance, can lead to lineage splitting and species formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J O'Neill
- Institute for Systems Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Rachel J O'Neill
- Institute for Systems Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Over the 180 My since their origin, the sex chromosomes of mammals have evolved a gene repertoire highly specialized for function in the male germline. The mouse Y chromosome is unique among mammalian Y chromosomes characterized to date in that it is large, gene-rich and euchromatic. Yet, little is known about its diversity in natural populations. Here, we take advantage of published whole-genome sequencing data to survey the diversity of sequence and copy number of sex-linked genes in three subspecies of house mice. Copy number of genes on the repetitive long arm of both sex chromosomes is highly variable, but sequence diversity in nonrepetitive regions is decreased relative to expectations based on autosomes. We use simulations and theory to show that this reduction in sex-linked diversity is incompatible with neutral demographic processes alone, but is consistent with recent positive selection on genes active during spermatogenesis. Our results support the hypothesis that the mouse sex chromosomes are engaged in ongoing intragenomic conflict.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Morgan
- Department of Genetics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lech T, Styrna J, Kotarska K. The contribution of p53 and Y chromosome long arm genes to regulation of apoptosis in mouse testis. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 30:469-476. [PMID: 28763629 DOI: 10.1071/rd17217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis of excessive or defective germ cells is a natural process occurring in mammalian testes. Tumour suppressor protein p53 is involved in this process both in developing and adult male gonads. Its contribution to testicular physiology is known to be modified by genetic background. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined influence of the p53 and Y chromosome long arm genes on male germ cell apoptosis. Knockout of the transformation related protein 53 (Trp53) gene was introduced into congenic strains: B10.BR (intact Y chromosome) and B10.BR-Ydel (Y chromosome with a deletion in the long arm). The level of apoptosis in the testes of 19-day-old and 3-month-old male mice was determined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate in situ nick-end labelling (TUNEL) method. The study revealed that although p53 is involved in germ cell apoptosis in peripubertal testes, this process can also be mediated by p53-independent mechanisms. However, activation of p53-independent apoptotic pathways in the absence of the p53 protein requires engagement of the multicopy Yq genes and was not observed in gonads of B10.BR-Ydel-p53-/- males. The role of Yq genes in the regulation of testicular apoptosis seems to be restricted to the initial wave of spermatogenesis and is not evident in adult gonads. The study confirmed, instead, that p53 does participate in spontaneous apoptosis in mature testes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Lech
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Commodity Science, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27, PL 31-510, Krakow, Poland
| | - Józefa Styrna
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kotarska
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Mild reproductive impact of a Y chromosome deletion on a C57BL/6J substrain. Mamm Genome 2017; 28:155-165. [PMID: 28283737 PMCID: PMC5442250 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-017-9680-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A recently reported deletion of about 40 Mb in length between 6.12/6.57 and 46.73/47.31 Mb on the Y chromosome long arm of the C57BL/6JBomTac inbred strain made us closely examine the strain’s breeding history and reproductive characteristics. We verified that the two copies of Rbm31y that are present inside the putative deletion were indeed deleted. This inbred strain presents an expected litter size for a C57BL/6 substrain. In vitro fertilization (IVF) efficiency and breeding efficiencies are comparable to those of the C57BL/6NTac substrain; however, the male/female sex ratio in the C57BL/6JBomTac is mildly skewed towards females. There is an increase in the percentage of sperm shape abnormalities found in C57BL/6JBomTac (35%) versus C57BL/6NTac (11%). The most frequent type of sperm abnormality observed is bent heads (19%). Additionally, there is deregulation of several transcripts expressed in the testes. We determined that this mutation arose in the C57BL/6JBomTac Foundation Colony in 2008, and it was completely fixed in the colony by 2009.
Collapse
|
20
|
Avian W and mammalian Y chromosomes convergently retained dosage-sensitive regulators. Nat Genet 2017; 49:387-394. [PMID: 28135246 PMCID: PMC5359078 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
After birds diverged from mammals, different ancestral autosomes evolved into sex chromosomes in each lineage. In birds, females are ZW and males ZZ, but in mammals females are XX and males XY. We sequenced the chicken W chromosome, compared its gene content with our reconstruction of the ancestral autosomes, and followed the evolutionary trajectory of ancestral W-linked genes across birds. Avian W chromosomes evolved in parallel with mammalian Y chromosomes, preserving ancestral genes through selection to maintain the dosage of broadly-expressed regulators of key cellular processes. We propose that, like the human Y chromosome, the chicken W chromosome is essential for embryonic viability of the heterogametic sex. Unlike other sequenced sex chromosomes, the chicken W did not acquire and amplify genes specifically expressed in reproductive tissues. We speculate that the pressures that drive the acquisition of reproduction related genes on sex chromosomes may be specific to the male germ line.
Collapse
|
21
|
Large deletion on the Y-chromosome long arm (Yq) of C57BL/6JBomTac inbred mice. Mamm Genome 2016; 28:31-37. [DOI: 10.1007/s00335-016-9669-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
22
|
Hu YC, Namekawa SH. Functional significance of the sex chromosomes during spermatogenesis. Reproduction 2016; 149:R265-77. [PMID: 25948089 DOI: 10.1530/rep-14-0613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian sex chromosomes arose from an ordinary pair of autosomes. Over hundreds of millions of years, they have evolved into highly divergent X and Y chromosomes and have become increasingly specialized for male reproduction. Both sex chromosomes have acquired and amplified testis-specific genes, suggestive of roles in spermatogenesis. To understand how the sex chromosome genes participate in the regulation of spermatogenesis, we review genes, including single-copy, multi-copy, and ampliconic genes, whose spermatogenic functions have been demonstrated in mouse genetic studies. Sex chromosomes are subject to chromosome-wide transcriptional silencing in meiotic and postmeiotic stages of spermatogenesis. We also discuss particular sex-linked genes that escape postmeiotic silencing and their evolutionary implications. The unique gene contents and genomic structures of the sex chromosomes reflect their strategies to express genes at various stages of spermatogenesis and reveal the driving forces that shape their evolution.Free Chinese abstract: A Chinese translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/149/6/R265/suppl/DC1.Free Japanese abstract: A Japanese translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/149/6/R265/suppl/DC2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Division of Developmental BiologyDivision of Reproductive SciencesCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Division of Developmental BiologyDivision of Reproductive SciencesCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA Division of Developmental BiologyDivision of Reproductive SciencesCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
Mammals have the oldest sex chromosome system known: the mammalian X and Y chromosomes evolved from ordinary autosomes beginning at least 180 million years ago. Despite their shared ancestry, mammalian Y chromosomes display enormous variation among species in size, gene content, and structural complexity. Several unique features of the Y chromosome--its lack of a homologous partner for crossing over, its functional specialization for spermatogenesis, and its high degree of sequence amplification--contribute to this extreme variation. However, amid this evolutionary turmoil many commonalities have been revealed that have contributed to our understanding of the selective pressures driving the evolution and biology of the Y chromosome. Two biological themes have defined Y-chromosome research over the past six decades: testis determination and spermatogenesis. A third biological theme begins to emerge from recent insights into the Y chromosome's roles beyond the reproductive tract--a theme that promises to broaden the reach of Y-chromosome research by shedding light on fundamental sex differences in human health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F Hughes
- Whitehead Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142;
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142;
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
A battle of the sexes is waged in the genes. Nature 2015. [DOI: 10.1038/nature.2015.17817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
25
|
Case LK, Teuscher C. Y genetic variation and phenotypic diversity in health and disease. Biol Sex Differ 2015; 6:6. [PMID: 25866616 PMCID: PMC4392626 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-015-0024-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic traits arise through the combined effects of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on sex-biased gene expression, and experimental mouse models have been instrumental in determining their relative contribution in modulating sex differences. A role for the Y chromosome (ChrY) in mediating sex differences outside of development and reproduction has historically been overlooked due to its unusual genetic composition and the predominant testes-specific expression of ChrY-encoded genes. However, ample evidence now exists supporting ChrY as a mediator of other physiological traits in males, and genetic variation in ChrY has been linked to several diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases in experimental animal models, as well as humans. The genetic and molecular mechanisms by which ChrY modulates phenotypic variation in males remain unknown but may be a function of copy number variation between homologous X-Y multicopy genes driving differential gene expression. Here, we review the literature identifying an association between ChrY polymorphism and phenotypic variation and present the current evidence depicting the mammalian ChrY as a member of the regulatory genome in males and as a factor influencing paternal parent-of-origin effects in female offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laure K Case
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| | - Cory Teuscher
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 USA ; Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 USA ; University of Vermont, Given Medical Building C317, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Soh YQS, Alföldi J, Pyntikova T, Brown LG, Graves T, Minx PJ, Fulton RS, Kremitzki C, Koutseva N, Mueller JL, Rozen S, Hughes JF, Owens E, Womack JE, Murphy WJ, Cao Q, de Jong P, Warren WC, Wilson RK, Skaletsky H, Page DC. Sequencing the mouse Y chromosome reveals convergent gene acquisition and amplification on both sex chromosomes. Cell 2014; 159:800-13. [PMID: 25417157 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
We sequenced the MSY (male-specific region of the Y chromosome) of the C57BL/6J strain of the laboratory mouse Mus musculus. In contrast to theories that Y chromosomes are heterochromatic and gene poor, the mouse MSY is 99.9% euchromatic and contains about 700 protein-coding genes. Only 2% of the MSY derives from the ancestral autosomes that gave rise to the mammalian sex chromosomes. Instead, all but 45 of the MSY's genes belong to three acquired, massively amplified gene families that have no homologs on primate MSYs but do have acquired, amplified homologs on the mouse X chromosome. The complete mouse MSY sequence brings to light dramatic forces in sex chromosome evolution: lineage-specific convergent acquisition and amplification of X-Y gene families, possibly fueled by antagonism between acquired X-Y homologs. The mouse MSY sequence presents opportunities for experimental studies of a sex-specific chromosome in its entirety, in a genetically tractable model organism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Q Shirleen Soh
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jessica Alföldi
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Laura G Brown
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tina Graves
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Patrick J Minx
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Robert S Fulton
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Colin Kremitzki
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Natalia Koutseva
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jacob L Mueller
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Steve Rozen
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Elaine Owens
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - James E Womack
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Qing Cao
- BACPAC Resources, Children's Hospital Oakland, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Pieter de Jong
- BACPAC Resources, Children's Hospital Oakland, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Kotarska K, Galas J, Przybyło M, Bilińska B, Styrna J. Increased progesterone production in cumulus-oocyte complexes of female mice sired by males with the Y-chromosome long arm deletion and its potential influence on fertilization efficiency. Reprod Sci 2014; 22:242-9. [PMID: 24899473 DOI: 10.1177/1933719114537717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It was revealed previously that B10.BR(Y(del)) females sired by males with the Y-chromosome long arm deletion differ from genetically identical B10.BR females sired by males with the intact Y chromosome. This is interpreted as a result of different epigenetic information which females of both groups inherit from their fathers. In the following study, we show that cumulus-oocyte complexes ovulated by B10.BR(Y(del)) females synthesize increased amounts of progesterone, which is important sperm stimulator. Because their extracellular matrix is excessively firm, the increased progesterone secretion belongs presumably to factors that compensate this feature enabling unchanged fertilization ratios. Described compensatory mechanism can act only on sperm of high quality, presenting proper receptors. Indeed, low proportion of sperm of Y(del) males that poorly fertilize B10.BR(Y(del)) oocytes demonstrates positive staining of membrane progesterone receptors. This proportion is significantly higher for sperm of control males that fertilize B10.BR(Y(del)) and B10.BR oocytes with the same efficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kotarska
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Jerzy Galas
- Department of Endocrinology and Tissue Culture, Chair of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Przybyło
- Department of Glycoconjugate Biochemistry, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Barbara Bilińska
- Department of Endocrinology and Tissue Culture, Chair of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Józefa Styrna
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
In mammals, the Y chromosome plays the pivotal role in male sex determination and is essential for normal sperm production. Yet only three Y chromosomes have been completely sequenced to date--those of human, chimpanzee, and rhesus macaque. While Y chromosomes are notoriously difficult to sequence owing to their highly repetitive genomic landscapes, these dedicated sequencing efforts have generated tremendous yields in medical, biological, and evolutionary insight. Knowledge of the complex structural organization of the human Y chromosome and a complete catalog of its gene content have provided a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that generate disease-causing mutations and large-scale rearrangements. Variation among human Y-chromosome sequences has been an invaluable tool for understanding relationships among human populations. Comprehensive comparisons of the human Y-chromosome sequence with those of other primates have illuminated aspects of Y-chromosome evolutionary dynamics over much longer timescales (>25 million years compared with 100,000 years). The future sequencing of additional Y chromosomes will provide a basis for a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of Y chromosomes and their roles in reproductive biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F Hughes
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cocquet J, Ellis PJI, Mahadevaiah SK, Affara NA, Vaiman D, Burgoyne PS. A genetic basis for a postmeiotic X versus Y chromosome intragenomic conflict in the mouse. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002900. [PMID: 23028340 PMCID: PMC3441658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intragenomic conflicts arise when a genetic element favours its own transmission to the detriment of others. Conflicts over sex chromosome transmission are expected to have influenced genome structure, gene regulation, and speciation. In the mouse, the existence of an intragenomic conflict between X- and Y-linked multicopy genes has long been suggested but never demonstrated. The Y-encoded multicopy gene Sly has been shown to have a predominant role in the epigenetic repression of post meiotic sex chromatin (PMSC) and, as such, represses X and Y genes, among which are its X-linked homologs Slx and Slxl1. Here, we produced mice that are deficient for both Sly and Slx/Slxl1 and observed that Slx/Slxl1 has an opposite role to that of Sly, in that it stimulates XY gene expression in spermatids. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency rescues the sperm differentiation defects and near sterility caused by Sly deficiency and vice versa. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency also causes a sex ratio distortion towards the production of male offspring that is corrected by Sly deficiency. All in all, our data show that Slx/Slxl1 and Sly have antagonistic effects during sperm differentiation and are involved in a postmeiotic intragenomic conflict that causes segregation distortion and male sterility. This is undoubtedly what drove the massive gene amplification on the mouse X and Y chromosomes. It may also be at the basis of cases of F1 male hybrid sterility where the balance between Slx/Slxl1 and Sly copy number, and therefore expression, is disrupted. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first demonstration of a competition occurring between X and Y related genes in mammals. It also provides a biological basis for the concept that intragenomic conflict is an important evolutionary force which impacts on gene expression, genome structure, and speciation. Both copies of a gene have normally an equal chance of being inherited; however, some genes can act “selfishly” to be transmitted to >50% of offspring: a phenomenon known as transmission distortion. Distorting genes on the X or Y chromosome leads to an excess of female/male offspring respectively. This then sets up a “genomic conflict” (arms race) between the sex chromosomes that can radically affect their gene content. Male mice that have lost part of their Y produce >50% female offspring and show over-activation of multiple genes on the X, providing strong circumstantial evidence for distortion. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a genomic conflict regulated by the genes Slx/Slxl1 and Sly, present in ∼50 to 100 copies on the X and Y chromosomes respectively. SLX/SLXL1 and SLY proteins have antagonistic effects on sex chromosome expression in developing sperm and skew the offspring sex-ratio in favor of females/males. Interestingly, while deficiency of either gene alone leads to severe fertility problems, fertility is improved when both genes are deficient. We believe that the conflict in which Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are involved led to the amplification of X and Y genes and may have played an important role in mouse speciation.
Collapse
|
30
|
Kotarska K, Styrna J. Can the partial deletion in the Y chromosome of male mice affect the reproductive efficiency of their daughters? Syst Biol Reprod Med 2011; 58:81-7. [PMID: 22149694 DOI: 10.3109/19396368.2011.638969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
It has been previously shown that cumuli oophori around ovulated oocytes of B10.BR-Y(del) female mice (sired by males with the deleted Y chromosome) are more resistant to enzymatic treatment than cumuli oophori around eggs of control B10.BR females (having fathers with the intact Y chromosome). This can imply that some genes which influence the establishment of the imprinting pattern in male gametes are located in the region covered by the deletion. We hypothesize that the Y-dependent imprinting pattern, inherited by female offspring, affects stability of periovum layers within them. In the present study, cumulus-oocyte complexes ovulated by females from consomic strains: DBA, DBA-Y(BR), DBA-Y(del), and CBA, CBA-Y(BR), CBA-Y(del) were tested for their susceptibility to hyaluronidase digestion. The mean times for dispersal of cumulus cells surrounding oocytes of females from the backcross lines were convergent with the times typical for oocytes from strains being the donors of the Y chromosome (B10.BR or B10.BR-Y(del)) and differed clearly from pure DBA and CBA strains. It confirmed previous findings that Y chromosomes of fathers influence the properties of cumulus-oocyte complexes ovulated by their daughters. This influence is definitely stronger than the influence of the genetic background. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the cumuli oophori surrounding oocytes of B10.BR-Y(del) females exhibit increased resistance to penetration by spermatozoa in vitro, in comparison to the control B10.BR strain. This regularity was reflected in the decreased proportion of fertilized ova recovered from oviducts of B10.BR-Y(del) females mated with B10.BR-Y(del) males and in the lower litter sizes recorded for these pairs. The excessive stability of cumuli oophori typical for oocytes of females having Y(del) fathers may negatively affect their fertility, if they have partners producing poor quality sperm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kotarska
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Ellis PJI, Yu Y, Zhang S. Transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes and the search for offspring sex-specific antigens in sperm. Reproduction 2011; 142:609-19. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-11-0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to pre-select offspring sex via separation of X- and Y-bearing sperm would have profound ramifications for the animal husbandry industry. No fully satisfactory method is as yet available for any species, although flow sorting is commercially viable for cattle. The discovery of antigens that distinguish X- and Y-bearing sperm, i.e. offspring sex-specific antigens (OSSAs), would allow for batched immunological separation of sperm and thus enable a safer, more widely applicable and high-throughput means of sperm sorting. This review addresses the basic processes of spermatogenesis that have complicated the search for OSSAs, in particular the syncytial development of male germ cells, and the transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes during and after meiosis. We survey the various approaches taken to discover OSSA and propose that a whole-genome transcriptional approach to the problem is the most promising avenue for future research in the field.
Collapse
|
32
|
Ellis PJI, Bacon J, Affara NA. Association of Sly with sex-linked gene amplification during mouse evolution: a side effect of genomic conflict in spermatids? Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20:3010-21. [PMID: 21551453 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In common with other mammalian sex chromosomes, the mouse sex chromosomes are enriched for genes with male-specific function such as testis genes. However, in mouse there has been an unprecedented expansion of ampliconic sequence containing spermatid-expressed genes. We show via a phylogenetic analysis of gene amplification on the mouse sex chromosomes that multiple families of sex-linked spermatid-expressed genes are highly amplified in Mus musculus subspecies and in two further species from the Palaearctic clade of mouse species. Ampliconic X-linked genes expressed in other cell types showed a different evolutionary trajectory, without the distinctive simultaneous amplification seen in spermatid-expressed genes. The Palaearctic gene amplification occurred concurrently with the appearance of Sly, a Yq-linked regulator of post-meiotic sex chromatin (PMSC) which acts to repress sex chromosome transcription in spermatids. Despite the gene amplification, there was comparatively little effect on transcript abundance, suggesting that the genes in question became amplified in order to overcome Sly-mediated transcriptional repression and maintain steady expression levels in spermatids. Together with the known sex-ratio effects of Yq/Sly deficiency, our results suggest that Sly is involved in a genomic conflict with one or more X-linked sex-ratio distorter genes. The recent evolution of the novel PMSC regulator Sly in mouse lineages has significant implications for the use of mouse-model systems in investigating sex chromosome dynamics in spermatids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J I Ellis
- Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Yang Y, Chang TC, Yasue H, Bharti AK, Retzel EF, Liu WS. ZNF280BY and ZNF280AY: autosome derived Y-chromosome gene families in Bovidae. BMC Genomics 2011; 12:13. [PMID: 21214936 PMCID: PMC3032696 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent progress in exploring the Y-chromosome gene content in humans, mice and cats have suggested that "autosome-to-Y" transposition of the male fertility genes is a recurrent theme during the mammalian Y-chromosome evolution. These transpositions are lineage-dependent. The purpose of this study is to investigate the lineage-specific Y-chromosome genes in bovid. Results We took a direct testis cDNA selection strategy and discovered two novel gene families, ZNF280BY and ZNF280AY, on the bovine (Bos taurus) Y-chromosome (BTAY), which originated from the transposition of a gene block on the bovine chromosome 17 (BTA17) and subsequently amplified. Approximately 130 active ZNF280BY loci (and ~240 pseudogenes) and ~130 pseudogenized ZNF280AY copies are present over the majority of the male-specific region (MSY). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that both gene families fit with the "birth-and-death" model of evolution. The active ZNF280BY loci share high sequence similarity and comprise three major genomic structures, resulted from insertions/deletions (indels). Assembly of a 1.2 Mb BTAY sequence in the MSY ampliconic region demonstrated that ZNF280BY and ZNF280AY, together with HSFY and TSPY families, constitute the major elements within the repeat units. The ZNF280BY gene family was found to express in different developmental stages of testis with sense RNA detected in all cell types of the seminiferous tubules while the antisense RNA detected only in the spermatids. Deep sequencing of the selected cDNAs revealed that different loci of ZNF280BY were differentially expressed up to 60-fold. Interestingly, different copies of the ZNF280AY pseudogenes were also found to differentially express up to 10-fold. However, expression level of the ZNF280AY pseudogenes was almost 6-fold lower than that of the ZNF280BY genes. ZNF280BY and ZNF280AY gene families are present in bovid, but absent in other mammalian lineages. Conclusions ZNF280BY and ZNF280AY are lineage-specific, multi-copy Y-gene families specific to Bovidae, and are derived from the transposition of an autosomal gene block. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of ZNF280BYs in testis suggest a role in spermatogenesis. This study offers insights into the genomic organization of the bovine MSY and gene regulation in spermatogenesis, and provides a model for studying evolution of multi-copy gene families in mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Dairy and Animal Science, The Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Royo H, Polikiewicz G, Mahadevaiah SK, Prosser H, Mitchell M, Bradley A, de Rooij DG, Burgoyne PS, Turner JMA. Evidence that meiotic sex chromosome inactivation is essential for male fertility. Curr Biol 2010; 20:2117-23. [PMID: 21093264 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2010] [Revised: 10/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian X and Y chromosomes share little homology and are largely unsynapsed during normal meiosis. This asynapsis triggers inactivation of X- and Y-linked genes, or meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Whether MSCI is essential for male meiosis is unclear. Pachytene arrest and apoptosis is observed in mouse mutants in which MSCI fails, e.g., Brca1(-/-), H2afx(-/-), Sycp1(-/-), and Msh5(-/-). However, these also harbor defects in synapsis and/or recombination and as such may activate a putative pachytene checkpoint. Here we present evidence that MSCI failure is sufficient to cause pachytene arrest. XYY males exhibit Y-Y synapsis and Y chromosomal escape from MSCI without accompanying synapsis/recombination defects. We find that XYY males, like synapsis/recombination mutants, display pachytene arrest and that this can be circumvented by preventing Y-Y synapsis and associated Y gene expression. Pachytene expression of individual Y genes inserted as transgenes on autosomes shows that expression of the Zfy 1/2 paralogs in XY males is sufficient to phenocopy the pachytene arrest phenotype; insertion of Zfy 1/2 on the X chromosome where they are subject to MSCI prevents this response. Our findings show that MSCI is essential for male meiosis and, as such, provide insight into the differential severity of meiotic mutations' effects on male and female meiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Royo
- Department of Stem Cell Research and Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Akerfelt M, Vihervaara A, Laiho A, Conter A, Christians ES, Sistonen L, Henriksson E. Heat shock transcription factor 1 localizes to sex chromatin during meiotic repression. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:34469-76. [PMID: 20802198 PMCID: PMC2966061 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.157552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is an important transcription factor in cellular stress responses, cancer, aging, and developmental processes including gametogenesis. Disruption of Hsf1, together with another HSF family member, Hsf2, causes male sterility and complete lack of mature sperm in mice, but the specific role of HSF1 in spermatogenesis has remained unclear. Here, we show that HSF1 is transiently expressed in meiotic spermatocytes and haploid round spermatids in mouse testis. The Hsf1(-/-) male mice displayed regions of seminiferous tubules containing only spermatogonia and increased morphological abnormalities in sperm heads. In search for HSF1 target genes, we identified 742 putative promoters in mouse testis. Among them, the sex chromosomal multicopy genes that are expressed in postmeiotic cells were occupied by HSF1. Given that the sex chromatin mostly is repressed during and after meiosis, it is remarkable that HSF1 directly regulates the transcription of sex-linked multicopy genes during postmeiotic repression. In addition, our results show that HSF1 localizes to the sex body prior to the meiotic divisions and to the sex chromocenter after completed meiosis. To the best of our knowledge, HSF1 is the first known transcription factor found at the repressed sex chromatin during meiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malin Akerfelt
- Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20521 Turku, Finland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Yamauchi Y, Riel JM, Stoytcheva Z, Burgoyne PS, Ward MA. Deficiency in mouse Y chromosome long arm gene complement is associated with sperm DNA damage. Genome Biol 2010; 11:R66. [PMID: 20573212 PMCID: PMC2911114 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2010-11-6-r66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2010] [Revised: 06/11/2010] [Accepted: 06/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mice with severe non-PAR Y chromosome long arm (NPYq) deficiencies are infertile in vivo and in vitro. We have previously shown that sperm from these males, although having grossly malformed heads, were able to fertilize oocytes via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and yield live offspring. However, in continuing ICSI trials we noted a reduced efficiency when cryopreserved sperm were used and with epididymal sperm as compared to testicular sperm. In the present study we tested if NPYq deficiency is associated with sperm DNA damage - a known cause of poor ICSI success. Results We observed that epididymal sperm from mice with severe NPYq deficiency (that is, deletion of nine-tenths or the entire NPYq gene complement) are impaired in oocyte activation ability following ICSI and there is an increased incidence of oocyte arrest and paternal chromosome breaks. Comet assays revealed increased DNA damage in both epididymal and testicular sperm from these mice, with epididymal sperm more severely affected. In all mice the level of DNA damage was increased by freezing. Epididymal sperm from mice with severe NPYq deficiencies also suffered from impaired membrane integrity and abnormal chromatin condensation and suboptimal chromatin protamination. It is therefore likely that the increased DNA damage associated with NPYq deficiency is a consequence of disturbed chromatin remodeling. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence of DNA damage in sperm from mice with NPYq deficiencies and indicates that NPYq-encoded gene/s may play a role in processes regulating chromatin remodeling and thus in maintaining DNA integrity in sperm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Hermo L, Pelletier RM, Cyr DG, Smith CE. Surfing the wave, cycle, life history, and genes/proteins expressed by testicular germ cells. Part 5: intercellular junctions and contacts between germs cells and Sertoli cells and their regulatory interactions, testicular cholesterol, and genes/proteins associated with more than one germ cell generation. Microsc Res Tech 2010; 73:409-94. [PMID: 19941291 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.20786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In the testis, cell adhesion and junctional molecules permit specific interactions and intracellular communication between germ and Sertoli cells and apposed Sertoli cells. Among the many adhesion family of proteins, NCAM, nectin and nectin-like, catenins, and cadherens will be discussed, along with gap junctions between germ and Sertoli cells and the many members of the connexin family. The blood-testis barrier separates the haploid spermatids from blood borne elements. In the barrier, the intercellular junctions consist of many proteins such as occludin, tricellulin, and claudins. Changes in the expression of cell adhesion molecules are also an essential part of the mechanism that allows germ cells to move from the basal compartment of the seminiferous tubule to the adluminal compartment thus crossing the blood-testis barrier and well-defined proteins have been shown to assist in this process. Several structural components show interactions between germ cells to Sertoli cells such as the ectoplasmic specialization which are more closely related to Sertoli cells and tubulobulbar complexes that are processes of elongating spermatids embedded into Sertoli cells. Germ cells also modify several Sertoli functions and this also appears to be the case for residual bodies. Cholesterol plays a significant role during spermatogenesis and is essential for germ cell development. Lastly, we list genes/proteins that are expressed not only in any one specific generation of germ cells but across more than one generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louis Hermo
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B2.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
The multicopy gene Sly represses the sex chromosomes in the male mouse germline after meiosis. PLoS Biol 2009; 7:e1000244. [PMID: 19918361 PMCID: PMC2770110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-interfering RNAs have been used to disrupt the function of the more than 100 copies of the Sly gene on the mouse Y chromosome, leading to defective sex chromosome repression during spermatid differentiation and, as a consequence, sperm malformations and near-sterility. Studies of mice with Y chromosome long arm deficiencies suggest that the male-specific region (MSYq) encodes information required for sperm differentiation and postmeiotic sex chromatin repression (PSCR). Several genes have been identified on MSYq, but because they are present in more than 40 copies each, their functions cannot be investigated using traditional gene targeting. Here, we generate transgenic mice producing small interfering RNAs that specifically target the transcripts of the MSYq-encoded multicopy gene Sly (Sycp3-like Y-linked). Microarray analyses performed on these Sly-deficient males and on MSYq-deficient males show a remarkable up-regulation of sex chromosome genes in spermatids. SLY protein colocalizes with the X and Y chromatin in spermatids of normal males, and Sly deficiency leads to defective repressive marks on the sex chromatin, such as reduced levels of the heterochromatin protein CBX1 and of histone H3 methylated at lysine 9. Sly-deficient mice, just like MSYq-deficient mice, have severe impairment of sperm differentiation and are near sterile. We propose that their spermiogenesis phenotype is a consequence of the change in spermatid gene expression following Sly deficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first successful targeted disruption of the function of a multicopy gene (or of any Y gene). It shows that SLY has a predominant role in PSCR, either via direct interaction with the spermatid sex chromatin or via interaction with sex chromatin protein partners. Sly deficiency is the major underlying cause of the spectrum of anomalies identified 17 y ago in MSYq-deficient males. Our results also suggest that the expansion of sex-linked spermatid-expressed genes in mouse is a consequence of the enhancement of PSCR that accompanies Sly amplification. During meiosis in the male mouse, the X and Y chromosomes are transcriptionally silenced, and retain a significant degree of repression after meiosis. Postmeiotically, X and Y chromosome–encoded genes are consequently expressed at a low level, with the exception of genes present in many copies, which can achieve a higher level of expression. Gene amplification is a notable feature of the X and Y chromosomes, and it has been proposed that this serves to compensate for the postmeiotic repression. The long arm of the mouse Y chromosome (MSYq) has multicopy genes organized in clusters over several megabases. On the basis of analysis of mice carrying MSYq deletions, we proposed that MSYq encodes genetic information that is crucial for postmeiotic repression of the sex chromosomes and for sperm differentiation. The gene(s) responsible for these functions were, however, unknown. In this study, using transgenically delivered small interfering RNA, we disrupted the function of Sly, a gene that is present in more than 100 copies on MSYq. Sly-deficient males have major sperm differentiation problems together with a remarkable postmeiotic derepression of genes encoded on the X and Y chromosomes. Furthermore, the epigenetic modifications normally associated with sex chromosome repression are altered. Our data thus show that the SLY protein is required to mediate postmeiotic repression of the X and Y chromosomes. It is likely that the sperm differentiation problems in Sly-deficient males are largely a consequence of the derepression of the sex chromosomes in spermatids. We propose that the postmeiotic repressive effect of Sly on genes encoded on the X and Y chromosomes drove their massive amplification in the mouse.
Collapse
|
39
|
Reynard LN, Turner JMA. Increased sex chromosome expression and epigenetic abnormalities in spermatids from male mice with Y chromosome deletions. J Cell Sci 2009; 122:4239-48. [PMID: 19861498 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.049916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During male meiosis, the X and Y chromosomes are transcriptionally silenced, a process termed meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Recent studies have shown that the sex chromosomes remain substantially transcriptionally repressed after meiosis in round spermatids, but the mechanisms involved in this later repression are poorly understood. Mice with deletions of the Y chromosome long arm (MSYq-) have increased spermatid expression of multicopy X and Y genes, and so represent a model for studying post-meiotic sex chromosome repression. Here, we show that the increase in sex chromosome transcription in spermatids from MSYq- mice affects not only multicopy but also single-copy XY genes, as well as an X-linked reporter gene. This increase in transcription is accompanied by specific changes in the sex chromosome histone code, including almost complete loss of H4K8Ac and reduction of H3K9me3 and CBX1. Together, these data show that an MSYq gene regulates sex chromosome gene expression as well as chromatin remodelling in spermatids.
Collapse
|
40
|
Yamauchi Y, Riel JM, Wong SJ, Ojarikre OA, Burgoyne PS, Ward MA. Live offspring from mice lacking the Y chromosome long arm gene complement. Biol Reprod 2009; 81:353-61. [PMID: 19420387 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.076307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse Y chromosome long arm (Yq) comprises approximately 70 Mb of repetitive, male-specific DNA together with a short (0.7-Mb) pseudoautosomal region (PAR). The repetitive non-PAR region (NPYq) encodes genes whose deficiency leads to subfertility and infertility, resulting from impaired spermiogenesis. In XSxr(a)Y*(X) mice, the only Y-specific material is provided by the Y chromosome short arm-derived sex reversal factor Sxr(a), which is attached to the X chromosome PAR; these males (NPYq- males) produce sperm with severely malformed heads and are infertile. In the present study, we investigated sperm function in these mice in the context of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Of 261 oocytes injected, 103 reached the 2-cell stage, and 46 developed to liveborn offspring. Using Xist RT-PCR genotyping as well as gamete and somatic cell karyotyping, all six predicted genotypes were identified among ICSI-derived progeny. The sex chromosome constitution of NPYq- males does not allow production of offspring with the same genotype, but one of the expected offspring genotypes is XY*(X)Sxr(a) (NPYq-(2)), which has the same Y gene complement as NPYq-. Analysis of NPYq-(2) males revealed they had normal-sized testes with ongoing spermatogenesis. Like NPYq- males, these males were infertile, and their sperm had malformed heads that nevertheless fertilized eggs via ICSI. In vitro fertilization (IVF), however, was unsuccessful. Overall, we demonstrated that a lack of NPYq-encoded genes does not interfere with the ability of sperm to fertilize oocytes via ICSI but does prevent fertilization via IVF. Thus, NPYq-encoded gene functions are not required after the sperm have entered the oocyte. The present work also led to development of a new mouse model lacking NPYq gene complement that will facilitate future studies of Y-encoded gene function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Yamauchi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Ferguson L, Ellis PJI, Affara NA. Two novel mouse genes mapped to chromosome Yp are expressed specifically in spermatids. Mamm Genome 2009; 20:193-206. [PMID: 19308643 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-009-9175-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2008] [Accepted: 02/18/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The male-specific region of the Y chromosome is evolutionarily predisposed to accumulate genes important for spermatogenesis. Recent work in this laboratory identified two novel Y-linked transcripts that were upregulated in the testis in response to deletions on the chromosome arm Yq. This article reports the further characterisation of these two transcripts and their comparison to related X and autosomal genes. Both map to chromosome arm Yp, outside the Sxr ( b ) deletion interval, both are present in at least two copies on the Y, and both are expressed specifically in spermatids. Given the testicular phenotype of mice with deletions on the Y chromosome, both genes are therefore likely to function in spermatid differentiation. AK006152 is a novel mouse-specific gene with a single potential open reading frame, and it is unusual in that there appears to be no X-linked relative. H2al2y is a novel histone in the H2A superfamily and has multiple X-linked relatives and a single autosomal relative in mouse. The presence of a single X-linked copy in rat suggests that H2al amplification is mouse-specific, with the alternative explanation being an earlier amplification followed by gene loss. A phylogenetic analysis of H2al genes together with other H2A genes indicates that H2al is most closely related to the mammalian-specific H2A.Bbd family of histones. Interestingly, K (a)/K (s) analysis indicates that the X and Y members of the H2al family may be under positive selection in mouse, while the autosomal copy is under purifying selection and presumably retains the ancestral function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Ferguson
- Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2-1QP, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Reynard LN, Cocquet J, Burgoyne PS. The multi-copy mouse gene Sycp3-like Y-linked (Sly) encodes an abundant spermatid protein that interacts with a histone acetyltransferase and an acrosomal protein. Biol Reprod 2009; 81:250-7. [PMID: 19176879 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.075382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion analysis has established that genes on the Y chromosome are essential for normal sperm production in humans, mice, and Drosophila. In mice, long-arm deletions have an impact on spermiogenesis, with the most extensive deletions resulting in severe sperm head malformations and infertility. Intriguingly, smaller deletions are compatible with fertility but result in a distorted sex ratio in favor of females, and recently it was found that Y long-arm deletions are also associated with a marked upregulation of several X-encoded and Y-encoded spermatid-expressed genes. The mouse Y long arm encodes a number of distinct transcripts, each of which derives from multiple gene copies. Of these multicopy genes, the recently described Sly has been favored as the gene underlying the spermiogenic defects associated with Y long-arm deletions. To assess the candidacy of Sly, the expression of this gene was examined in the testis at the transcript and protein levels. Sly is transcribed after the first meiotic division in secondary spermatocytes and round spermatids and encodes two transcript variants, Sly_v1 and Sly_v2 (proteins referred to as SLY1 and SLY2). We raised an antibody against SLY1 which detected the protein in round and early elongating spermatids, where it is predominantly cytoplasmic. Yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that SLY1 interacts with the acrosomal protein DKKL1, the histone acetyltransferase KAT5 (also known as TIP60), and the microtubule-associated protein APPBP2. Together, these data suggest SLY1 may be involved in multiple processes during spermiogenesis, including the control of gene expression and the development or function of the acrosome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise N Reynard
- Division of Developmental Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Ellis PJI, Ferguson L, Clemente EJ, Affara NA. Bidirectional transcription of a novel chimeric gene mapping to mouse chromosome Yq. BMC Evol Biol 2007; 7:171. [PMID: 17892569 PMCID: PMC2212661 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-7-171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2007] [Accepted: 09/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The male-specific region of the mouse Y chromosome long arm (MSYq) contains three known highly multi-copy X-Y homologous gene families, Ssty1/2, Sly and Asty. Deletions on MSYq lead to teratozoospermia and subfertility or infertility, with a sex ratio skew in the offspring of subfertile MSYqdel males RESULTS We report the highly unusual genomic structure of a novel MSYq locus, Orly, and a diverse set of spermatid-specific transcripts arising from copies of this locus. Orly is composed of partial copies of Ssty1, Asty and Sly arranged in sequence. The Ssty1- and Sly-derived segments are in antisense orientation relative to each other, leading to bi-directional transcription of Orly. Genome search and phylogenetic tree analysis is used to determine the order of events in mouse Yq evolution. We find that Orly is the most recent gene to arise on Yq, and that subsequently there was massive expansion in copy number of all Yq-linked genes. CONCLUSION Orly has an unprecedented chimeric structure, and generates both "forward" (Orly) and "reverse" (Orlyos) transcripts arising from the promoters at each end of the locus. The region of overlap of known Orly and Orlyos transcripts is homologous to Sly intron 2. We propose that Orly may be involved in an intragenomic conflict between mouse X and Y chromosomes, and that this process underlies the massive expansion in copy number of the genes on MSYq and their X homologues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter JI Ellis
- Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, University of Cambridge Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Lydia Ferguson
- Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, University of Cambridge Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Emily J Clemente
- Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, University of Cambridge Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Nabeel A Affara
- Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, University of Cambridge Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Reynard LN, Turner JMA, Cocquet J, Mahadevaiah SK, Touré A, Höög C, Burgoyne PS. Expression analysis of the mouse multi-copy X-linked gene Xlr-related, meiosis-regulated (Xmr), reveals that Xmr encodes a spermatid-expressed cytoplasmic protein, SLX/XMR. Biol Reprod 2007; 77:329-35. [PMID: 17475928 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.107.061101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse multi-copy X-linked gene Xlr-related, meiosis-regulated (Xmr/Slx) has previously been described as encoding a testis-specific nuclear protein expressed during male meiotic prophase, and during which it becomes concentrated in the inactive X and Y chromatin domain. These conclusions were based on Western blot and immunolocalization analysis using an antibody raised against a related lymphocyte protein, XLR; however, our recently published RNA in situ for Xmr revealed that transcripts are predominantly or exclusively postmeiotic, and this is supported by a growing body of microarray data. This led us to reanalyze the expression of Xmr, both at the RNA level by RT-PCR and by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, and at the protein level by using antibodies raised against XMR that do not recognize XLR. In agreement with our previous RNA in situ data, our further transcription analysis showed almost exclusive expression in spermatids, and Western blot and immunostaining with the XMR antibodies showed that the protein is cytoplasmic and restricted to spermatids. Furthermore, the previously used XLR antibody was shown not to cross-react with XMR, and it is suggested that the meiotically expressed nuclear protein recognized by this antibody is another member of the complex Xlr superfamily. As a result of these findings, the gene previously known as Xmr is now officially know as Slx, Sycp3-like, X-linked.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise N Reynard
- MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Grzmil P, Gołas A, Müller C, Styrna J. The influence of the deletion on the long arm of the Y chromosome on sperm motility in mice. Theriogenology 2006; 67:760-6. [PMID: 17126391 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2006] [Revised: 09/20/2006] [Accepted: 10/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The multicopy region on the long arm of the mouse Y chromosome contains four known genes. There are evidences that deletions in this region lead to decrease of sperm quality in mutant mice. Male mice completely lacking this region are infertile. Here we report results obtained by using the computer assisted semen analysis system (CASA), describing the movement parameters of spermatozoa from mutant males with partial deletion on the long arm of the Y chromosome (B10. BR-Y(del)). First we have determined that genes necessary for spermiogenesis and located in this region are still active in mutants, than we have compared the sperm movement of mutants and control animals. This analysis revealed that the Yq deletion affects: velocity parameters (VAP, VCL, VSL), parameters describing sperm head activity during movement (ALH and BCF) and linearity (LIN) of movement. Our findings indicate that sperm movement is controlled by genes located in the long arm of the Y chromosome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Grzmil
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060 Kraków, Poland.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kido T, Lau YFC. The rat Tspy is preferentially expressed in elongated spermatids and interacts with the core histones. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006; 350:56-67. [PMID: 16996029 PMCID: PMC1885557 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.08.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2006] [Accepted: 08/31/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The testis specific protein Y encoded (TSPY) gene is a tandemly repeated gene on the mammalian Y chromosome. It encodes several slightly variant proteins that harbor a conserved domain of approximately 170 amino acids, termed TSPY/SET/NAP1 domain, capable of binding to cyclin B. The human TSPY is preferentially expressed in spermatogonia and to lesser extent in the spermatids. Although rat harbors a single functional Tspy gene on its Y chromosome, the human and rat genes differ in their expression patterns, suggesting that they might serve different or variant functions in the testis. Transcripts of rTspy were first detected in the testis of 28-day-old rats, at which time the first wave of meiotic division was occurring. The rTspy protein was initially detected in stage-9 elongating spermatids and peaked at stage-13 spermatids in adult testis, but not in spermatogonia, unlike the expression pattern of the human TSPY gene. Using a GST pull-down assay, we demonstrated that rTspy could bind to the core histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Rat Tspy co-localized with the histones in the cytoplasm of selected elongated spermatids. Our results suggest that the rTspy may play critical roles as a histone chaperone during maturation of the elongating spermatids in the rat testis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuo Kido
- Division of Cell and Developmental Genetics, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Mammalian sex chromosomes are highly diverged and heteromorphic: a comparatively large and gene-rich X chromosome contrasting with a small, largely heterochromatic and degenerate Y chromosome. Both gonosomes are however uniquely important in male-specific functions such as spermatogenesis. In this review, we examine the evolutionary pressures that have driven the divergence of the sex chromosomes from their ancestral state, and show how these have shaped the gene content of both chromosomes. Their shared history of gene acquisition and loss, differentiation, degeneration and intragenomic warfare has far-reaching consequences for their functionality in spermatogenesis, and may also have potential clinical implications.
Collapse
|
48
|
van der Weyden L, Arends MJ, Chausiaux OE, Ellis PJ, Lange UC, Surani MA, Affara N, Murakami Y, Adams DJ, Bradley A. Loss of TSLC1 causes male infertility due to a defect at the spermatid stage of spermatogenesis. Mol Cell Biol 2006; 26:3595-609. [PMID: 16611999 PMCID: PMC1447413 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.26.9.3595-3609.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2005] [Revised: 10/01/2005] [Accepted: 01/30/2006] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor suppressor of lung cancer 1 (TSLC1), also known as SgIGSF, IGSF4, and SynCAM, is strongly expressed in spermatogenic cells undergoing the early and late phases of spermatogenesis (spermatogonia to zygotene spermatocytes and elongating spermatids to spermiation). Using embryonic stem cell technology to generate a null mutation of Tslc1 in mice, we found that Tslc1 null male mice were infertile. Tslc1 null adult testes showed that spermatogenesis had arrested at the spermatid stage, with degenerating and apoptotic spermatids sloughing off into the lumen. In adult mice, Tslc1 null round spermatids showed evidence of normal differentiation (an acrosomal cap and F-actin polarization indistinguishable from that of wild-type spermatids); however, the surviving spermatozoa were immature, malformed, found at very low levels in the epididymis, and rarely motile. Analysis of the first wave of spermatogenesis in Tslc1 null mice showed a delay in maturation by day 22 and degeneration of round spermatids by day 28. Expression profiling of the testes revealed that Tslc1 null mice showed increases in the expression levels of genes involved in apoptosis, adhesion, and the cytoskeleton. Taken together, these data show that Tslc1 is essential for normal spermatogenesis in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise van der Weyden
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ward MA, Burgoyne PS. The effects of deletions of the mouse Y chromosome long arm on sperm function--intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-based analysis. Biol Reprod 2005; 74:652-8. [PMID: 16354792 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.105.048090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED In mouse and man, Y chromosome deletions are frequently associated with spermatogenic defects. XY(Tdy)(m1)qdelSry males have an extensive Yq deletion that almost completely abolishes the expression of two gene families, Ssty and Sly, located within the male-specific region of the mouse Y long arm. These males exhibit severe sperm defects and sterility. XY(RIII)qdel males have a smaller interstitial Yq deletion, removing approximately two thirds of Ssty/Sly gene copies, and display an increased incidence of mild sperm head anomalies with impairment of fertility and an intriguing distortion in the sex ratio of offspring in favor of females. Here we used intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to investigate the functional capacity of sperm from these Yq deletion males. Any selection related to the ability of sperm to fertilize in vitro is removed by ICSI, and we obtained two generations of live offspring from the infertile males. Genotyping of ICSI-derived offspring revealed that the Y(Tdym1)qdel deletion does not interfere with production of Y chromosome-bearing gametes, as judged from the frequency of Y chromosome transmission to the offspring. ICSI results for XY(RIII)qdel males also indicate that there is no deficiency of Y sperm production in this genotype, although the data show an excess of females following in vitro fertilization and natural mating. Our findings suggest that 1) Yq deletions in mice do not bias the primary sex ratio and 2) Y(RIII)qdel spermatozoa have poorer fertilizing ability than their X-bearing counterparts. Thus, a normal complement of the Ssty and/or Sly gene families on mouse Yq appears necessary for normal sperm function. SUMMARY ICSI was successfully used to reproduce infertile mice with Yq deletions, and the analysis of sperm function in obtained offspring demonstrated that gene families located within the deletion interval are necessary for normal sperm function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Touré A, Clemente EJ, Ellis P, Mahadevaiah SK, Ojarikre OA, Ball PAF, Reynard L, Loveland KL, Burgoyne PS, Affara NA. Identification of novel Y chromosome encoded transcripts by testis transcriptome analysis of mice with deletions of the Y chromosome long arm. Genome Biol 2005; 6:R102. [PMID: 16356265 PMCID: PMC1414076 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2005-6-12-r102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2005] [Revised: 09/19/2005] [Accepted: 10/27/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microarray analysis of the changes in the testis transcriptome resulting from deletions of the male-specific region on the mouse chromosome long arm (MSYq) identified novel Y chromosome-encoded transcripts. Background The male-specific region of the mouse Y chromosome long arm (MSYq) is comprised largely of repeated DNA, including multiple copies of the spermatid-expressed Ssty gene family. Large deletions of MSYq are associated with sperm head defects for which Ssty deficiency has been presumed to be responsible. Results In a search for further candidate genes associated with these defects we analyzed changes in the testis transcriptome resulting from MSYq deletions, using testis cDNA microarrays. This approach, aided by accumulating mouse MSYq sequence information, identified transcripts derived from two further spermatid-expressed multicopy MSYq gene families; like Ssty, each of these new MSYq gene families has multicopy relatives on the X chromosome. The Sly family encodes a protein with homology to the chromatin-associated proteins XLR and XMR that are encoded by the X chromosomal relatives. The second MSYq gene family was identified because the transcripts hybridized to a microarrayed X chromosome-encoded testis cDNA. The X loci ('Astx') encoding this cDNA had 92-94% sequence identity to over 100 putative Y loci ('Asty') across exons and introns; only low level Asty transcription was detected. More strongly transcribed recombinant loci were identified that included Asty exons 2-4 preceded by Ssty1 exons 1, 2 and part of exon 3. Transcription from the Ssty1 promotor generated spermatid-specific transcripts that, in addition to the variable inclusion of Ssty1 and Asty exons, included additional exons because of the serendipitous presence of splice sites further downstream. Conclusion We identified further MSYq-encoded transcripts expressed in spermatids and deriving from multicopy Y genes, deficiency of which may underlie the defects in sperm development associated with MSYq deletions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aminata Touré
- Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Emily J Clemente
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Peter Ellis
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Shantha K Mahadevaiah
- Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Obah A Ojarikre
- Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Penny AF Ball
- Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, and The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Melbourne, Victoria 3168 Australia
| | - Louise Reynard
- Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Kate L Loveland
- Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, and The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Melbourne, Victoria 3168 Australia
| | - Paul S Burgoyne
- Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Nabeel A Affara
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| |
Collapse
|