Transcriptional regulation of human sperm-associated antigen 16 gene by S-SOX5

Clinical cases series and pathogenesis of Lamb-Shaffer syndrome in China

BACKGROUND

Lamb-Shaffer syndrome (LAMSHF, OMIM: 616803) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, poor expressive speech, which is attributed to haploinsufficiency by heterozygous variants of SOX5 gene (SRY-Box Transcription Factor 5, HGNC: 11201) on chromosome 12p12. A total of 113 cases have been reported in the world, however, only 3 cases have been reported.in China. Here, we aimed to report novel variants of SOX5 gene and provide examples for clinical diagnosis by reporting the clinical phenotype of a series of Chinese patients with LAMSHF.

METHODS

This study retrospectively collected the information of families of LAMSHF patients in China. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) were performed to confirm the diagnosis of 4 children with unexplained developmental delay or epilepsy. A minigene splicing assay was used to verify whether the splice variant affected splicing. Meanwhile, a literature review was conducted to analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with LAMSHF.

RESULTS

Three of the LAMSHF patients had a de novo heterozygous mutation in the SOX5 gene respectively, c.290delC (p.Pro97fs*30), chr12:23686019_24048958del, c.1772-1C > A, and the remaining one had a mutation inherited from his father, c.1411C > T (p.Arg471*). The main clinical manifestations of these children were presented with global developmental delays, and one of them also had seizures. And the results of the minigene experiment indicated that the splice variant, c.1772-1C > A, transcribed a novel mRNA product which leaded to the formation of a truncated protein.

CONCLUSIONS

Through a comprehensive review and analysis of existing literature and this study showed intellectual disability, speech delay and facial dysmorphisms were common clinical manifestation, while the seizures and EEG abnormalities were rare (21/95, 22.16%). Notably, we represent the largest sample size of LAMSHF in Asia that encompasses previously unreported SOX5 gene mutation, and a minigene testing have been conducted to validate the pathogenicity of the c.1772-1C > A splice variant. The research further expands the phenotype and genotype of LAMSHF while offers novel insights for potential pathogenicity of genes locus.

Identification of key genes affecting sperm motility in chicken based on whole-transcriptome sequencing

Sperm motility is an important index for the evaluation of semen quality. Improving sperm motility is important to improve reproductive performance, promote breeding process, and reduce production cost. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating sperm motility in chickens remain unclear. In this study, histological observation and whole-transcriptome analysis were performed on testicular tissue of chickens with high and low sperm motility. Histological observations showed that roosters with high sperm motility exhibited better semen quality than those with low sperm motility. In addition, the germinal epithelial cells of roosters with low sperm motility were loosely arranged and contained many vacuoles. RNA-seq results revealed the expression of 23,033 mRNAs, 2,893 lncRNAs, and 515 miRNAs in chicken testes. Among them, there were 417 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), 106 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and 15 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) between high and low sperm motility testes. These differentially expressed genes were involved in the G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway, cilia structure, Wnt signaling, MAPK signaling, GnRH signaling, and mTOR signaling. By integrating the competitive relationships between DEmRNAs, DElncRNAs, and DEmiRNAs, we identified the regulatory pathway of MSTRG.3077.3/MSTRG.9085.1-gga-miR-138-5p-CADM1 and MSTRG.2290.1-gga-miR-142-3p-GNAQ/PPP3CA as crucial in the modulation of chicken sperm motility. This study provides new insights into the function and mechanism of ceRNAs in regulating sperm motility in chicken testes.

Multi-omics analysis reveals changes in tryptophan and cholesterol metabolism before and after sexual maturation in captive macaques

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta, RMs) are widely used in sexual maturation studies due to their high genetic and physiological similarity to humans. However, judging sexual maturity in captive RMs based on blood physiological indicators, female menstruation, and male ejaculation behavior can be inaccurate. Here, we explored changes in RMs before and after sexual maturation based on multi-omics analysis and identified markers for determining sexual maturity. We found that differentially expressed microbiota, metabolites, and genes before and after sexual maturation showed many potential correlations. Specifically, genes involved in spermatogenesis (TSSK2, HSP90AA1, SOX5, SPAG16, and SPATC1) were up-regulated in male macaques, and significant changes in gene (CD36), metabolites (cholesterol, 7-ketolithocholic acid, and 12-ketolithocholic acid), and microbiota (Lactobacillus) related to cholesterol metabolism were also found, suggesting the sexually mature males have stronger sperm fertility and cholesterol metabolism compared to sexually immature males. In female macaques, most differences before and after sexual maturity were related to tryptophan metabolism, including changes in IDO1, IDO2, IFNGR2, IL1Β, IL10, L-tryptophan, kynurenic acid (KA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indoleacetaldehyde, and Bifidobacteria, indicating that sexually mature females exhibit stronger neuromodulation and intestinal immunity than sexually immature females. Cholesterol metabolism-related changes (CD36, 7-ketolithocholic acid, 12-ketolithocholic acid) were also observed in female and male macaques. Exploring differences before and after sexual maturation through multi-omics, we identified potential biomarkers of sexual maturity in RMs, including Lactobacillus (for males) and Bifidobacterium (for females) valuable for RM breeding and sexual maturation research.

A Novel Defined Super-Enhancer Associated Gene Signature to Predict Prognosis in Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genetically heterogeneous disease that can have profound differences in survival outcomes. A variety of powerful prognostic factors and models have been constructed; however, the development of more accurate prognosis prediction and targeted treatment for DLBCL still faces challenges. An explosion of research on super-enhancer (SE)–associated genes provide the possibility to use in prognostication for cancer patients. Here, we aimed to establish a novel effective prognostic model using SE-associated genes from DLBCL.

Methods: A total of 1,105 DLBCL patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were included in this study and were divided into a training set and a validation set. A total of 11 SE-associated genes (BCL2, SPAG16, PXK, BTG1, LRRC37A2, EXT1, TGFBR2, ANKRD12, MYCBP2, PAX5, and MYC) were initially screened and identified by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) penalized Cox regression, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Finally, a risk score model based on these 11 genes was constructed.

Results: Kaplan–Meier (K–M) curves showed that the low-risk group appeared to have better clinical survival outcomes. The excellent performance of the model was determined via time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. A nomogram based on the polygenic risk score was further established to promote reliable prognostic prediction. This study proposed that the SE-associated-gene risk signature can effectively predict the response to chemotherapy in DLBCL patients.

Conclusion: A novel and reliable SE-associated-gene signature that can effectively classify DLBCL patients into high-risk and low-risk groups in terms of overall survival was developed, which may assist clinicians in the treatment of DLBCL.

Identification of a novel Sox5 transcript in mouse testis

The transcription factor SOX5 is present in two distinct isoforms in both human and mouse, L-SOX5 and S-SOX5 (long and short isoforms of SOX5). Here, we identified and characterized a novel transcript of Sox5 (S-Sox5 variant) in mouse testis. eCLIP-based amplification of cDNA ends were performed to identify the potential Sox5 mRNA variant. This novel transcript shares a high similarity with the previously reported S-Sox5 in nucleotide sequence, but with a unique stretch of 5'UTR and an additional exon 9. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis revealed both S-Sox5 variant and S-Sox5 express specifically in mouse testis. Both transcripts increase significantly in mouse testis at postnatal day 21, when round spermatids appear. We further made a series of truncated Sox5 constructs and tagged them with eGFP in HeLa cells. In vitro transfection assay identified the N-terminus and the DNA-binding HMG domain are required for the nuclear localization of SOX5. Our results provides a basis for the future study to investigate the biological function of SOX5 in spermatogenesis.

Gene Expression Alteration of Sperm-Associated Antigens in Human Cryopreserved Sperm

Background: Sperm-associated antigens (SPAGs) are 18 types of proteins, some of which play important roles in various biological functions associated with assisted reproductive technology outcomes, and are consequently important to the success of fertility programs. Despite the favorable outcomes of fecundity rates among male patients with cancer using cryopreserved sperm, the detrimental impact of freezing on cells has been noted in many studies. Cryopreservation has been thought to have adverse effects on sperm quality through disruptions in the expressions of SPAG genes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cryopreservation on the expressions of SPAGs genes and their transcriptome alterations in human sperm. Materials and Methods: A total of 12 normal ejaculations were prepared using the density gradient centrifugation procedure, and the motile sperm fractions were divided into fresh and frozen groups. In the latter, sperm samples were mixed with SpermFreeze^® solution as the cryoprotectant. The cryovial of sperm suspension was first held just over nitrogen vapor and then dipped inside liquid nitrogen. After 3 days, the specimens were thawed in tap water and incubated for 2 hours for recovery. Then, RNA from sperm was extracted for SPAG gene expression analysis, using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Our findings showed a decrease in expression of SPAG5 (p-value = 0.009), SPAG7 (p-value = 0.004), and SPAG12 (SNU13/NHP2L1; p-value = 0.039) genes during cryopreservation. Discussion: The results indicate that the freezing procedure could negatively affect gene expression and to some extent proteins in human spermatozoa. Conclusion: The alteration of SPAG expression could provide new information on the molecular correlation between cryopreservation and increased failure in intracytoplasmic sperm injection and in vitro fertilization.

The Emerging Role of Sperm-Associated Antigen 6 Gene in the Microtubule Function of Cells and Cancer

Accumulated evidence shows that sperm-associated antigen 6 (SPAG6) gene has multiple biological functions. It maintains the normal function of a variety of cells including ciliary/flagellar biogenesis and polarization, neurogenesis, and neuronal migration. Moreover, SPAG6 is found to be critically involved in auditory transduction and the fibroblast life cycle. Furthermore, SPAG6 plays an essential role in immuno-regulation. Notably, SPAG6 has been demonstrated to participate in the occurrence and progression of a variety of human cancers. New evidence shows that SPAG6 gene regulates tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. Therefore, in this review, we describe the physiological function and mechanism of SPAG6 in human normal cells and cancer cells. We also highlight that SPAG6 gene may be an effective biomarker for the diagnosis of human cancer. Taken together, targeting SPAG6 could be a novel strategy for the treatment of human diseases including cancer.