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Wang H, Zhao R, Guo C, Jiang S, Yang J, Xu Y, Liu Y, Fan L, Xiong W, Ma J, Peng S, Zeng Z, Zhou Y, Li X, Li Z, Li X, Schmitt DC, Tan M, Li G, Zhou M. Knockout of BRD7 results in impaired spermatogenesis and male infertility. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21776. [PMID: 26878912 PMCID: PMC4754950 DOI: 10.1038/srep21776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BRD7 was originally identified as a novel bromodomain gene and a potential transcriptional factor. BRD7 was found to be extensively expressed in multiple mouse tissues but was highly expressed in the testis. Furthermore, BRD7 was located in germ cells during multiple stages of spermatogenesis, ranging from the pachytene to the round spermatid stage. Homozygous knockout of BRD7 (BRD7−/−) resulted in complete male infertility and spermatogenesis defects, including deformed acrosomal formation, degenerative elongating spermatids and irregular head morphology in postmeiotic germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium, which led to the complete arrest of spermatogenesis at step 13. Moreover, a high ratio of apoptosis was determined by TUNEL analysis, which was supported by high levels of the apoptosis markers annexin V and p53 in knockout testes. Increased expression of the DNA damage maker λH2AX was also found in BRD7−/− mice, whereas DNA damage repair genes were down−regulated. Furthermore, no or lower expression of BRD7 was detected in the testes of azoospermia patients exhibiting spermatogenesis arrest than that in control group. These data demonstrate that BRD7 is involved in male infertility and spermatogenesis in mice, and BRD7 defect might be associated with the occurrence and development of human azoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heran Wang
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Ran Zhao
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Chi Guo
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Shihe Jiang
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Jing Yang
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Yang Xu
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Yukun Liu
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Liqing Fan
- Institute of reproduction and stem cell engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Jian Ma
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Shuping Peng
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Yanhong Zhou
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Xiayu Li
- The Third Xiang-Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China
| | - Zheng Li
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoling Li
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - David C Schmitt
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36604, USA
| | - Ming Tan
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36604, USA
| | - Guiyuan Li
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
| | - Ming Zhou
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, P.R. China
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