MiRNA expression profiling of enriched male germ cell populations
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: MicroRNA is essential for the process of spermatogonesis, however analysis of its change in expression within germ cells during this process has been limited. We set out to examine the change in the miRNA expression profile of highly enriched mouse germ cell populations in vairous developmental stages.These inlcuded postnatal gonocytes, day 7-9 spermatogonia as well as pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids from adult mice Gonocytes (day1) and spermatogonia (day 7-9), pachytene spermatocytes and round spermadits (adult) were enrichged by 2-4% BSA gradient sedementation. Three biological replicates of each cell type were included.
Project description:MicroRNA is essential for the process of spermatogonesis, however analysis of its change in expression within germ cells during this process has been limited. We set out to examine the change in the miRNA expression profile of highly enriched mouse germ cell populations in vairous developmental stages.These inlcuded postnatal gonocytes, day 7-9 spermatogonia as well as pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids from adult mice
Project description:Monopolar spindle 1 (Mps1), which plays a critical role in somatic mitosis, has also been revealed to be essential for meiosis I in oocytes. Spermatogenesis is an important process involving successive mitosis and meiosis, but the function of Mps1 in spermatogenesis remains unclear. Here, we generated Mps1 conditional knockout mice and found that Ddx4-cre-driven loss of Mps1 in male mice resulted in depletion of undifferentiated spermatogonial cells and subsequently of differentiated spermatogonia and spermatocytes. In addition, Stra8-cre-driven ablation of Mps1 in male mice led to germ cell loss and fertility reduction. Spermatocytes lacking Mps1 were blocked at the zygotene-to-pachytene transition in prophase of meiosis I, and the expression of many meiotic genes was decreased, while that of apoptotic genes was increased. Moreover, we also detected increased apoptosis in spermatocytes with Mps1 knockout, which may have been the reason why germ cells were lost. Taken together, our findings indicate that Mps1 is required for mitosis of gonocytes and spermatogonia, differentiation of undifferentiated spermatogonia, and progression of meiosis I in spermatocytes.
Project description:In order to monitor the changes in small RNAs expression during mouse spermatogenesis. Type A spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids were isolated following collagenase treatment of testes and trypsin digestion of isolated seminiferous tubules using unit gravity sedimentation in a bovine serum albumin gradient. The small RNA fraction (18-36nt) was cloned and sequenced from total RNA of each cell type. Three types of mouse germ cells small RNAs were used for high throughput sequencing analysis
Project description:Although numerous miRNAs have been identified in the testis, their roles in regulating the highly specific events that occur in the different germ cell types throughout spermatogenesis remain largely unknown. Furthermore, whether male germ cell miRNA expression is altered in response to or as a consequence of exposure to a toxic agent is unknown. Here we examine miRNA expression profiles in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids obtained from control rats and from rats treated with a chronic low dose of cyclophosphamide, a male germ cell toxicant. We observed that pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids display vastly different miRNA expression profiles, reflecting their different developmental stages and possibly influencing the cellular response to toxic insult. Chronic low dose cyclophosphamide treatment altered the miRNA profiles in both pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. Target prediction analyses revealed that miRNAs altered by cyclophosphamide treatment may be involved in the response to cellular stress and damage. However, many are also involved in processes that are crucial for proper germ cell development. This study suggests that pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids display distinct miRNA profiles that can be altered by cyclophosphamide treatment. The observed changes may be part of a response and repair mechanism to cyclophosphamide-induced damage or a dysregulation that disrupts normal germ cell development.
Project description:Prophase I of male meiosis involves dynamic chromosome segregation processes during early spermatogenesis, including synapsis, meiotic recombination, and cohesion. Genetic defects in genes participating in these processes consistently cause reproduction failure in mice. To identify candidate genes responsible for infertility in humans, we performed expression profiling of mouse spermatogenic cells undergoing meiotic prophase I. Cell fractions enriched in spermatogonia, leptotene/zygotene spermatocytes, or pachytene spermatocytes were separately isolated from mouse testes for RNA extraction. To minimize the contamination of other cell types, we fractionated the testicular cells undergoing the first round of spermatogenesis using Percoll gradient procedure. The cell fractions were characterized by morphological analysis by phase contrast microscopy and Nomarski interference microscopy, and then expression of cell lineage- and spermatogenesis stage-specific genes were examined by RT-PCR. The most enriched fractions for spermatogonia (fraction2 from day8), leptotene/zygotene spermatocytes (fraction5 from day12), and pachytene spermatocytes (fraction8 from day15) were subjected to hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Spermatogenesis is precisely controlled at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and translational levels. Here we report that N6-methyladenosine (m6A), an epitranscriptomic mark regulating gene expression, plays essential roles during spermatogenesis. We present comprehensive m6A mRNA methylomes of mouse spermatogenic cells from five developmental stages: undifferentiated spermatogonia, type A1 spermatogonia, preleptotene spermatocytes, pachytene/diplotene spermatocytes, and round spermatids. Germ cell-specific inactiva- tion of the m6A RNA methyltransferase Mettl3 or Mettl14 with Vasa-Cre causes loss of m6A and depletion of SSCs. m6A depletion dysregulates translation of transcripts that are required for SSC proliferation/differentiation. Com- bined deletion of Mettl3 and Mettl14 in advanced germ cells with Stra8-GFPCre disrupts spermiogenesis, whereas mice with single deletion of either Mettl3 or Mettl14 in advanced germ cells show normal spermatogenesis. The sper- matids from double-mutant mice exhibit impaired translation of haploid-specific genes that are essential for spermio- genesis. This study highlights crucial roles of mRNA m6A modification in germline development, potentially ensuring coordinated translation at different stages of spermatogenesis.
Project description:Active enhancers are identified by H3K27ac ChIP-seq analysis. To determine the dynamics of active enhancers during spermatogenesis, we performed H3K27ac ChIP-seq and detected reagions of active enhancers during spermatogenesis. We analyzed four representative stages of spermatogenesis: Thy1+ undifferentiated spermatogonia, which contains spermatogonial stem cells and progenitor cells; c-Kit+ differentiating spermatogonia from P7 testes; purified pachytene spermatocytes (PS) undergoing meiosis; and postmeiotic round spermatids (RS) from adult testes.
Project description:To determine the dynamics of open chromatin at a genomic resolution during spermatogenesis, we performed ATAC-seq and detected genomic regions of accessible chromatin by Tn5 transposase during spermatogenesis. We analyzed four representative stages of spermatogenesis: Thy1+ undifferentiated spermatogonia, which contains spermatogonial stem cells and progenitor cells; c-Kit+ differentiating spermatogonia from P7 testes; purified pachytene spermatocytes (PS) undergoing meiosis; and postmeiotic round spermatids (RS) from adult testes
Project description:Microarray analysis of purified pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. Each stage was examined in wild type and RNF8 knockout mice in two biological replicates. We performed microarray analysis using Affymetrix Gene 1.0 ST Arrays with purified pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. Pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids were enriched from 3 to 4 males from the WT or Rnf8-KO via BSA gravity sedimentation according to the previous publication [PMID 8231890] and >95% (PS, RS) enrichments were verified after DAPI staining under a fluorescent microscope. For microarray analysis, total RNAs from purified pachytene spermatocytes or round spermatids were examined.
Project description:The proteome changes were quantified in RibosomeRPL39L-/- spermatocytes and elongated spermatids using TMT 6-plex, and in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, round spermatids and elongated spermatids using TMT 10-plex by LC-MS/MS.