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Zhao LY, Li P, Yao CC, Tian RH, Tang YX, Chen YZ, Zhou Z, Li Z. Low XIST expression in Sertoli cells of Klinefelter syndrome patients causes high susceptibility of these cells to an extra X chromosome. Asian J Androl 2023; 25:662-673. [PMID: 37202929 DOI: 10.4103/aja202315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common genetic cause of human male infertility. However, the effect of the extra X chromosome on different testicular cell types remains poorly understood. Here, we profiled testicular single-cell transcriptomes from three KS patients and normal karyotype control individuals. Among the different somatic cells, Sertoli cells showed the greatest transcriptome changes in KS patients. Further analysis showed that X-inactive-specific transcript ( XIST ), a key factor that inactivates one X chromosome in female mammals, was widely expressed in each testicular somatic cell type but not in Sertoli cells. The loss of XIST in Sertoli cells leads to an increased level of X chromosome genes, and further disrupts their transcription pattern and cellular function. This phenomenon was not detected in other somatic cells such as Leydig cells and vascular endothelial cells. These results proposed a new mechanism to explain why testicular atrophy in KS patients is heterogeneous with loss of seminiferous tubules but interstitial hyperplasia. Our study provides a theoretical basis for subsequent research and related treatment of KS by identifying Sertoli cell-specific X chromosome inactivation failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Yu Zhao
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Interventional Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Chen-Cheng Yao
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Ru-Hui Tian
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Yu-Xin Tang
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Interventional Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Yu-Zhuo Chen
- Department of Interventional Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Zhi Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
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Gene expression and functional abnormalities in XX/Sry Leydig cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:719. [PMID: 33436964 PMCID: PMC7804417 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80741-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The SRY gene induces testis development even in XX individuals. However, XX/Sry testes fail to produce mature sperm, due to the absence of Y chromosome carrying genes essential for spermatogenesis. XX/Sry Sertoli cells show abnormalities in the production of lactate and cholesterol required for germ cell development. Leydig cells are essential for male functions through testosterone production. However, whether XX/Sry adult Leydig cells (XX/Sry ALCs) function normally remains unclear. In this study, the transcriptomes from XY and XX/Sry ALCs demonstrated that immediate early and cholesterogenic gene expressions differed between these cells. Interestingly, cholesterogenic genes were upregulated in XX/Sry ALCs, although downregulated in XX/Sry Sertoli cells. Among the steroidogenic enzymes, CYP17A1 mediates steroid 17α-hydroxylation and 17,20-lyase reaction, necessary for testosterone production. In XX/Sry ALCs, the latter reaction was selectively decreased. The defects in XX/Sry ALCs, together with those in the germ and Sertoli cells, might explain the infertility of XX/Sry testes.
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Inoue M, Baba T, Morohashi KI. Recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of Leydig cell differentiation. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 468:39-46. [PMID: 29309805 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Leydig cells in fetal and adult testes play pivotal roles in eliciting male characteristics by producing androgen. Although numerous studies of Leydig cells have been performed, the mechanisms for differentiation of the two cell types (fetal Leydig and adult Leydig cells), their developmental and functional relationship, and their differential characteristics remain largely unclear. Based on recent technical progress in genome-wide analysis and in vitro investigation, novel and fascinating observations concerning the issues above have been obtained. Focusing on fetal and adult Leydig cells, this review summarizes the recent progress that has advanced our understanding of the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Inoue
- Division of Molecular Life Sciences, Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Takashi Baba
- Division of Molecular Life Sciences, Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichirou Morohashi
- Division of Molecular Life Sciences, Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
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