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Zhang MF, Wan SC, Chen WB, Yang DH, Liu WQ, Li BL, Aierken A, Du XM, Li YX, Wu WP, Yang XC, Wei YD, Li N, Peng S, Li XL, Li GP, Hua JL. Transcription factor Dmrt1 triggers the SPRY1-NF-κB pathway to maintain testicular immune homeostasis and male fertility. Zool Res 2023; 44:505-521. [PMID: 37070575 PMCID: PMC10236308 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.440] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial or viral infections, such as Brucella, mumps virus, herpes simplex virus, and Zika virus, destroy immune homeostasis of the testes, leading to spermatogenesis disorder and infertility. Of note, recent research shows that SARS-CoV-2 can infect male gonads and destroy Sertoli and Leydig cells, leading to male reproductive dysfunction. Due to the many side effects associated with antibiotic therapy, finding alternative treatments for inflammatory injury remains critical. Here, we found that Dmrt1 plays an important role in regulating testicular immune homeostasis. Knockdown of Dmrt1 in male mice inhibited spermatogenesis with a broad inflammatory response in seminiferous tubules and led to the loss of spermatogenic epithelial cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that Dmrt1 positively regulated the expression of Spry1, an inhibitory protein of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathway. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) analysis indicated that SPRY1 binds to nuclear factor kappa B1 (NF-κB1) to prevent nuclear translocation of p65, inhibit activation of NF-κB signaling, prevent excessive inflammatory reaction in the testis, and protect the integrity of the blood-testis barrier. In view of this newly identified Dmrt1- Spry1-NF-κB axis mechanism in the regulation of testicular immune homeostasis, our study opens new avenues for the prevention and treatment of male reproductive diseases in humans and livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Fei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Shi-Cheng Wan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Bo Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Dong-Hui Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Qing Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Research Institute Reproduction and Development, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam 1105AZ, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ba-Lun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Aili Aierken
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiao-Min Du
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yun-Xiang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Ping Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xin-Chun Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yu-Dong Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Sha Peng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xue-Ling Li
- Key Laboratory for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010021, China
| | - Guang-Peng Li
- Key Laboratory for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010021, China
| | - Jin-Lian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
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Duan X, Jia X, Liang K, Huang F, Shan J, Chen H, Ruan X, Li L, Zhao H, Wang Q. Liposome-Encapsulated Rec8 and Dmrt1 Plasmids Induce Red-Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus akaara) Testis Maturation. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2022; 24:345-353. [PMID: 35303207 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10111-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In fish, the maturity of gonads plays an important role in the development and reproduction of the population, and it also dictates the success of captive breeding. Therefore, finding ways to promote gonadal maturation is an important goal in aquaculture. In this study, we injected recombinant dmrt1 and rec8 overexpression plasmids packaged in liposomes into the immature testis of red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) and measured the expression of Dmrt1 and Rec8 protein in vivo. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) and gonadal histology analyses showed that the testis developed from the immature to the mature state within 7 days after plasmid injection. Additionally, the spermatozoa concentration and motility in plasmid-injected fish was the same as that of naturally mature fish. These results provided evidence that delivery of dmrt1 and rec8 expression plasmids into the testis via injection induced testis maturation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuzhuo Duan
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xianze Jia
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Kaishan Liang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Fengqi Huang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jinhong Shan
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Huitao Chen
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xinhe Ruan
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Lihua Li
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Huihong Zhao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region On Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Qing Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region On Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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Ou M, Chen K, Gao D, Wu Y, Luo Q, Liu H, Zhao J. Characterization, expression and CpG methylation analysis of Dmrt1 and its response to steroid hormone in blotched snakehead (Channa maculata). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 257:110672. [PMID: 34455080 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2021.110672] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Dmrt1 is an important transcriptional regulator that plays critical role in male gonadogenesis, testicular differentiation and development. In this study, Dmrt1 was cloned from blotched snakehead (Channa maculata), which is designated as CmDmrt1. CmDmrt1 encoded a putative protein with 293 amino acids and presented an extremely conserved DM domain. It was nearly expressed in the gonads, and the expression was more than 15 times higher in the testis than in the ovary. 1851 bp promoter sequence of CmDmrt1 was characterized and the methylation levels of the CpG sites were analyzed to detect sex-related differences. A significant negative correlation between CmDmrt1 expression and CpG methylation level of its promoter was found in the testis and ovary. During gonadal development, CmDmrt1 transcription displayed strong male-biased expression patterns, increased with the maturation of testis and reached the peak at 195 days after hatching (dah), which indicates a significant role of Dmrt1 in spermatogenesis. Steroid treatment could influence CmDmrt1 expression, and long-term 17β-estradiol (E2) treatment could induce the male-to-female secondary sex reversal (SSR), which resulted in the differentiated testis transformed to ovary or ovotestis. Meanwhile, CmDmrt1 expression was down-regulated to fairly low level in the ovary of the SSR XY fish, which was similar to that in normal XX females ovary. Our research illustrates that Dmrt1 is linked to testis differentiation and spermatogenesis in blotched snakehead, providing information for functional studies on sex differentiation and gonadal development of C. maculata, and scientific basis for the production practice of all-male snakehead breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Ou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China.
| | - Kunci Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China.
| | - Dandan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yanduo Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China.
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China.
| | - Jian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China.
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Merchant-Larios H, Díaz-Hernández V, Cortez D. Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Turtles. Sex Dev 2021; 15:38-46. [PMID: 34167126 DOI: 10.1159/000515296] [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] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery in mammals that fetal testes are required in order to develop the male phenotype inspired research efforts to elucidate the mechanisms underlying gonadal sex determination and differentiation in vertebrates. A pioneer work in 1966 that demonstrated the influence of incubation temperature on sexual phenotype in some reptilian species triggered great interest in the environment's role as a modulator of plasticity in sex determination. Several chelonian species have been used as animal models to test hypotheses concerning the mechanisms involved in temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). This brief review intends to outline the history of scientific efforts that corroborate our current understanding of the state-of-the-art in TSD using chelonian species as a reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Horacio Merchant-Larios
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico city, Mexico
| | - Verónica Díaz-Hernández
- Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Embriología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico city, Mexico
| | - Diego Cortez
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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Yue C, Li Q, Yu H. Variance in expression and localization of sex-related genes CgDsx, CgBHMG1 and CgFoxl2 during diploid and triploid Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas gonad differentiation. Gene 2021; 790:145692. [PMID: 33961972 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Several evolutionarily conserved classes of transcriptional regulators were involved in diverse sex determination and differentiation pathways across taxa, whereas their roles in most mollusks is still limited. The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, a dioecious bivalve with sex reversal, could be an ideal model for this issue because of its complex sexuality and potential disruption of sex differentiation in triploid individuals. Here, two mRNA splicing isoforms of a DM domain gene CgDsx and two isoforms of a novel sex-related CgBHMG1 (ortholog of BHMG1 in mammals) were identified in C. gigas. Real time PCR showed that two isoforms of CgDsx and one isoform of CgBHMG1 displayed male-specific expression in diploid oysters, opposite with the female-specific CgFoxl2 (a potential factor of female gonadic differentiation). Interestingly, the four sex-specific transcripts in diploid oyster were expressed in triploid oysters with opposite sex, triploid hermaphrodites and individuals at stage I that sex could not be determined. Subsequent in situ hybridization analysis on gonads of diploid oysters revealed predominant expression of CgDsx in spermatogonia of testes, CgBHMG1 in spermatocytes of testes and follicle cells of ovaries, and CgFoxl2 in follicle cells of ovaries and some male germ cells in testes. And aberrant co-expression of the three genes in triploid oysters was localized in gonadal tubules of gonads at stage I, ovarian follicle cells and undetermined gonial cells in nontypical hermaphroditic gonads with rare female materials. From the above, temporal and spatial expression of sex-related genes in diploid and triploid gonads indicated that CgDsx and CgFoxl2 might mainly function in C. gigas sex differentiation, and CgBHMG1 appeared as a factor involved in meiosis. This work will help to illuminate the gene network of sex differentiation in bivalves and provides new sight on this issue from comparison between diploid and triploid individuals.
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Wang Q, Lin F, He Q, Huang Q, Duan X, Liu X, Xiao S, Yang H, Zhao H. Cloning and characterization of rec8 gene in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) and Dmrt1 regulation of rec8 promoter activity. Fish Physiol Biochem 2021; 47:393-407. [PMID: 33547601 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-020-00920-7] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division critical for gamete production during sexual reproduction in eukaryotes. The meiotic recombination protein Rec8 has been identified as an important factor in germ cell meiotic initiation in vertebrates; however, its equivalent role in teleosts is poorly characterized. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the rec8 gene from orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). The cDNA sequence consisted of 2244 base pairs (bp), including a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 198 bp and a 3'UTR of 284 bp. The open reading frame of grouper rec8 was 1752 bp, encoding 584 amino acids. Expression levels of rec8 were higher in the ovary, intersex gonad, and testis. A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree based on the deduced amino acid sequence indicated a common origin for grouper and other teleost rec8 molecules. Immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal anti-Rec8 antibody localized the protein in the oogonia and primary oocytes in the ovary and in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in the intersex gonad and testis, suggesting that Rec8 may play an important role in the meiotic division and the development of grouper germ cells. In addition, we found that the transcription factor Dmrt1 increased rec8 promoter activity through the second binding site, based on dual-luciferase assays. Together, these results suggest that Rec8 plays a crucial role in meiosis and may be regulated by Dmrt1 to affect meiosis in groupers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangmei Lin
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi He
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Qifeng Huang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuzhuo Duan
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochun Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiqiang Xiao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Huirong Yang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
| | - HuiHong Zhao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
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Wei YD, Du XM, Yang DH, Ma FL, Yu XW, Zhang MF, Li N, Peng S, Liao MZ, Li GP, Bai CL, Liu WS, Hua JL. Dmrt1 regulates the immune response by repressing the TLR4 signaling pathway in goat male germline stem cells. Zool Res 2021; 42:14-27. [PMID: 33420764 PMCID: PMC7840460 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Double sex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1), which is expressed in goat male germline stem cells (mGSCs) and Sertoli cells, is one of the most conserved transcription factors involved in sex determination. In this study, we highlighted the role of Dmrt1 in balancing the innate immune response in goat mGSCs. Dmrt1 recruited promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (Plzf), also known as zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 16 (Zbtb16), to repress the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent inflammatory signaling pathway and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Knockdown of Dmrt1 in seminiferous tubules resulted in widespread degeneration of germ and somatic cells, while the expression of proinflammatory factors were significantly enhanced. We also demonstrated that Dmrt1 stimulated proliferation of mGSCs, but repressed apoptosis caused by the immune response. Thus, Dmrt1 is sufficient to reduce inflammation in the testes, thereby establishing the stability of spermatogenesis and the testicular microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Dong Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiao-Min Du
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Dong-Hui Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Fang-Lin Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiu-Wei Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Meng-Fei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Sha Peng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ming-Zhi Liao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Guang-Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010021, China
| | - Chun-Ling Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010021, China. E-mail:
| | - Wei-Shuai Liu
- Department of Pathology, Yangling Demonstration Zone Hospital, Yangling Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
| | - Jin-Lian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
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Kamaszewski M, Skrobisz M, Wójcik M, Kawalski K, Szczepański A, Bujarski P, Szudrowicz H, Herman AP, Martynow J. The Role of Transcription Factors in Gonad Development and Sex Differentiation of a Teleost Model Fish-Guppy ( Poecilia reticulata). Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2401. [PMID: 33333984 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the world's most popular ornamental fish. Due to lecithotrophic viviparous, it is commonly used in toxicological studies and environmental monitoring. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of gonad development and differentiation during guppy ontogenesis. The study mainly focused on the role and localization of potential specific sex markers and transcription factors: Sox9, Dmrt1, Erβ. For histological analysis, guppies of both sexes were collected at 1, 60, and 360 dph (day post-hatching). The gonads morphology and immunohistochemistry detection of mentioned markers localization were performed. The expression of Sox9 protein was compared between sexes. Histological analysis revelated all types of male germinal cells in 60 dph guppy's testes. Maturated oocytes were visible in the ovaries of 360 dph fish. The Sox9 expression varied in spermatocytes and spermatids, from cellular to nuclear localization, and was higher in ovaries. Dmrt1 was detected in all testes groups and 360 dph ovaries. The Erβ was observed in both sexes at 60 and 360 dph. For the first time, the localization of transcription factors in guppy during ontogenesis was traced. The Sox9 designation as a factor regulating the development of germinal cells in adult guppies may facilitate the analysis of xenobiotics' influence on fish's reproductive system.
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Romano S, Kaufman OH, Marlow FL. Loss of dmrt1 restores zebrafish female fates in the absence of cyp19a1a but not rbpms2a/b. Development 2020; 147:dev.190942. [PMID: 32895289 DOI: 10.1242/dev.190942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination and differentiation is a complex process regulated by multiple factors, including factors from the germline or surrounding somatic tissue. In zebrafish, sex-determination involves establishment of a bipotential ovary that undergoes sex-specific differentiation and maintenance to form the functional adult gonad. However, the relationships among these factors are not fully understood. Here, we identify potential Rbpms2 targets and apply genetic epistasis experiments to decipher the genetic hierarchy of regulators of sex-specific differentiation. We provide genetic evidence that the crucial female factor rbpms2 is epistatic to the male factor dmrt1 in terms of adult sex. Moreover, the role of Rbpms2 in promoting female fates extends beyond repression of Dmrt1, as Rbpms2 is essential for female differentiation even in the absence of Dmrt1. In contrast, female fates can be restored in mutants lacking both cyp19a1a and dmrt1, and prolonged in bmp15 mutants in the absence of dmrt1. Taken together, this work indicates that cyp19a1a-mediated suppression of dmrt1 establishes a bipotential ovary and initiates female fate acquisition. Then, after female fate specification, Cyp19a1a regulates subsequent oocyte maturation and sustains female fates independently of Dmrt1 repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Romano
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1020, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Odelya H Kaufman
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Florence L Marlow
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1020, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA .,Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Breitenbach AT, Carter AW, Paitz RT, Bowden RM. Using naturalistic incubation temperatures to demonstrate how variation in the timing and continuity of heat wave exposure influences phenotype. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200992. [PMID: 32752987 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most organisms are exposed to bouts of warm temperatures during development, yet we know little about how variation in the timing and continuity of heat exposure influences biological processes. If heat waves increase in frequency and duration as predicted, it is necessary to understand how these bouts could affect thermally sensitive species, including reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). In a multi-year study using fluctuating temperatures, we exposed Trachemys scripta embryos to cooler, male-producing temperatures interspersed with warmer, female-producing temperatures (heat waves) that varied in either timing during development or continuity and then analysed resulting sex ratios. We also quantified the expression of genes involved in testis differentiation (Dmrt1) and ovary differentiation (Cyp19A1) to determine how heat wave continuity affects the expression of genes involved in sexual differentiation. Heat waves applied during the middle of development produced significantly more females compared to heat waves that occurred just 7 days before or after this window, and even short gaps in the continuity of a heat wave decreased the production of females. Continuous heat exposure resulted in increased Cyp19A1 expression while discontinuous heat exposure failed to increase expression in either gene over a similar time course. We report that even small differences in the timing and continuity of heat waves can result in drastically different phenotypic outcomes. This strong effect of temperature occurred despite the fact that embryos were exposed to the same number of warm days during a short period of time, which highlights the need to study temperature effects under more ecologically relevant conditions where temperatures may be elevated for only a few days at a time. In the face of a changing climate, the finding that subtle shifts in temperature exposure result in substantial effects on embryonic development becomes even more critical.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda W Carter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1610, USA
| | - Ryan T Paitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Rachel M Bowden
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
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11
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Díaz-Hernández V, Dominguez-Mora P, Chino-Palomo L, Marmolejo-Valencia A, Harfush M, Merchant-Larios H. Spatiotemporal Expression of Foxl2 and Dmrt1 before, during, and after Sex Determination in the Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea. Sex Dev 2020; 13:286-296. [PMID: 32396908 DOI: 10.1159/000507838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The sex of sea turtles is determined by temperature during egg incubation. Thus, climate change affects the sex ratio, exacerbating their vulnerability to extinction. Understanding spatiotemporal effects of temperature on sex determination at the gonadal level may facilitate the design of strategies to mitigate the effects of global warming. Here, we used qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence to analyze the spatiotemporal expression of Dmrt1 and Foxl2 in developing gonads of Lepidochelys olivacea incubated at male-producing temperature (MPT, 26°C) or female-producing temperature (FPT, 33°C). Although both transcription factors are expressed in bipotential gonads up to stage 25, the timing of their sexually dimorphic regulation differs. Whereas the dimorphic expression of Dmrt1 protein initiates at stage 24, Foxl2 protein was expressed specifically in females at stage 25. Interestingly, whereas Dmrt1 colocalizes with Sox9 in cell nuclei of primary medullary cords to form the testis cords, Foxl2 protein is first detected in Sox9-negative cells of primary medullary cords, prior to its substantial expression in the ovarian cortex. Thus, results suggest that the temperature-dependent regulation of sexual pathways is stochastic among the cells of primary medullary cords in undifferentiated bipotential gonads of the olive ridley.
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12
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Mizoguchi B, Valenzuela N. Alternative splicing and thermosensitive expression of Dmrt1 during urogenital development in the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8639. [PMID: 32219017 PMCID: PMC7085901 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1) is a highly conserved gene across numerous vertebrates and invertebrates in sequence and function. Small aminoacid changes in Dmrt1 are associated with turnovers in sex determination in reptiles. Dmrt1 is upregulated in males during gonadal development in many species, including the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, a reptile with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Dmrt1 is reported to play different roles during sex determination and differentiation, yet whether these functions are controlled by distinct Dmrt1 spliceoforms remains unclear. While Dmrt1 isoforms have been characterized in various vertebrates, no study has investigated their existence in any turtle. METHODS We examine the painted turtle to identify novel Dmrt1 isoforms that may be present during urogenital development using PCR, profile their expression by RNA-seq across five embryonic stages at male- and female-producing temperatures, and validate their expression pattern via qPCR with transcript-specific fluorescent probes. RESULTS A novel Dmrt1 spliceoform was discovered for the first time in chelonians, lacking exons 2 and 3 (Dmrt1 ΔEx2Ex3). Dmrt1 canonical and ΔEx2Ex3 transcripts were differentialy expressed by temperature at stages 19 and 22 in developing gonads of painted turtles, after the onset of sex determination, and displayed a significant male-biased expression pattern. This transcriptional pattern differs from studies in other turtles and vertebrates that reported Dmrt1 differential expression before or at the onset of sex determination. This study provides the first insight into Dmrt1 transcriptional diversity in turtles and opens the door for future functional studies of the alternative Dmrt1 transcript uncovered here. CONCLUSIONS The discovery of an isoform in turtles indicate that alternative splicing may be a common feature of Dmrt1 across vertebrates, as isoforms are also found in crocodilians, birds, mammals and fish, and this variation remains unexplained. The relatively late-onset of Dmrt1 expression observed here contrasts with other turtles, indicating that Dmrt1 is not the topmost male sex -determining factor in C. picta. When placed in a phylogenetic context, this discrepancy underscores the divergent regulation of Dmrt1, and of sexual development more generally, across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Mizoguchi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
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13
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Wu K, Song W, Zhang Z, Ge W. Disruption of dmrt1 rescues the all-male phenotype of the cyp19a1a mutant in zebrafish - a novel insight into the roles of aromatase/estrogens in gonadal differentiation and early folliculogenesis. Development 2020; 147:dev.182758. [PMID: 32001440 DOI: 10.1242/dev.182758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination and differentiation are complex processes controlled by many different factors; however, the relationships among these factors are poorly understood. Zebrafish gonadal differentiation exhibits high plasticity involving multiple factors and pathways, which provides an excellent model for investigating the interactions between them. Ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a) and dmrt1 are key factors in directing vertebrate ovary and testis differentiation, respectively. Knockout of zebrafish cyp19a1a leads to all-male offspring, whereas the loss of dmrt1 results in a female-biased sex ratio. In the present study, we established dmrt1-/- ;cyp19a1a-/- double mutant zebrafish and discovered that the introduction of the dmrt1 mutation into the cyp19a1a mutant could rescue the all-male phenotype of the latter. Interestingly, despite the lack of aromatase/estrogens, the follicles in the ovary of the rescued cyp19a1a mutant could develop normally up to the previtellogenic stage. Further evidence suggested the ovarian aromatase directed ovarian differentiation by suppressing dmrt1 expression via nuclear estrogen receptors (nERs). Our results provide solid evidence for an interaction between cyp19a1a and dmrt1 in zebrafish gonadal differentiation, and for the dispensability of estrogens in controlling early folliculogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wu
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Weiyi Song
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
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14
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Huang Y, Jiang D, Li M, Mustapha UF, Tian C, Chen H, Huang Y, Deng S, Wu T, Zhu C, Li G. Genome Survey of Male and Female Spotted Scat ( Scatophagus argus). Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E1117. [PMID: 31835725 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The spotted scat, Scatophagus argus, is a marine aquaculture fish species that is economically important in Asia. As the spotted scat exhibits notable sexual dimorphism with respect to growth, aquaculture efficiency can be increased through the practice of sex control breeding. However, genomic data from S. argus is lacking. In the present study, a genomic survey was conducted using next-generation sequencing technologies. Data, including the size of the genome, sequence repeat ratio, heterozygosity ratio, whole genome sequence and gene annotation were obtained. This information will serve to support the breeding and aquaculture of S. argus. Abstract The spotted scat, Scatophagus argus, is a species of fish that is widely propagated within the Chinese aquaculture industry and therefore has significant economic value. Despite this, studies of its genome are severely lacking. In the present study, a genomic survey of S. argus was conducted using next-generation sequencing (NGS). In total, 55.699 GB (female) and 51.047 GB (male) of high-quality sequence data were obtained. Genome sizes were estimated to be 598.73 (female) and 597.60 (male) Mbp. The sequence repeat ratios were calculated to be 27.06% (female) and 26.99% (male). Heterozygosity ratios were 0.37% for females and 0.38% for males. Reads were assembled into 444,961 (female) and 453,459 (male) contigs with N50 lengths of 5,747 and 5,745 bp for females and males, respectively. The average guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the female genome was 41.78%, and 41.82% for the male. A total of 42,869 (female) and 43,283 (male) genes were annotated to the non-redundant (NR) and SwissProt databases. The female and male genomes contained 66.6% and 67.8% BUSCO core genes, respectively. Dinucleotide repeats were the dominant form of simple sequence repeats (SSR) observed in females (68.69%) and males (68.56%). Additionally, gene fragments of Dmrt1 were only observed in the male genome. This is the first report of a genome-wide characterization of S. argus.
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15
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Phillips BC, Rodrigues N, Jansen van Rensburg A, Perrin N. Phylogeography, more than elevation, accounts for sex chromosome differentiation in Swiss populations of the common frog (Rana temporaria). Evolution 2019; 74:644-654. [PMID: 31596503 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes in vertebrates range from highly heteromorphic (as in most birds and mammals) to strictly homomorphic (as in many fishes, amphibians, and nonavian reptiles). Reasons for these contrasted evolutionary trajectories remain unclear, but species such as common frogs with polymorphism in the extent of sex chromosome differentiation may potentially deliver important clues. By investigating 92 common frog populations from a wide range of elevations throughout Switzerland, we show that sex chromosome differentiation strongly correlates with alleles at the candidate sex-determining gene Dmrt1. Y-specific Dmrt1 haplotypes cluster into two main haplogroups, YA and YB , with a phylogeographic signal that parallels mtDNA haplotypes: YA populations, with mostly well-differentiated sex chromosomes, occur primarily south of the main alpine ridge that bisects Switzerland, whereas YB populations, with mostly undifferentiated (proto-)sex chromosomes, occur north of this ridge. Elevation has only a marginal effect, opposing previous suggestions of a major role for climate on sex chromosome differentiation. The Y-haplotype effect might result from differences in the penetrance of alleles at the sex-determining locus (such that sex reversal and ensuing X-Y recombination are more frequent in YB populations), and/or fixation of an inversion on YA (as supported by the empirical observation that YA haplotypes might not recombine in XYA females).
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Affiliation(s)
- Barret C Phillips
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Rodrigues
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Nicolas Perrin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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16
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Tang Y, Li X, Xiao H, Li M, Li Y, Wang D, Wei L. Transcription of the Sox30 Gene Is Positively Regulated by Dmrt1 in Nile Tilapia. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5487. [PMID: 31690021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sox family member Sox30 is highly expressed in the testis of several vertebrate species and has been shown to play key roles in spermiogenesis. However, its transcription regulation remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the Sox30 promoter from the teleost fish Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and predicted a putative cis-regulatory element (CRE) for doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1), a male-specific transcription factor involved in male sex differentiation. Transcriptional profiling revealed that Sox30 and Dmrt1 similarly exhibited a high expression in tilapia testes from 90 days after hatching (dah) to 300 dah, and the transcription of the Sox30 gene was reduced about one-fold in the testes of male tilapia with Dmrt1 knockdown. Further dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that Dmrt1 overexpression significantly promoted transcriptional activity of the Sox30 promoter and this promotion was decreased following the mutation of putative CRE for Dmrt1 within the Sox30 promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-based PCR (ChIP-PCR) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that Dmrt1 directly binds to putative CRE within the Sox30 promoter. These results together indicate that Dmrt1 positively regulates the transcription of the tilapia Sox30 gene by directly binding to specific CRE within the Sox30 promoter.
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17
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Jeng SR, Wu GC, Yueh WS, Kuo SF, Dufour S, Chang CF. Dmrt1 (doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1) expression during gonadal development and spermatogenesis in the Japanese eel. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 279:154-163. [PMID: 30902612 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dmrt1, doublesex- and mab-3-related transcription factor-1, has been suggested to play critical roles in male gonadogenesis, testicular differentiation and development, including spermatogenesis, among different vertebrates. Vasa is a putative molecular marker of germ cells in vertebrates. In this study, we cloned the full-length dmrt1 cDNA from Japanese eel, and the protein comprised 290 amino acids and presented an extremely conserved Doublesex and Mab-3 (DM) domain. Vasa proteins were expressed in gonadal germ cells in a stage-specific manner, and were expressed at high levels in PGC and spermatogonia, low levels in spermatocytes, and were absent in spermatids and spermatozoa of Japanese eels. Dmrt1 proteins were abundantly expressed in spermatogonia B cells, spermatocytes, spermatids, but not in spermatozoa, spermatogonia A and Sertoli cells. To our knowledge, this study is the first to show a restricted expression pattern for the Dmrt1 protein in spermatogonia B cells, but not spermatogonia A cells, of teleosts. Therefore, Dmrt1 might play vital roles at the specific stages during spermatogenesis from spermatogonia B cells to spermatids in the Japanese eel. Moreover, the Dmrt1 protein exhibited a restricted localization in differentiating oogonia in the early differentiating gonad (ovary-like structure) of male Japanese eels and in E2-induced feminized Japanese eels. We proposed that dmrt1 may be not only required for spermatogenesis but might also play a role in oogenesis in the Japanese eel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Ru Jeng
- Department of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Chung Wu
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan.
| | - Wen-Shiun Yueh
- Department of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Fen Kuo
- Department of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
| | - Sylvie Dufour
- Laboratory Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA), Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Ching-Fong Chang
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan.
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18
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Jiang DN, Mustapha UF, Shi HJ, Huang YQ, Si-Tu JX, Wang M, Deng SP, Chen HP, Tian CX, Zhu CH, Li MH, Li GL. Expression and transcriptional regulation of gsdf in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 233:35-45. [PMID: 30980893 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf) is critical for testicular differentiation and early germ cell development in teleosts. The spotted scat (Scatophagus argus), with a stable XX-XY sex-determination system and the candidate sex determination gene dmrt1, provides a good model for understanding the mechanism of sex determination and differentiation in teleosts. In this study, we analyzed spotted scat gsdf tissue distribution and gene expression patterns in gonads, as well as further analysis of transcriptional regulation. Tissue distribution analysis showed that gsdf was only expressed in testis and ovary. Real-time PCR showed that both gsdf and dmrt1 were expressed significantly higher in testes at different phases (phase III, IV and V) compared to ovaries at phase II, III and IV, while gsdf was expressed significantly higher in phase II ovaries than those of phase III and IV. Western blot analysis also showed that Gsdf was more highly expressed in the testis than ovary. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that Gsdf was expressed in Sertoli cells surrounding spermatogonia in the testis, while it was expressed in the somatic cells surrounding the oogonia of the ovary. Approximately 2.7 kb of the 5' upstream region of gsdf was cloned from the spotted scat genomic DNA and in silico promoter analysis revealed the putative transcription factor binding sites of Dmrt1 and Sf1. The luciferase reporter assay, using the human embryonic kidney cells, demonstrated that Dmrt1 activated gsdf expression in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of Sf1 in spotted scat. These results suggest that Gsdf could play a role in regulating the development of spermatogonia and oogonia, and also participate in male sex differentiation by acting as a downstream gene of Dmrt1 in spotted scat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Neng Jiang
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Umar Farouk Mustapha
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Hong-Juan Shi
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Yuan-Qing Huang
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Jia-Xin Si-Tu
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Mei Wang
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Si-Ping Deng
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Hua-Pu Chen
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Chang-Xu Tian
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Chun-Hua Zhu
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Ming-Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Guang-Li Li
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.
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Abstract
Over the last several decades zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a major model organism for the study of vertebrate development and physiology. Given this, it may be surprising how little is known about the mechanism that zebrafish use to determine sex. While zebrafish are a gonochoristic species (having two sexes) that do not switch sex as adults, it was appreciated early on that sex ratios obtained from breeding lab domesticated lines were not typically a 1:1 ratio of male and female, suggesting that sex was not determined by a strict chromosomal mechanism. Here we will review the recent progress toward defining the genetic mechanism for sex determination in both wild and domesticated zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Kossack
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Bruce W Draper
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States.
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20
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Jia Y, Zheng J, Chi M, Liu S, Jiang W, Cheng S, Gu Z, Chen L. Molecular identification of dmrt1 and its promoter CpG methylation in correlation with gene expression during gonad development in Culter alburnus. Fish Physiol Biochem 2019; 45:245-252. [PMID: 30276577 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-018-0558-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Dmrt1, a member of the Dmrt family, is an important transcription regulator of gender determination. To study the biological function of dmrt1 in sexual differentiation and its potential implication in breeding technology, we obtained the full-length cDNA and proximal promoter sequence of dmrt1 in Culter alburnus, and analyzed the impact of promoter CpG methylation on the gene expression pattern of dmrt1 during gonad development. Dmrt1 was 922 bp in length and consisted a 150 bp 5'-UTR, a 28 bp 3'-UTR, and a 744 bp open reading frame (ORF). Based on the coding sequence of the dmrt1 gene, the deduced amino acid sequence was detected, and the protein structure of this gene was predicted in C. alburnus. The results indicate that the structure and function of dmrt1 were highly conservative compared to other vertebrates. The expression level of dmrt1 mRNA in different tissues was explored by qRT-PCR, which was only highly expressed in the testes and almost undetectable in other tissues. The CpG methylation pattern of the dmrt1 promoter was studied using DNA sequencing of sodium bisulfite in adult testes and ovaries, and it was found that dmrt1 promoter CpGs were not methylated in the testes, whereas hypermethylated in the ovaries. These findings demonstrate that DNA methylation can regulate sexual dimorphic expression of dmrt1, and therefore epigenetic modifications may play a critical role in the gonad differentiation of C. alburnus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyi Jia
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, ShangHai, 200000, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Jianbo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Meili Chi
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Shili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Wenping Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Shun Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Zhimi Gu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, 313000, China.
| | - Liqiao Chen
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, ShangHai, 200000, China.
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21
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Abstract
Over the last several decades zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a major model organism for the study of vertebrate development and physiology. Given this, it may be surprising how little is known about the mechanism that zebrafish use to determine sex. While zebrafish are a gonochoristic species (having two sexes) that do not switch sex as adults, it was appreciated early on that sex ratios obtained from breeding lab domesticated lines were not typically a 1:1 ratio of male and female, suggesting that sex was not determined by a strict chromosomal mechanism. Here we will review the recent progress toward defining the genetic mechanism for sex determination in both wild and domesticated zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Kossack
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Bruce W Draper
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States.
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22
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Li T, Lu Z, Luo R, Gao J, Zhao X, Ma Y. Expression and cellular localization of double sex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 in testes of postnatal Small-Tail Han sheep at different developmental stages. Gene 2018; 642:467-73. [PMID: 29174386 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Double sex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1), an evolutionarily conserved gene, is a sex-related gene expressed in male gonads, that is involved in the regulation of sex differentiation, testicular development and reproductive function maintenance. Until now, functional studies on the Dmrt1 gene in sheep (Ovis aries) have been lacking. In this study, testis, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and longissimus dorsi muscle tissues were collected from Small-Tail Han sheep at 0, 2, 5, 12 and 24months after birth (mab). Dmrt1 expression and cellular localization were detected in various testicular tissues by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry methods. The morphological structures of testicular tissues at different developmental stages were observed by hematoxylin & eosin (HE) staining. The Dmrt1 mRNA expression levels in 12 and 24 mab sheep were significantly higher than those in 0 and 2 mab sheep (P<0.05), and Dmrt1 protein expression showed a similar trend. The qRT-PCR results in various tissues at 12 mab showed that Dmrt1 mRNA was predominantly expressed in testes. Immunohistochemical staining in testes at different developmental stages showed that Dmrt1 protein immunoreactive responses were mainly localized in Sertoli cells and gonocytes at 0, 2 and 5 mab, while they were localized in spermatocytes, sperm cells and some spermatogonia and Sertoli cells at 12 and 24 mab. We speculate that the Dmrt1 gene plays a vital role in postnatal sheep spermatogenesis, perhaps by regulating the maturation and functional maintenance of Sertoli cells, the proliferation and differentiation of gonocytes in prepubertal sheep testes, and the mitosis and meiosis of germ cells in adult sheep, but the specific mechanisms underlying these phenomena must be further studied and verified. ABBREVIATIONS
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23
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Nakagawa T, Zhang T, Kushi R, Nakano S, Endo T, Nakagawa M, Yanagihara N, Zarkower D, Nakayama K. Regulation of mitosis-meiosis transition by the ubiquitin ligase β-TrCP in male germ cells. Development 2017; 144:4137-4147. [PMID: 28982686 DOI: 10.1242/dev.158485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The mitosis-meiosis transition is essential for spermatogenesis. Specific and timely downregulation of the transcription factor DMRT1, and consequent induction of Stra8 expression, is required for this process in mammals, but the molecular mechanism has remained unclear. Here, we show that β-TrCP, the substrate recognition component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, targets DMRT1 for degradation and thereby controls the mitosis-meiosis transition in mouse male germ cells. Conditional inactivation of β-TrCP2 in male germ cells of β-TrCP1 knockout mice resulted in sterility due to a lack of mature sperm. The β-TrCP-deficient male germ cells did not enter meiosis, but instead underwent apoptosis. The induction of Stra8 expression was also attenuated in association with the accumulation of DMRT1 at the Stra8 promoter in β-TrCP-deficient testes. DMRT1 contains a consensus β-TrCP degron sequence that was found to bind β-TrCP. Overexpression of β-TrCP induced the ubiquitylation and degradation of DMRT1. Heterozygous deletion of Dmrt1 in β-TrCP-deficient spermatogonia increased meiotic cells with a concomitant reduction of apoptosis. Collectively, our data indicate that β-TrCP regulates the transition from mitosis to meiosis in male germ cells by targeting DMRT1 for degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Nakagawa
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Teng Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, and Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ryo Kushi
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Seiji Nakano
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takahiro Endo
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Makiko Nakagawa
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Noriko Yanagihara
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - David Zarkower
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, and Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.,Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Keiko Nakayama
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
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Kobayashi T, Chiba A, Sato T, Myosho T, Yamamoto J, Okamura T, Onishi Y, Sakaizumi M, Hamaguchi S, Iguchi T, Horie Y. Estrogen alters gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf)/Foxl2 expression levels in the testes associated with testis-ova differentiation in adult medaka, Oryzias latipes. Aquat Toxicol 2017; 191:209-218. [PMID: 28866280 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Testis-ova differentiation in sexually mature male medaka (Oryzias latipes) is easily induced by estrogenic chemicals, indicating that spermatogonia persist in sexual bipotentiality, even in mature testes in medaka. By contrast, the effects of estrogen on testicular somatic cells associated with testis-ova differentiation in medaka remain unclear. In this study, we focused on the dynamics of sex-related genes (Gsdf, Dmrt1, and Foxl2) expressed in Sertoli cells in the mature testes of adult medaka during estrogen-induced testis-ova differentiation. When mature male medaka were exposed to estradiol benzoate (EB; 800ng/L), testis-ova first appeared after EB treatment for 14days (observed as the first oocytes of the leptotene-zygotene stage). However, the testis remained structurally unchanged, even after EB treatment for 28days. Although Foxl2 is a female-specific sex gene, EB treatment for 7days induced Foxl2/FOXL2 expression in all Sertoli cell-enclosed spermatogonia before testis-ova first appeared; however, Foxl2 was not detected in somatic cells in control testes. Conversely, Sertoli-cell-specific Gsdf mRNA expression levels significantly decreased after EB treatment for 14days, and no changes were observed in DMRT1 localization following EB treatment, whereas Dmrt1 mRNA levels increased significantly. Furthermore, after EB exposure, FOXl2 and DMRT1 were co-localized in Sertoli cells during testis-ova differentiation, although FOXL2 localization was undetectable in Sertoli-cell-enclosed apoptotic testis-ova, whereas DMRT1 remained localized in Sertoli cells. These results indicated for the first time that based on the expression of female-specific sex genes, feminization of Sertoli cells precedes testis-ova differentiation induced by estrogen in mature testes in medaka; however, complete feminization of Sertoli cells was not induced in this study. Additionally, it is suggested strongly that Foxl2 and Gsdf expression constitute potential molecular markers for evaluating the effects of estrogenic chemicals on testicular somatic cells associated with estrogen-induced testis-ova differentiation in mature male medaka.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tohru Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
| | - Ayaka Chiba
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
| | - Tadashi Sato
- Institute for Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 950-2181, Japan.
| | - Taijun Myosho
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
| | - Jun Yamamoto
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka 421-0212, Japan.
| | - Tetsuro Okamura
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka 421-0212, Japan.
| | - Yuta Onishi
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka 421-0212, Japan.
| | - Mitsuru Sakaizumi
- Institute for Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 950-2181, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Hamaguchi
- Institute for Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 950-2181, Japan.
| | - Taisen Iguchi
- Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institute of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.
| | - Yoshifumi Horie
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan; National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, 305-8506, Japan.
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25
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Ge C, Ye J, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Sun W, Sang Y, Capel B, Qian G. Dmrt1 induces the male pathway in a turtle species with temperature-dependent sex determination. Development 2017; 144:2222-2233. [PMID: 28506988 DOI: 10.1242/dev.152033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [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: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism underlying temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) has been a long-standing mystery; in particular, the thermosensitive genetic triggers for gonadal sex differentiation are largely unknown. Here, we have characterized a conserved DM domain gene, Dmrt1, in the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta (T. scripta), which exhibits TSD. We found that Dmrt1 has a temperature-dependent, sexually dimorphic expression pattern, preceding gonadal sex differentiation, and is capable of responding rapidly to temperature shifts and aromatase inhibitor treatment. Most importantly, loss- and gain-of-function analyses provide solid evidence that Dmrt1 is both necessary and sufficient to initiate male development in T. scripta Furthermore, the DNA methylation dynamics of the Dmrt1 promoter are tightly correlated with temperature and could mediate the impact of temperature on sex determination. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Dmrt1 is a candidate master male sex-determining gene in this TSD species, consistent with the idea that DM domain genes are conserved during the evolution of sex determination mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chutian Ge
- Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Jian Ye
- HangZhou Aquacultural Technique Extending Centre, Hangzhou 310001, China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Yapeng Sang
- Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Guoying Qian
- Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
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Inui M, Tamano M, Kato T, Takada S. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated simultaneous knockout of Dmrt1 and Dmrt3 does not recapitulate the 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis observed in 9p24.3 deletion patients. Biochem Biophys Rep 2017; 9:238-244. [PMID: 28956011 PMCID: PMC5614593 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
DM domain transcription factors play important roles in sexual development in a wide variety of species from invertebrate to humans. Among seven mammalian family members of DM domain transcription factors, DMRT1 has been studied in mouse and human for its conserved role in male gonadal identity. Chromosomal deletion of 9p24.3, the region in which DMRT1 is located, is associated with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis. Dmrt1 knockout (KO) mice also showed male-to-female gonadal reprogramming. However, the phenotype of Dmrt1 KO mouse appears only after birth while 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis occurs during the developmental phase, and the cause behind this difference remained unknown. We hypothesized that in human the function of other DMRT genes clustered with DMRT1, namely DMRT3, might also be impaired by the chromosomal deletion, which leads to the gonadal dysgenesis phenotype. Thus, simultaneous loss of multiple DM domain genes in mice could have a more severe impact on gonadal development. To address this issue, we generated double KO mice for Dmrt1 and Dmrt3 via the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Comparing adult and neonatal testes of single and double KO mice, we found that loss of Dmrt1 or Dmrt3, or both, does not have apparent effect on male gonadal formation during embryonic development. Our study demonstrated that the discrepancy between human with 9p24.3 deletion and Dmrt1 KO mouse could not be explained by the simultaneous loss of Dmrt3 gene. CRISPR/Cas9 is a versatile and straightforward approach to elucidate the questions that were otherwise difficult to address with conventional methods. We have generated Dmrt1 KO, Dmrt3 KO and Dmrt1/3 DKO mice via the CRISPR/Cas9 system. .CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene KO could generate 3 KO lines via single microinjection. Double KO of Dmrt1 and Dmrt3 could not recapitulate human 9p24.3 deletion symptom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masafumi Inui
- Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Moe Tamano
- Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kato
- Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Shuji Takada
- Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
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Webster KA, Schach U, Ordaz A, Steinfeld JS, Draper BW, Siegfried KR. Dmrt1 is necessary for male sexual development in zebrafish. Dev Biol 2016; 422:33-46. [PMID: 27940159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [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: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The dmrt1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1) gene is a key regulator of sex determination and/or gonadal sex differentiation across metazoan animals. This is unusual given that sex determination genes are typically not well conserved. The mechanisms by which zebrafish sex is determined have remained elusive due to the lack of sex chromosomes and the complex polygenic nature of sex determination in domesticated strains. To investigate the role of dmrt1 in zebrafish sex determination and gonad development, we isolated mutations disrupting this gene. We found that the majority of dmrt1 mutant fish develop as fertile females suggesting a complete male-to-female sex reversal in mutant animals that would have otherwise developed as males. A small percentage of mutant animals became males, but were sterile and displayed testicular dysgenesis. Therefore zebrafish dmrt1 functions in male sex determination and testis development. Mutant males had aberrant gonadal development at the onset of gonadal sex-differentiation, displaying reduced oocyte apoptosis followed by development of intersex gonads and failed testis morphogenesis and spermatogenesis. By contrast, female ovaries developed normally. We found that Dmrt1 is necessary for normal transcriptional regulation of the amh (anti-Müllerian hormone) and foxl2 (forkhead box L2) genes, which are thought to be important for male or female sexual development respectively. Interestingly, we identified one dmrt1 mutant allele that co-operates with a linked segregation distorter locus to generate an apparent XY sex determination mechanism. We conclude that dmrt1 is dispensable for ovary development but necessary for testis development in zebrafish, and that dmrt1 promotes male development by transcriptionally regulating male and female genes as has been described in other animals. Furthermore, the strong sex-ratio bias caused by dmrt1 reduction-of-function points to potential mechanisms through which sex chromosomes may evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Webster
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Biology Department, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Ursula Schach
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department Genetics, Spemanstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Angel Ordaz
- University of California Davis, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jocelyn S Steinfeld
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Biology Department, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Bruce W Draper
- University of California Davis, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kellee R Siegfried
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Biology Department, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125, USA.
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28
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Herpin A, Schartl M. Plasticity of gene-regulatory networks controlling sex determination: of masters, slaves, usual suspects, newcomers, and usurpators. EMBO Rep 2015; 16:1260-74. [PMID: 26358957 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201540667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [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: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is one of the most pervasive and diverse features of animal morphology, physiology, and behavior. Despite the generality of the phenomenon itself, the mechanisms controlling how sex is determined differ considerably among various organismic groups, have evolved repeatedly and independently, and the underlying molecular pathways can change quickly during evolution. Even within closely related groups of organisms for which the development of gonads on the morphological, histological, and cell biological level is undistinguishable, the molecular control and the regulation of the factors involved in sex determination and gonad differentiation can be substantially different. The biological meaning of the high molecular plasticity of an otherwise common developmental program is unknown. While comparative studies suggest that the downstream effectors of sex-determining pathways tend to be more stable than the triggering mechanisms at the top, it is still unclear how conserved the downstream networks are and how all components work together. After many years of stasis, when the molecular basis of sex determination was amenable only in the few classical model organisms (fly, worm, mouse), recently, sex-determining genes from several animal species have been identified and new studies have elucidated some novel regulatory interactions and biological functions of the downstream network, particularly in vertebrates. These data have considerably changed our classical perception of a simple linear developmental cascade that makes the decision for the embryo to develop as male or female, and how it evolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Herpin
- Department Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Sex Differentiation and Oogenesis Group (SDOG), Rennes, France
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Department Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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29
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Li XY, Zhang XJ, Li Z, Hong W, Liu W, Zhang J, Gui JF. Evolutionary history of two divergent Dmrt1 genes reveals two rounds of polyploidy origins in gibel carp. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2014; 78:96-104. [PMID: 24859683 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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: 10/26/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Polyploidy lineages, despite very rare in vertebrates, have been proposed to play significant role in speciation and evolutionary success, but the occurrence history and consequences are still largely unknown. In this study, we used the conserved Dmrt1 to analyze polyploidy occurrence and evolutionary process in polyploid gibel carp. We identified two divergent Dmrt1 genes and respectively localized the two genes on three homologous chromosomes. Subsequently, the corresponding full-length cDNAs and genomic sequences of Dmrt1 genes were also characterized from the closely related species including Carassius auratus auratus and Cyprinus carpio, and their two Dmrt1 genes were respectively localized on two homologous chromosomes. Significantly, the evolutionary relationship analyses among cDNA and genomic DNA sequences of these Dmrt1 genes revealed two rounds of polyploidy origins in the gibel carp: an early polyploidy might result in an common tetraploid ancestor of Carassius auratus gibelio, Carassius auratus auratus and Cyprinus carpio before 18.49 million years ago (Mya), and an late polyploidy might occur from evolutionary branch of Carassius auratus at around 0.51 Mya, which lead to the occurrence of the hexaploid gibel carp. Therefore, this study provides clear genetic evidence for understanding occurrence time and historical process of polyploidy in polyploid vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Yin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Wei Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
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30
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Ubeda-Manzanaro M, Merlo MA, Ortiz-Delgado JB, Rebordinos L, Sarasquete C. Expression profiling of the sex-related gene Dmrt1 in adults of the Lusitanian toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801). Gene 2013; 535:255-65. [PMID: 24275345 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1) gene is a widely conserved gene involved in sex determination and differentiation across phyla. To gain insights on Dmrt1 implication for fish gonad cell differentiation and gametogenesis development, its mRNA was isolated from testis and ovary from the Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus). The cDNA from Dmrt1 was synthesized and cloned, whereas its quantitative and qualitative gene expression, as well as its protein immunolocalization, were analyzed. A main product of 1.38 kb, which encodes a protein of 295 aa, was reported, but other minority Dmrt1 products were also identified by RACE-PCR. This gene is predominantly expressed in testis (about 20 times more than in other organs or tissues), specially in spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids, as well as in somatic Sertoli cells, indicating that Dmrt1 plays an important role in spermatogenesis. Although Dmrt1 transcripts also seem to be involved in oogenesis development, and it cannot be excluded that toadfish Dmrt1 could be functionally involved in other processes not related to sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Ubeda-Manzanaro
- Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN.CSIC), University Campus, 11519 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Manuel A Merlo
- Laboratory of Genetics, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Juan B Ortiz-Delgado
- Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN.CSIC), University Campus, 11519 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Laureana Rebordinos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Carmen Sarasquete
- Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN.CSIC), University Campus, 11519 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
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31
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Groh KJ, Schönenberger R, Eggen RIL, Segner H, Suter MJF. Analysis of protein expression in zebrafish during gonad differentiation by targeted proteomics. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 193:210-20. [PMID: 23968773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2013] [Revised: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms governing sex determination and differentiation in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) are not fully understood. To gain more insights into the function of specific genes in these complex processes, the expression of multiple candidates needs to be assessed, preferably on the protein level. Here, we developed a targeted proteomics method based on selected reaction monitoring (SRM) to study the candidate sex-related proteins in zebrafish which were selected based on a global proteomics analysis of adult gonads and representational difference analysis of male and female DNA, as well as on published information on zebrafish and other vertebrates. We employed the developed SRM protocols to acquire time-resolved protein expression profiles during the gonad differentiation period in vas::EGFP transgenic zebrafish. Evidence on protein expression was obtained for the first time for several candidate genes previously studied only on the mRNA level or suggested by bioinformatic predictions. Tuba1b (tubulin alpha 1b), initially included in the study as one of the potential housekeeping proteins, was found to be preferentially expressed in the adult testis with nearly absent expression in the ovary. The revealed changes in protein expression patterns associated with gonad differentiation suggest that several of the examined proteins, especially Ilf2 and Ilf3 (interleukin enhancer-binding factors 2 and 3), Raldh3 (retinaldehyde dehydrogenase type 3), Zgc:195027 (low density lipoprotein-related receptor protein 3) and Sept5a (septin 5a), may play a specific role in the sexual differentiation in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenia J Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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