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Krueger CJ, Dai Z, Zhu C, Zhang B. Heritable CRISPR Mutagenesis of Essential Maternal Effect Genes as a Simple Tool for Sustained Population Suppression of Invasive Species in a Zebrafish Model. Zebrafish 2024. [PMID: 38512221 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2023.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Invasive species control is important for ecological and agricultural management. Genetic methods can provide species specificity for population control. We developed heritable maternal effect embryo lethality (HMEL), a novel strategy allowing negative population pressure from HMEL individuals to be transmitted within a population across generations. We demonstrate the HMEL technique in zebrafish through genome-integrated CRISPR/Cas targeted mutagenic disruption of nucleoplasmin 2b (npm2b), a female-specific essential maternal effect gene, causing heritable sex-limited disruption of reproduction. HMEL-induced high-efficiency mutation of npm2b in females suppresses population, while males transmit the HMEL allele across generations. HMEL could be easily modified to target other genes causing sex-specific sterility, or generalized to control invasive fish or other vertebrate species for environmental conservation or agricultural protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Krueger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifei Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Soshnikova NV, Simonov YP, Feoktistov AV, Khamidullina AI, Yastrebova MA, Bayramova DO, Tatarskiy VV, Georgieva SG. New Approach for Studying of Isoforms and High-Homology Proteins in Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12153. [PMID: 37569530 PMCID: PMC10419129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals, a large number of proteins are expressed as more than one isoform, resulting in the increased diversity of their proteome. Understanding the functions of isoforms is very important, since individual isoforms of the same protein can have oncogenic or pathogenic properties, or serve as disease markers. The high homology of isoforms with ubiquitous expression makes it difficult to study them. In this work, we propose a new approach for the study of protein isoforms in mammalian cells, which makes it possible to individually detect and investigate the functions of an individual isoform. The approach was developed to study the functions of isoforms of the PHF10 protein, a chromatin subunit of the PBAF remodeling complex. We demonstrated the possibility of induced simultaneous suppression of all endogenous PHF10 isoforms and the expression of a single recombinant FLAG-tagged isoform. For this purpose, we created constructs based on the pSLIK plasmid with a cloned cassette containing the recombinant gene of interest and miR30 with the corresponding shRNAs. The doxycycline-induced activation of the cassette allows on and off switching. Using this construct, we achieved the preferential expression of only one recombinant PHF10 isoform with a simultaneously reduced number of all endogenous isoforms. Our approach can be used to study the role of point mutations, the functions of individual domains and important sites, or to individually detect untagged isoforms with knockdown of all endogenous isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya V. Soshnikova
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Yuriy P. Simonov
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Feoktistov
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alvina I. Khamidullina
- Department of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Margarita A. Yastrebova
- Department of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Darya O. Bayramova
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Victor V. Tatarskiy
- Department of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Sofia G. Georgieva
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
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Navarrete-López P, Maroto M, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Lombó M, Ramos-Ibeas P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Loss of the importin Kpna2 causes infertility in male mice by disrupting the translocation of testis-specific transcription factors. iScience 2023; 26:107134. [PMID: 37456838 PMCID: PMC10338237 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Karyopherins mediate the movement between the nucleus and cytoplasm of specific proteins in diverse cellular processes. Through a loss-of-function approach, we here examine the role of Karyopherin Subunit Alpha 2 (Kpna2) in spermatogenesis. Knockout male mice exhibited reduced body size and sperm motility, increased sperm abnormalities, and led to the dysregulation of testis gene expression and ultimately to infertility. Impaired mRNA expression mainly affected clusters of genes expressed in spermatids and spermatocytes. Downregulated genes included a set of genes that participate in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM) organization. We detected both the enrichment of some transcription factors that bind to regions around transcription start sites of downregulated genes and the impaired transport of specific factors to the nucleus of spermatid cells. We propose that Kpna2 is essential in the seminiferous tubules for promoting the translocation of testis-specific transcription factors that control the expression of genes related to ECM organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Maroto
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marta Lombó
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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4
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McEvoy CM, Murphy JM, Zhang L, Clotet-Freixas S, Mathews JA, An J, Karimzadeh M, Pouyabahar D, Su S, Zaslaver O, Röst H, Arambewela R, Liu LY, Zhang S, Lawson KA, Finelli A, Wang B, MacParland SA, Bader GD, Konvalinka A, Crome SQ. Single-cell profiling of healthy human kidney reveals features of sex-based transcriptional programs and tissue-specific immunity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7634. [PMID: 36496458 PMCID: PMC9741629 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35297-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the transcriptional programs underpinning the functions of human kidney cell populations at homeostasis is limited. We present a single-cell perspective of healthy human kidney from 19 living donors, with equal contribution from males and females, profiling the transcriptome of 27677 cells to map human kidney at high resolution. Sex-based differences in gene expression within proximal tubular cells were observed, specifically, increased anti-oxidant metallothionein genes in females and aerobic metabolism-related genes in males. Functional differences in metabolism were confirmed in proximal tubular cells, with male cells exhibiting higher oxidative phosphorylation and higher levels of energy precursor metabolites. We identified kidney-specific lymphocyte populations with unique transcriptional profiles indicative of kidney-adapted functions. Significant heterogeneity in myeloid cells was observed, with a MRC1+LYVE1+FOLR2+C1QC+ population representing a predominant population in healthy kidney. This study provides a detailed cellular map of healthy human kidney, and explores the complexity of parenchymal and kidney-resident immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitriona M. McEvoy
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Julia M. Murphy
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Lin Zhang
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Sergi Clotet-Freixas
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Jessica A. Mathews
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - James An
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Mehran Karimzadeh
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.494618.6Vector Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Delaram Pouyabahar
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Shenghui Su
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Olga Zaslaver
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Hannes Röst
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Rangi Arambewela
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Lewis Y. Liu
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Sally Zhang
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Division of Urology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Keith A. Lawson
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Division of Urology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Antonio Finelli
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Division of Urology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Bo Wang
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.494618.6Vector Institute, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Sonya A. MacParland
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Gary D. Bader
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.416166.20000 0004 0473 9881The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Ana Konvalinka
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Sarah Q. Crome
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
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Lin X, Liu F, Meng K, Liu H, Zhao Y, Chen Y, Hu W, Luo D. Comprehensive Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Sex-Specific Alternative Splicing Events in Zebrafish Gonads. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12091441. [PMID: 36143477 PMCID: PMC9501657 DOI: 10.3390/life12091441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an important way of regulating gene functions in eukaryotes. Several key genes involved in sex determination and gonadal differentiation, such as nr5a1 and ddx4, have sex-biased transcripts between males and females, suggesting a potential regulatory role of alternative splicing in gonads. Currently, the sex-specific alternative splicing events and genes have not been comprehensively studied at the genome-wide level in zebrafish. In this study, through global splicing analysis on three independent sets of RNA-seq data from matched zebrafish testes and ovaries, we identified 120 differentially spliced genes shared by the three datasets, most of which haven’t been reported before. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the GO terms of mRNA processing, mRNA metabolism and microtubule-based process were strongly enriched. The testis- and ovary-biased alternative splicing genes were identified, and part of them (tp53bp1, tpx2, mapre1a, kif2c, and ncoa5) were further validated by RT-PCR. Sequence characteristics analysis suggested that the lengths, GC contents, and splice site strengths of the alternative exons or introns may have different influences in different types of alternative splicing events. Interestingly, we identified an unexpected high proportion (over 70%) of non-frameshift exon-skipping events, suggesting that in these cases the two protein isoforms derived from alternative splicing may both have functions. Furthermore, as a representative example, we found that the alternative splicing of ncoa5 causes the loss of a conserved RRM domain in the short transcript predominantly produced in testes. Our study discovers novel sex-specific alternative splicing events and genes with high reliabilities in zebrafish testes and ovaries, which would provide attractive targets for follow-up studies to reveal the biological significances of alternative splicing events and genes in sex determination and gonadal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (F.L.); (D.L.)
| | - Kaifeng Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hairong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yuanli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Daji Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Correspondence: (F.L.); (D.L.)
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Chiang VSC, DeRosa H, Park JH, Hunter RG. The Role of Transposable Elements in Sexual Development. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:923732. [PMID: 35874645 PMCID: PMC9301316 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.923732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to 50% of most mammalian genomes are made up of transposable elements (TEs) that have the potential to mobilize around the genome. Despite this prevalence, research on TEs is only beginning to gain traction within the field of neuroscience. While TEs have long been regarded as “junk” or parasitic DNA, it has become evident that they are adaptive DNA and RNA regulatory elements. In addition to their vital role in normal development, TEs can also interact with steroid receptors, which are key elements to sexual development. In this review, we provide an overview of the involvement of TEs in processes related to sexual development- from TE activity in the germline to TE accumulation in sex chromosomes. Moreover, we highlight sex differences in TE activity and their regulation of genes related to sexual development. Finally, we speculate on the epigenetic mechanisms that may govern TEs’ role in sexual development. In this context, we emphasize the need to further the understanding of sexual development through the lens of TEs including in a variety of organs at different developmental stages, their molecular networks, and evolution.
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Henrich M, Ha P, Wang Y, Ting K, Stodieck L, Soo C, Adams JS, Chun R. Alternative splicing diversifies the skeletal muscle transcriptome during prolonged spaceflight. Skelet Muscle 2022; 12:11. [PMID: 35642060 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-022-00294-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the interest in manned spaceflight increases, so does the requirement to understand the transcriptomic mechanisms that underlay the detrimental physiological adaptations of skeletal muscle to microgravity. While microgravity-induced differential gene expression (DGE) has been extensively investigated, the contribution of differential alternative splicing (DAS) to the plasticity and functional status of the skeletal muscle transcriptome has not been studied in an animal model. Therefore, by evaluating both DGE and DAS across spaceflight, we set out to provide the first comprehensive characterization of the transcriptomic landscape of skeletal muscle during exposure to microgravity. METHODS RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and morphological analyses were conducted utilizing total RNA and tissue sections isolated from the gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles of 30-week-old female BALB/c mice exposed to microgravity or ground control conditions for 9 weeks. RESULTS In response to microgravity, the skeletal muscle transcriptome was remodeled via both DGE and DAS. Importantly, while DGE showed variable gene network enrichment, DAS was enriched in structural and functional gene networks of skeletal muscle, resulting in the expression of alternatively spliced transcript isoforms that have been associated with the physiological changes to skeletal muscle in microgravity, including muscle atrophy and altered fiber type function. Finally, RNA-binding proteins, which are required for regulation of pre-mRNA splicing, were themselves differentially spliced but not differentially expressed, an upstream event that is speculated to account for the downstream splicing changes identified in target skeletal muscle genes. CONCLUSIONS Our work serves as the first investigation of coordinate changes in DGE and DAS in large limb muscles across spaceflight. It opens up a new opportunity to understand (i) the molecular mechanisms by which splice variants of skeletal muscle genes regulate the physiological adaptations of skeletal muscle to microgravity and (ii) how small molecule splicing regulator therapies might thwart muscle atrophy and alterations to fiber type function during prolonged spaceflight.
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Trieu-Duc V, Oshima K, Matsumura K, Iwasaki Y, Chiu MT, Nikaido M, Okada N. Alternative splicing plays key roles in response to stress across different stages of fighting in the fish Betta splendens. BMC Genomics 2022; 22:920. [PMID: 35637454 PMCID: PMC9150285 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08609-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved behavior critical for animal survival. In the fish Betta splendens, across different stages of fighting interactions, fighting opponents suffer from various stressors, especially from the great demand for oxygen. Using RNA sequencing, we profiled differential alternative splicing (DAS) events in the brains of fish collected before fighting, during fighting, and after fighting to study the involvement of alternative splicing (AS) in the response to stress during the fight. Results We found that fighting interactions induced the greatest increase in AS in the ‘during-fighting’ fish, followed by that of the ‘after-fighting’ fish. Intron retention (IR) was the most enriched type among all the basic AS events. DAS genes were mainly associated with synapse assembly, ion transport, and regulation of protein secretion. We further observed that IR events significantly differentiated between winners and losers for 19 genes, which were associated with messenger RNA biogenesis, DNA repair, and transcription machinery. These genes share many common features, including shorter intron length and higher GC content. Conclusions This study is the first comprehensive view of AS induced by fighting interactions in a fish species across different stages of those interactions, especially with respect to IR events in winners and losers. Together, these findings facilitate future investigations into transcriptome complexity and AS regulation in response to stress under the context of aggression in vertebrates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08609-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vu Trieu-Duc
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Life Sciences and Biotechnology Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Yuri Iwasaki
- Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | - Ming-Tzu Chiu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Masato Nikaido
- Life Sciences and Biotechnology Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiro Okada
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan. .,Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. .,Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan.
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9
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Shiau CK, Huang JH, Liu YT, Tsai HK. Genome-wide identification of associations between enhancer and alternative splicing in human and mouse. BMC Genomics 2022; 22:919. [PMID: 35534820 PMCID: PMC9082955 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08537-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing (AS) increases the diversity of transcriptome and could fine-tune the function of genes, so that understanding the regulation of AS is vital. AS could be regulated by many different cis-regulatory elements, such as enhancer. Enhancer has been experimentally proved to regulate AS in some genes. However, there is a lack of genome-wide studies on the association between enhancer and AS (enhancer-AS association). To bridge the gap, here we developed an integrative analysis on a genome-wide scale to identify enhancer-AS associations in human and mouse. Result We collected enhancer datasets which include 28 human and 24 mouse tissues and cell lines, and RNA-seq datasets which are paired with the selected tissues. Combining with data integration and statistical analysis, we identified 3,242 human and 7,716 mouse genes which have significant enhancer-AS associations in at least one tissue. On average, for each gene, about 6% of enhancers in human (5% in mouse) are associated to AS change and for each enhancer, approximately one gene is identified to have enhancer-AS association in both human and mouse. We found that 52% of the human significant (34% in mouse) enhancer-AS associations are the co-existence of homologous genes and homologous enhancers. We further constructed a user-friendly platform, named Visualization of Enhancer-associated Alternative Splicing (VEnAS, http://venas.iis.sinica.edu.tw/), to provide genomic architecture, intuitive association plot, and contingency table of the significant enhancer-AS associations. Conclusion This study provides the first genome-wide identification of enhancer-AS associations in human and mouse. The results suggest that a notable portion of enhancers are playing roles in AS regulations. The analyzed results and the proposed platform VEnAS would provide a further understanding of enhancers on regulating alternative splicing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08537-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Kai Shiau
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.,Bioinformatics Program, International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Hsin Huang
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Liu
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Huai-Kuang Tsai
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
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10
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Bélanger C, Cardinal T, Leduc E, Viger RS, Pilon N. CHARGE syndrome-associated proteins FAM172A and CHD7 influence male sex determination and differentiation through transcriptional and alternative splicing mechanisms. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22176. [PMID: 35129866 PMCID: PMC9304217 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100837rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
To gain further insight into chromatin‐mediated regulation of mammalian sex determination, we analyzed the role of the CHARGE syndrome‐associated proteins FAM172A and CHD7. This study is based on our prior discoveries that a subset of corresponding mutant mice display complete male‐to‐female sex reversal, and that both of these proteins regulate co‐transcriptional alternative splicing in neural crest cells. Here, we report that FAM172A and CHD7 are present in the developing gonads when sex determination normally occurs in mice. The interactome of FAM172A in pre‐Sertoli cells again suggests a role at the chromatin‐spliceosome interface, like in neural crest cells. Accordingly, analysis of Fam172a‐mutant pre‐Sertoli cells revealed transcriptional and splicing dysregulation of hundreds of genes. Many of these genes are similarly affected in Chd7‐mutant pre‐Sertoli cells, including several known key regulators of sex determination and subsequent formation of testis cords. Among them, we notably identified Sry as a direct transcriptional target and WNT pathway‐associated Lef1 and Tcf7l2 as direct splicing targets. The identified molecular defects are also associated with the abnormal morphology of seminiferous tubules in mutant postnatal testes. Altogether, our results thus identify FAM172A and CHD7 as new players in the regulation of male sex determination and differentiation in mice, and further highlight the importance of chromatin‐mediated regulatory mechanisms in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Bélanger
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tatiana Cardinal
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Leduc
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert S Viger
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle (CRDSI), Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pilon
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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11
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Deng M, Chen B, Liu Z, Wan Y, Li D, Yang Y, Wang F. YBX1 mediates alternative splicing and maternal mRNA decay during pre-implantation development. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:12. [PMID: 35109938 PMCID: PMC8812265 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00743-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In mammals, maternal gene products decay and zygotic genome activation (ZGA) during maternal to zygotic transition (MZT) is critical for the early embryogenesis. Y-box binding protein YBX1 plays vital roles in RNA stabilization and transcriptional regulation, but its roles remain to be elucidated during pre-implantation development. Methods In the present study, we re-analyzed transcriptional level of YBX1 in mice, human, bovine, and goat embryos using public RNA-seq datasets. We further performed siRNA microinjection to knock down the expression of YBX1, and RNA sequencing of the 8-cell stage embryos in the control and YBX1 knockdown group. To reveal the regulation mechanisms of YBX1, we conducted differentially expression analysis, alternative splicing (AS) analysis, enrichment analysis, and 5-EU staining using DESeq2, rMATs, clusterProfiler, and immunofluorescence technique, respectively. Results The expression of YBX1 was increased during MZT in goat, bovine, human, and mice, but significantly decreased in YBX1 knockdown embryos compared with the controls, suggesting successfully knockdown of YBX1. The percentage of blastocyst was decreased, while embryos blocked at the 2- and 4-cell stage were increased in YBX1 knockdown embryos compared to the controls. Using RNA-seq, we identified 1623 up-regulated and 3531 down-regulated genes in the 8-cell stage YBX1 knockdown embryos. Of note, the down-regulated genes were enriched in regulation of RNA/mRNA stability and spliceosome, suggesting that YBX1 might medicate RNA stability and AS. To this end, we identified 3284 differential AS events and 1322 differentially expressed maternal mRNAs at the 8-cell stage YBX1 knockdown embryos. Meanwhile, the splicing factors and mRNA decay-related genes showed aberrant expression, and the transcriptional activity during ZGA in goat and mice was compromised when YBX1 was knocked down. Conclusion YBX1 serves an important role in maternal mRNA decay, alternative splicing, and the transcriptional activity required for early embryogenesis, which will broaden the current understanding of YBX1 functions during the stochastic reprogramming events. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-022-00743-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingtian Deng
- Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Baobao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zifei Liu
- Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yongjie Wan
- Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Dongxu Li
- Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yingnan Yang
- Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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12
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Gómez-Redondo I, Planells B, Navarrete P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Role of Alternative Splicing in Sex Determination in Vertebrates. Sex Dev 2021; 15:381-391. [PMID: 34583366 DOI: 10.1159/000519218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During the process of sex determination, a germ-cell-containing undifferentiated gonad is converted into either a male or a female reproductive organ. Both the composition of sex chromosomes and the environment determine sex in vertebrates. It is assumed that transcription level regulation drives this cascade of mechanisms; however, transcription factors can alter gene expression beyond transcription initiation by controlling pre-mRNA splicing and thereby mRNA isoform production. Using the key time window in sex determination and gonad development in mice, it has been reported that new non-transcriptional events, such as alternative splicing, could play a key role in sex determination in mammals. We know the role of key regulatory factors, like WT1(+/-KTS) or FGFR2(b/c) in pre-mRNA splicing and sex determination, indicating that important steps in the vertebrate sex determination process probably operate at a post-transcriptional level. Here, we discuss the role of pre-mRNA splicing regulators in sex determination in vertebrates, focusing on the new RNA-seq data reported from mice fetal gonadal transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain.,School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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13
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Luo Y, Li Y, Ge P, Zhang K, Liu H, Jiang N. QKI-Regulated Alternative Splicing Events in Cervical Cancer: Pivotal Mechanism and Potential Therapeutic Strategy. DNA Cell Biol 2021; 40:1261-1277. [PMID: 34551268 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2021.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
QKI is a vital regulator in RNA splicing and maturation, but its role in cervical cancer (CC) is little known. In this study, we found that QKI is decreased in human CC, and overexpression of QKI inhibits HeLa cell proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of cancer cells. We identified hundreds of endogenous QKI-regulated alternative splicing events (ASEs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in QKI-overexpressed HeLa cells by RNA-seq and selectively validated their expression by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that QKI-regulated ASEs and DEGs were closely related to cancer, apoptosis, and transcriptional regulatory functions. In short, QKI may affect the occurrence and development of CC by regulating gene expression through AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Luo
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yuyuan Li
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Peng Ge
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Kaina Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Central Hospital of Zhuanghe City, Zhuanghe, China
| | - Huanhuan Liu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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14
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Naftaly AS, Pau S, White MA. Long-read RNA sequencing reveals widespread sex-specific alternative splicing in threespine stickleback fish. Genome Res 2021; 31:1486-1497. [PMID: 34131005 PMCID: PMC8327910 DOI: 10.1101/gr.274282.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Alternate isoforms are important contributors to phenotypic diversity across eukaryotes. Although short-read RNA-sequencing has increased our understanding of isoform diversity, it is challenging to accurately detect full-length transcripts, preventing the identification of many alternate isoforms. Long-read sequencing technologies have made it possible to sequence full-length alternative transcripts, accurately characterizing alternative splicing events, alternate transcription start and end sites, and differences in UTR regions. Here, we use Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) long-read RNA-sequencing (Iso-Seq) to examine the transcriptomes of five organs in threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a widely used genetic model species. The threespine stickleback fish has a refined genome assembly in which gene annotations are based on short-read RNA sequencing and predictions from coding sequence of other species. This suggests some of the existing annotations may be inaccurate or alternative transcripts may not be fully characterized. Using Iso-Seq we detected thousands of novel isoforms, indicating many isoforms are absent in the current Ensembl gene annotations. In addition, we refined many of the existing annotations within the genome. We noted many improperly positioned transcription start sites that were refined with long-read sequencing. The Iso-Seq-predicted transcription start sites were more accurate and verified through ATAC-seq. We also detected many alternative splicing events between sexes and across organs. We found a substantial number of genes in both somatic and gonadal samples that had sex-specific isoforms. Our study highlights the power of long-read sequencing to study the complexity of transcriptomes, greatly improving genomic resources for the threespine stickleback fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice S Naftaly
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Shana Pau
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - Michael A White
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
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15
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Abstract
With or without sex chromosomes, sex determination is a synthesis of many molecular events that drives a community of cells towards a coordinated tissue fate. In this review, we will consider how a sex determination pathway can be engaged and stabilized without an inherited genetic determinant. In many reptilian species, no sex chromosomes have been identified, yet a conserved network of gene expression is initiated. Recent studies propose that epigenetic regulation mediates the effects of temperature on these genes through dynamic post-transcriptional, post-translational and metabolic pathways. It is likely that there is no singular regulator of sex determination, but rather an accumulation of molecular events that shift the scales towards one fate over another until a threshold is reached sufficient to maintain and stabilize one pathway and repress the alternative pathway. Investigations into the mechanism underlying sex determination without sex chromosomes should focus on cellular processes that are frequently activated by multiple stimuli or can synthesize multiple inputs and drive a coordinated response. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceri Weber
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, 456 Nanaline Duke, 307 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, 456 Nanaline Duke, 307 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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16
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Planells B, Gómez-Redondo I, Sánchez JM, McDonald M, Cánovas Á, Lonergan P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Gene expression profiles of bovine genital ridges during sex determination and early differentiation of the gonads†. Biol Reprod 2021; 102:38-52. [PMID: 31504197 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Most current knowledge of sex determination in mammals has emerged from mouse and human studies. To investigate the molecular regulation of the sex determination process in cattle, we used an RNA sequencing strategy to analyze the transcriptome landscape of male and female bovine fetal gonads collected in vivo at key developmental stages: before, during, and after SRY gene activation on fetal days D35 (bipotential gonad formation), D39 (peak SRY expression), and D43 (early gonad differentiation). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in male vs. female germinal ridges and among group genes showing similar expression profiles during the three periods. There were 143, 96, and 658 DEG between males and female fetuses at D35, D39, and D43, respectively. On D35, genes upregulated in females were enriched in translation, nuclear export, RNA localization, and mRNA splicing events, whereas those upregulated in males were enriched in cell proliferation regulation and male sex determination terms. In time-course experiments, 767 DEGs in males and 545 DEGs in females were identified between D35 vs. D39, and 3157 DEGs in males and 2008 in females were identified between D39 vs. D43. Results highlight unique aspects of sex determination in cattle, such as the expression of several Y chromosome genes (absent in mice and humans) before SRY expression and an abrupt increase in the nuclear expression of SOX10 (instead of SOX9 expression in the Sertoli cell cytoplasm as observed in mice) during male determination and early differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain.,School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - José María Sánchez
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael McDonald
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ángela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick Lonergan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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17
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Sánchez JM, Gómez-Redondo I, Browne JA, Planells B, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Lonergan P. MicroRNAs in amniotic fluid and maternal blood plasma associated with sex determination and early gonad differentiation in cattle†. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:345-358. [PMID: 33889937 PMCID: PMC8335352 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We hypothesized that sexually dimorphic differences exist in the expression of miRNAs in amniotic fluid (AF) and maternal blood plasma (MP) in association with the process of sex determination and gonad differentiation in cattle. Amniotic fluid and MP were collected from six pregnant heifers (three carrying a single male and three a single female embryo) following slaughter on Day 39 postinsemination, coinciding with the peak of SRY expression. Samples (six AF and six MP) were profiled using an miRNA Serum/Plasma Focus PCR Panel. Differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified in AF (n = 5) and associated MP (n = 56) of male vs. female embryos (P < 0.05). Functional analysis showed that inflammatory and immune response were among the 13 biological processes enriched by miRNAs DE in MP in the male group (FDR < 0.05), suggesting that these sex-dependent DE miRNAs may be implicated in modulating the receptivity of the dam to a male embryo. Further, we compared the downstream targets of the sex-dependent DE miRNAs detected in MP with genes previously identified as DE in male vs. female genital ridges. The analyses revealed potential targets that might be important during this developmental stage such as SHROOM2, DDX3Y, SOX9, SRY, PPP1CB, JARID2, USP9X, KDM6A, and EIF2S3. Results from this study highlight novel aspects of sex determination and embryo–maternal communication in cattle such as the potential role of miRNAs in gonad development as well as in the modulation of the receptivity of the dam to a male embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Sánchez
- Animal and Crops Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.,Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - John A Browne
- Animal and Crops Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | | | | | - Pat Lonergan
- Animal and Crops Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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18
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Zhou T, Wang W, Wang C, Sun C, Shi L, Chan SF. Insulin-like androgenic gland hormone from the shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis: Expression, gene organization and transcript variants. Gene 2021; 782:145529. [PMID: 33631246 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Male sex differentiation in the crustacean is best known to be controlled by the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG). In this report, the cDNA and gene of the shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis FmIAG were studied and characterized. FmIAG gene shares a high sequence identity in the coding region as well as the promoter region with that of F. chinensis. FmIAG gene is most likely consists of 5 exons and 4 introns. The cDNA reported here is the most abundant transcript that retained cryptic intron 4. The use of different splicing acceptor sites in exon 2 can produce a long-form FmIAG transcript variant with 6 additional amino acids inserted. Splicing of cryptic intron 4 would produce a transcript variant with a different C-terminal end. Therefore 4 different FmIAG transcripts can be produced from the FmIAG gene. During the molt cycle, the expression level of FmIAG was low in the early intermolt, increase steadily towards the late premolt and decreased rapidly in the early postmolt. In addition to the androgenic gland, FmIAG is also expressed in the hepatopancreas and ovary of adult females. Unilateral eyestalk ablation caused a significant increase in FmIAG transcript suggesting that the eyestalk consists of inhibiting factor(s) that suppressesFmIAGexpression. To explore the function of FmIAG in males, injection of FmIAG dsRNA knock-down the expression of FmIAG and up-regulated the expression of the vitellogenin gene in the testis and hepatopancreas. Interestingly a CHH-like gene identified in the androgenic gland was down-regulated. CHH-like gene knock-down resulted in altered expression of FmIAG in males suggesting that the CHH-like may be involved in FmIAG's regulation. RT-PCR with specific primers to the different transcript variant were used to determine if there is an association of different sizes of male and the type of IAG transcript. Results indicated that a high percentage of the large male shrimp expressed the long-form of FmIAG. The results suggested that FmIAG may be useful as a size marker for male shrimp aquaculture. In summary, the results of this study have expanded our knowledge of shrimp insulin-like androgenic gland hormone in male sex development and its potential role as a marker gene for growth regulation in shrimp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhou
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Wei Wang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Chenggui Wang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Chengbo Sun
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, PR China; Nanhai Economic Shrimp Breeding and Culture Laboratory, PR China
| | - Lili Shi
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, PR China.
| | - Siuming F Chan
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, PR China.
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19
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Gómez-Redondo I, Planells B, Cánovas S, Ivanova E, Kelsey G, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Genome-wide DNA methylation dynamics during epigenetic reprogramming in the porcine germline. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:27. [PMID: 33536045 PMCID: PMC7860200 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01003-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Prior work in mice has shown that some retrotransposed elements remain substantially methylated during DNA methylation reprogramming of germ cells. In the pig, however, information about this process is scarce. The present study was designed to examine the methylation profiles of porcine germ cells during the time course of epigenetic reprogramming. Results Sows were artificially inseminated, and their fetuses were collected 28, 32, 36, 39, and 42 days later. At each time point, genital ridges were dissected from the mesonephros and germ cells were isolated through magnetic-activated cell sorting using an anti-SSEA-1 antibody, and recovered germ cells were subjected to whole-genome bisulphite sequencing. Methylation levels were quantified using SeqMonk software by performing an unbiased analysis, and persistently methylated regions (PMRs) in each sex were determined to extract those regions showing 50% or more methylation. Most genomic elements underwent a dramatic loss of methylation from day 28 to day 36, when the lowest levels were shown. By day 42, there was evidence for the initiation of genomic re-methylation. We identified a total of 1456 and 1122 PMRs in male and female germ cells, respectively, and large numbers of transposable elements (SINEs, LINEs, and LTRs) were found to be located within these PMRs. Twenty-one percent of the introns located in these PMRs were found to be the first introns of a gene, suggesting their regulatory role in the expression of these genes. Interestingly, most of the identified PMRs were demethylated at the blastocyst stage. Conclusions Our findings indicate that methylation reprogramming in pig germ cells follows the general dynamics shown in mice and human, unveiling genomic elements that behave differently between male and female germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sebastián Cánovas
- Physiology of Reproduction Group, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Mare Nostrum, Murcia, Spain.,Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria, IMIB-Arrixaca-UMU, Murcia, Spain
| | - Elena Ivanova
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gavin Kelsey
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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20
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Li Z, Zhang Y, Bush SJ, Tang C, Chen L, Zhang D, Urrutia AO, Lin JW, Chen L. MeDAS: a Metazoan Developmental Alternative Splicing database. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D144-D150. [PMID: 33084905 PMCID: PMC7779033 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is widespread throughout eukaryotic genomes and greatly increases transcriptomic diversity. Many alternative isoforms have functional roles in developmental processes and are precisely temporally regulated. To facilitate the study of alternative splicing in a developmental context, we created MeDAS, a Metazoan Developmental Alternative Splicing database. MeDAS is an added-value resource that re-analyses publicly archived RNA-seq libraries to provide quantitative data on alternative splicing events as they vary across the time course of development. It has broad temporal and taxonomic scope and is intended to assist the user in identifying trends in alternative splicing throughout development. To create MeDAS, we re-analysed a curated set of 2232 Illumina polyA+ RNA-seq libraries that chart detailed time courses of embryonic and post-natal development across 18 species with a taxonomic range spanning the major metazoan lineages from Caenorhabditis elegans to human. MeDAS is freely available at https://das.chenlulab.com both as raw data tables and as an interactive browser allowing searches by species, tissue, or genomic feature (gene, transcript or exon ID and sequence). Results will provide details on alternative splicing events identified for the queried feature and can be visualised at the gene-, transcript- and exon-level as time courses of expression and inclusion levels, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidan Li
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Stephen J Bush
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Chao Tang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Li Chen
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Instituto de Ecologia, UNAM, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico.,Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Jing-Wen Lin
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Alén F, Gómez-Redondo I, Rivera P, Suárez J, Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Perez-Cerezales S, Horiuchi K, Orio L, Rodriguez de Fonseca F, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Sex-Dimorphic Behavioral Alterations and Altered Neurogenesis in U12 Intron Splicing-Defective Zrsr1 Mutant Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3543. [PMID: 31331069 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutant mice with respect to the splicing factor Zrsr1 present altered spermatogenesis and infertility. To investigate whether Zrsr1 is involved in the homeostatic control that the hypothalamus exerts over reproductive functions, we first analyzed both differential gene and isoform expression and alternative splicing alterations in Zrsr1 mutant (Zrsr1mu) hypothalamus; second, we analyzed the spontaneous and social behavior of Zrsr1mu mice; and third, we analyzed adult cell proliferation and survival in the Zrsr1mu hypothalamus. The Zrsr1mu hypothalamus showed altered expression of genes and isoforms related to the glutathione metabolic process, synaptonemal complex assembly, mRNA transport, and altered splicing events involving the enrichment of U12-type intron retention (IR). Furthermore, increased IR in U12-containing genes related with the prolactin, progesterone, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) reproductive signaling pathway was observed. This was associated with a hyperactive phenotype in both males and females, with an anxious phenotype in females, and with increased social interaction in males, instead of the classical aggressive behavior. In addition, Zrsr1mu females but not males exhibited reduced cell proliferation in both the hypothalamus and the subventricular zone. Overall, these results suggest that Zrsr1 expression and function are relevant to organization of the hypothalamic cell network controlling behavior.
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