Small RNAs Gained during Epididymal Transit of Sperm Are Essential for Embryonic Development in Mice.

ABSTRACT: The small RNA payload of mammalian sperm undergoes dramatic remodeling during development, as several waves of microRNAs and tRNA fragments are shipped to sperm during post-testicular maturation in the epididymis. Here, we take advantage of this developmental process to probe the function of the sperm RNA payload in preimplantation development. We generated zygotes via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using sperm obtained from the proximal (caput) versus distal (cauda) epididymis and then characterized the development of the resulting embryos. Embryos generated using caput sperm significantly overexpress multiple regulatory factors throughout preimplantation development, subsequently implant inefficiently, and fail soon after implantation. Remarkably, microinjection of purified caud

SUBMITTER: Conine CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6103825 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature