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Zhang D, Tian T, Li S, Du J, Lei C, Zhu T, Han L, Song H. Transcriptome analysis of four types of gonadal tissues in largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides) to reveal its sex-related genes. Front Genet 2024; 15:1459427. [PMID: 39253718 PMCID: PMC11381392 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1459427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The sex determination system of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, LMB) is XX/XY; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in early sex differentiation, gonadal development, and exogenous hormone-induced sex reversal remain unknown. In this study, LMB at 15 days post-hatching (dph) were fed diets containing 20 mg/kg of 17α-methyltestosterone (17α-MT) or 30 mg/kg of 17β-estradiol (17β-E2) for 60 days, respectively. Serum steroid levels, histological observations of the gonads, and identification of sex-specific markers were employed to screen the gonads of 60-day-old normal female fish (XX-F), normal male fish (XY-M), 17β-E2 induced pseudo-female fish (XY-F), and 17α-MT-induced pseudo-male fish (XX-M) for transcriptome sequencing in order to uncover genes and pathway involved in the process of sexual reversal. The results from histology and serum sex steroid hormone analysis showed that both 17α-MT and 17β-E2 were capable of inducing sex reversal of LMB at 15 dph. Transcriptome results revealed a total of 2,753 genes exhibiting differential expression, and the expression pattern of these genes in the gonads of XX-M or XY-F resembled that of normal females or males. The male sex-biased genes that are upregulated in XX-M and downregulated in XY-F are referred to as key genes for male reversal, while the female sex-biased genes that are upregulated in XY-F and downregulated in XX-M are referred to as key genes for female reversal. Finally, 12 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to male sex reversal were screened, including star2, cyp17a, cyp11b1, dmrt1, amh, sox9a, katnal1, spata4, spata6l, spata7, spata18 and foxl3. 2 DEGs (foxl2a and cyp19a1b) were found to be associated with female sex reversal. The changes in these genes collectively influence the direction of sex differentiation of LMB. Among them, star2, dmrt1 and cyp19a1b with significantly altered expression levels may play potentially crucial role in the process of gender reversal. The expression patterns of 21 randomly selected genes were verified using qRT-PCR which confirmed the reliability and accuracy of the RNA-seq results. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the molecular basis underlying sex reversal but also provide crucial data support for future breeding research on unisexual LMB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Life Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Taihang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinxing Du
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Caixia Lei
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linqiang Han
- Guangdong Province Liangshi Aquaculture Seed Industry, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongmei Song
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, China Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Mustapha UF, Assan D, Huang YQ, Li GL, Jiang DN. High Polymorphism in the Dmrt2a Gene Is Incompletely Sex-Linked in Spotted Scat, Scatophagus argus. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12050613. [PMID: 35268179 PMCID: PMC8909180 DOI: 10.3390/ani12050613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike mammals and birds, many fishes have young sex chromosomes, providing excellent models to study sex chromosome differentiation at early stages. Previous studies showed that spotted scat possesses an XX-XY sex determination system. The X has a complete Dmrt3 copy (termed normal) and a truncated copy of Dmrt1 (called Dmrt1b), while the Y has the opposite (normal Dmrt1, which is male-specific, and a truncated Dmrt3 called Dmrt3△-Y). Dmrt1 is the candidate sex determination gene, while the differentiation of other sex-linked genes remains unknown. The spotted scat has proven to be a good model to study the evolution of sex chromosomes in vertebrates. Herein, we sequenced a neighbor gene of this family, Dmrt2, positioned farther from Dmrt1 and closer to Dmrt3 in the spotted scat, and analyzed its sequence variation and expression profiles. The physical locations of the three genes span across an estimated size of >40 kb. The open reading frames of Dmrt2a and its paralog Dmrt2b are 1578 bp and 1311 bp, encoding peptides of 525 and 436 amino acid residues, respectively. Dmrt2a is positioned close to Dmrt3 but farther from Dmrt1 on the same chromosome, while Dmrt2b is not. Sequence analysis revealed several mutations; insertions, and deletions (indels) on Dmrt2a non-coding regions and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the Dmrt2a transcript. These indels and SNPs are sex-linked and showed high male heterogeneity but do not affect gene translation. The markers designed to span the mutation sites tested on four different populations showed varied concordance with the genetic sexes. Dmrt2a is transcribed solely in the gonads and gills, while Dmrt2b exists in the gonads, hypothalamus, gills, heart, and spleen. The Dmrt2a and Dmrt2b transcripts are profoundly expressed in the male gonads. Analyses of the transcriptome data from five other fish species (Hainan medaka (Oryzias curvinotus), silver sillago (Sillago sihama), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus), and spot-fin porcupine fish (Diodon hystrix)) revealed testes-biased expression of Dmrt1 in all, similar to spotted scat. Additionally, the expression of Dmrt2a is higher in the testes than the ovaries in spotted scat and Hainan medaka. The Dmrt2a transcript was not altered in the coding regions as found in Dmrt1 and Dmrt3 in spotted scat. This could be due to the functional importance of Dmrt2a in development. Another possibility is that because Dmrt2a is positioned farther from Dmrt1 and the chromosome is still young, meaning it is only a matter of time before it differentiates. This study undeniably will aid in understanding the functional divergence of the sex-linked genes in fish.
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Tao J, Yu XL, Yuan YJ, Shen X, Liu J, Gu PP, Wang Z, Ma YT, Li GQ. DMRT2 Interacts With FXR and Improves Insulin Resistance in Adipocytes and a Mouse Model. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 12:723623. [PMID: 35250844 PMCID: PMC8891600 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.723623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin resistance (IR) plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases. In this study, we identified the downregulation of DMRT2 in adipose tissues from insulin-resistant subjects through bioinformatics analysis and in an insulin-resistant mouse model through experimental analysis. DMRT2 overexpression significantly attenuated HDF-induced insulin resistance and inflammation in mice. Moreover, in control and insulin-resistant differentiated mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes, DMRT2 overexpression attenuated but DMRT2 knockdown enhanced the insulin resistance of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. DMRT2 interacted with FXR and positively regulated FXR level and transcription activity. In both control and insulin-resistant differentiated mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes, FXR knockdown enhanced the insulin resistance and attenuated the effects of DMRT2 overexpression upon 3T3-L1 adipocyte insulin resistance. In conclusion, we identify the downregulation of DMRT2 in the insulin-resistant mouse model and cell model. DMRT2 interacts with FXR and improves insulin resistance in adipocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Tao
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Yu
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
- Graduate School of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yu-Juan Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
- Graduate School of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xin Shen
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Pei-Pei Gu
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Yi-Tong Ma
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Guo-Qing Li
- Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
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4
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Zarkower D, Murphy MW. DMRT1: An Ancient Sexual Regulator Required for Human Gonadogenesis. Sex Dev 2022; 16:112-125. [PMID: 34515237 PMCID: PMC8885888 DOI: 10.1159/000518272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulators related to the invertebrate sexual regulators doublesex and mab-3 occur throughout metazoans and control sex in most animal groups. Seven of these DMRT genes are found in mammals, and mouse genetics has shown that one, Dmrt1, plays a crucial role in testis differentiation, both in germ cells and somatic cells. Deletions and, more recently, point mutations affecting human DMRT1 have demonstrated that its heterozygosity is associated with 46,XY complete gonadal dysgenesis. Most of our detailed knowledge of DMRT1 function in the testis, the focus of this review, derives from mouse studies, which have revealed that DMRT1 is essential for male somatic and germ cell differentiation and maintenance of male somatic cell fate after differentiation. Moreover, ectopic DMRT1 can reprogram differentiated female granulosa cells into male Sertoli-like cells. The ability of DMRT1 to control sexual cell fate likely derives from at least 3 properties. First, DMRT1 functionally collaborates with another key male sex regulator, SOX9, and possibly other proteins to maintain and reprogram sexual cell fate. Second, and related, DMRT1 appears to function as a pioneer transcription factor, binding "closed" inaccessible chromatin and promoting its opening to allow binding by other regulators including SOX9. Third, DMRT1 binds DNA by a highly unusual form of interaction and can bind with different stoichiometries.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Zarkower
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mark W. Murphy
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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5
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Fukunaga K, Tanji M, Hanzawa N, Kuroda H, Inui M. Protocadherin-1 is expressed in the notochord of mouse embryo but is dispensable for its formation. Biochem Biophys Rep 2021; 27:101047. [PMID: 34189280 PMCID: PMC8219654 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101047] [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: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Notochord is an embryonic midline structure that serves as mechanical support for axis elongation and the signaling center for the surrounding tissues. Precursors of notochord are initially induced in the dorsal most mesoderm region in gastrulating embryo and separate from the surrounding mesoderm/endoderm tissue to form an elongated rod-like structure, suggesting that cell adhesion molecules may play an important role in this step. In Xenopus embryo, axial protocadherin (AXPC), an orthologue of mammalian Protocadherin-1 (PCDH1), is indispensable for the assembly and separation from the surrounding tissue of the notochord cells. However, the role of PCDH1 in mammalian notochord remains unknown. We herein report that PCDH1 is expressed in the notochord of mouse embryo and that PCDH1-deficient mice form notochord normally. First, we examined the temporal expression pattern of pcdh1 and found that pcdh1 mRNA was expressed from embryonic day (E) 7.5, prior to the stage when notochord cells detach from the surrounding endoderm tissue. Second, we found that PCDH1 protein is expressed in the notochord of mouse embryos in addition to the previously reported expression in endothelial cells. To further investigate the role of PCDH1 in embryonic development, we generated PCDH1-deficient mice using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In PCDH1-deficient embryos, notochord formation and separation from the surrounding tissue were normal. Structure and marker gene expression of notochord were also unaffected by loss of PCDH1. Major vascular patterns in PCDH1-deficient embryo were essentially normal. These results suggest that PCDH1 is dispensable for notochord formation, including the tissue separation process, in mammalian embryos. We successfully identified the evolutionary conserved expression of PCDH1 in notochord, but its function may differ among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Fukunaga
- Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
- Laboratory of Animal Regeneration Systemology, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Masafumi Tanji
- Laboratory of Animal Regeneration Systemology, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Nana Hanzawa
- Laboratory of Animal Regeneration Systemology, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kuroda
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
| | - Masafumi Inui
- Laboratory of Animal Regeneration Systemology, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
- Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan
- Corresponding author. Laboratory of Animal Regeneration Systemology, Department of Life Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan.
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6
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Bayer EA, Stecky RC, Neal L, Katsamba PS, Ahlsen G, Balaji V, Hoppe T, Shapiro L, Oren-Suissa M, Hobert O. Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of a conserved DMRT protein controls sexually dimorphic synaptic connectivity and behavior. eLife 2020; 9:59614. [PMID: 33021200 PMCID: PMC7538159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-specific synaptic connectivity is beginning to emerge as a remarkable, but little explored feature of animal brains. We describe here a novel mechanism that promotes sexually dimorphic neuronal function and synaptic connectivity in the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrate that a phylogenetically conserved, but previously uncharacterized Doublesex/Mab-3 related transcription factor (DMRT), dmd-4, is expressed in two classes of sex-shared phasmid neurons specifically in hermaphrodites but not in males. We find dmd-4 to promote hermaphrodite-specific synaptic connectivity and neuronal function of phasmid sensory neurons. Sex-specificity of DMD-4 function is conferred by a novel mode of posttranslational regulation that involves sex-specific protein stabilization through ubiquitin binding to a phylogenetically conserved but previously unstudied protein domain, the DMA domain. A human DMRT homolog of DMD-4 is controlled in a similar manner, indicating that our findings may have implications for the control of sexual differentiation in other animals as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Bayer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Rebecca C Stecky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Lauren Neal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Phinikoula S Katsamba
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Goran Ahlsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Vishnu Balaji
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thorsten Hoppe
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Neurobiology, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
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Nono Nankam PA, Blüher M, Kehr S, Klöting N, Krohn K, Adams K, Stadler PF, Mendham AE, Goedecke JH. Distinct abdominal and gluteal adipose tissue transcriptome signatures are altered by exercise training in African women with obesity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10240. [PMID: 32581226 PMCID: PMC7314771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66868-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The differential associations of adipose depots with metabolic risk during obesity have been proposed to be controlled by environmental and genetic factors. We evaluated the regional differences in transcriptome signatures between abdominal (aSAT) and gluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue (gSAT) in obese black South African women and tested the hypothesis that 12-week exercise training alters gene expression patterns in a depot-specific manner. Twelve young women performed 12-weeks of supervised aerobic and resistance training. Pre- and post-intervention measurements included peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), whole-body composition and unbiased gene expression analysis of SAT depots. VO2peak increased, body weight decreased, and body fat distribution improved with exercise training (p < 0.05). The expression of 15 genes, mainly associated with embryonic development, differed between SAT depots at baseline, whereas 318 genes were differentially expressed post-training (p < 0.05). Four developmental genes were differentially expressed between these depots at both time points (HOXA5, DMRT2, DMRT3 and CSN1S1). Exercise training induced changes in the expression of genes associated with immune and inflammatory responses, and lipid metabolism in gSAT, and muscle-associated processes in aSAT. This study showed differences in developmental processes regulating SAT distribution and expandability of distinct depots, and depot-specific adaptation to exercise training in black South African women with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A Nono Nankam
- Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Department of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Matthias Blüher
- Department of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kehr
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nora Klöting
- Department of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Knut Krohn
- Core Unit DNA-Technologies, Medical Faculty, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kevin Adams
- Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Amy E Mendham
- Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Non-communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Julia H Goedecke
- Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Non-communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
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8
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Roy B, Zhao J, Yang C, Luo W, Xiong T, Li Y, Fang X, Gao G, Singh CO, Madsen L, Zhou Y, Kristiansen K. CRISPR/Cascade 9-Mediated Genome Editing-Challenges and Opportunities. Front Genet 2018; 9:240. [PMID: 30026755 PMCID: PMC6042012 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and Cascade 9 (also known as Cas9, CRISPR associated protein 9) confer protection against invading viruses or plasmids. The CRISPR/Cascade 9 system constitutes one of the most powerful genome technologies available to researchers today. So far, this technology has enabled efficient genome editing and modification in several model organisms and has successfully been used in biomedicine and biomedical engineering. However, challenges for efficient and safe genetic manipulation in several organisms persist. Here, we review functional approaches and future challenges associated with the use of the CRISPR/Cascade 9 genome editing system and discuss opportunities, ethical issues and future directions within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jing Zhao
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chao Yang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen Luo
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Teng Xiong
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong Li
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Guanjun Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chabungbam O Singh
- Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lise Madsen
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
| | - Yong Zhou
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Karsten Kristiansen
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Expression and cellular localization of double sex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 in testes of postnatal Small-Tail Han sheep at different developmental stages. Gene 2017; 642:467-473. [PMID: 29174386 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Double sex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1), an evolutionarily conserved gene, is a sex-related gene expressed in male gonads, that is involved in the regulation of sex differentiation, testicular development and reproductive function maintenance. Until now, functional studies on the Dmrt1 gene in sheep (Ovis aries) have been lacking. In this study, testis, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and longissimus dorsi muscle tissues were collected from Small-Tail Han sheep at 0, 2, 5, 12 and 24months after birth (mab). Dmrt1 expression and cellular localization were detected in various testicular tissues by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry methods. The morphological structures of testicular tissues at different developmental stages were observed by hematoxylin & eosin (HE) staining. The Dmrt1 mRNA expression levels in 12 and 24 mab sheep were significantly higher than those in 0 and 2 mab sheep (P<0.05), and Dmrt1 protein expression showed a similar trend. The qRT-PCR results in various tissues at 12 mab showed that Dmrt1 mRNA was predominantly expressed in testes. Immunohistochemical staining in testes at different developmental stages showed that Dmrt1 protein immunoreactive responses were mainly localized in Sertoli cells and gonocytes at 0, 2 and 5 mab, while they were localized in spermatocytes, sperm cells and some spermatogonia and Sertoli cells at 12 and 24 mab. We speculate that the Dmrt1 gene plays a vital role in postnatal sheep spermatogenesis, perhaps by regulating the maturation and functional maintenance of Sertoli cells, the proliferation and differentiation of gonocytes in prepubertal sheep testes, and the mitosis and meiosis of germ cells in adult sheep, but the specific mechanisms underlying these phenomena must be further studied and verified. ABBREVIATIONS
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