Dataset Information

Roles of small RNAs in the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis.

ABSTRACT: We tested whether reductions in spermatozoal quality induced by under-nutrition are associated with increased germ cell apoptosis and disrupted spermatogenesis, and whether these effects are mediated by small RNAs. Groups of 8 male sheep were fed for a 10% increase or 10% decrease in body mass over 65 days. Underfeeding increased the number of apoptotic germ cells (P < 0.05) and increased the expression of apoptosis-related genes (P < 0.05) in testicular tissue. We identified 44 miRNAs and 35 putative piRNAs that were differentially expressed in well-fed and underfed males (FDR < 0.05). Some were related to reproductive system development, apoptosis (miRNAs), and sperm production and quality (piRNAs). Novel-miR-144 (miR-98), was found to target three apoptotic genes (TP53, CASP3, FASL). The proportion of miRNAs as a total of small RNAs was greater in well-fed males than in underfed males (P < 0.05) and was correlated (r = 0.8, P < 0.05) with the proportion of piRNAs in well-fed and underfed males. In conclusion, the reductions in spermatozoal quality induced by under-nutrition are caused, at least partly, by disruptions to Sertoli cell function and increased germ cell apoptosis, mediated by changes in the expression of miRNAs and piRNAs.

SUBMITTER: Guan Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4440528 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Roles of small RNAs in the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis.

Guan Yongjuan Y Liang Guanxiang G Hawken Penelope A R PA Malecki Irek A IA Cozens Greg G Vercoe Philip E PE Martin Graeme B GB Guan Le Luo le L

Scientific reports 20150521

We tested whether reductions in spermatozoal quality induced by under-nutrition are associated with increased germ cell apoptosis and disrupted spermatogenesis, and whether these effects are mediated by small RNAs. Groups of 8 male sheep were fed for a 10% increase or 10% decrease in body mass over 65 days. Underfeeding increased the number of apoptotic germ cells (P < 0.05) and increased the expression of apoptosis-related genes (P < 0.05) in testicular tissue. We identified 44 miRNAs and 35 pu ...[more]

PMID: 25996545

Similar Datasets

Project description:The transcription factor MAFB is an important regulator of the development and differentiation of various organs and tissues. Previous studies have shown that MAFB is expressed in embryonic and adult mouse testes and is expected to act as the downstream target of retinoic acid (RA) to initiate spermatogenesis. However, its exact localization and function remain unclear. Here, we localized MAFB expression in embryonic and adult testes and analyzed its gene function using Mafb-deficient mice. We found that MAFB and c-MAF are the only large MAF transcription factors expressed in testes, while MAFA and NRL are not. MAFB was localized in Leydig and Sertoli cells at embryonic day (E) 18.5 but in Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, and pachytene spermatocytes in adults. Mafb-deficient testes at E18.5 showed fully formed seminiferous tubules with no abnormal structure or differences in testicular somatic cell numbers compared with those of control wild-type mice. Additionally, the expression levels of genes related to development and function of testicular cells were unchanged between genotypes. In adults, the expression of MAFB in Sertoli cells was shown to be stage specific and induced by RA. By generating Mafbfl/fl CAG-CreER™ (Mafb-cKO) mice, in which Cre recombinase was activated upon tamoxifen treatment, we found that the neonatal cKO mice died shortly upon Mafb deletion, but adult cKO mice were alive upon deletion. Adult cKO mice were fertile, and spermatogenesis maintenance was normal, as indicated by histological analysis, hormone levels, and germ cell stage-specific markers. Moreover, there were no differences in the proportion of seminiferous stages between cKO mice and controls. However, RNA-Seq analysis of cKO Sertoli cells revealed that the down-regulated genes were related to immune function and phagocytosis activity but not spermatogenesis. In conclusion, we found that MAFB is dispensable for fetal testis morphogenesis and spermatogenesis maintenance in adult mice, despite the significant gene expression in different cell types, but MAFB might be critical for phagocytosis activity of Sertoli cells.

Dataset Information

Roles of small RNAs in the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis.

Publications

Roles of small RNAs in the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets