Nonobstructive azoospermia(NOA),one of the most severe types of male infertility,etiology often remains unclear in most cases.Therefore,this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants(0.5%)in the minich...Nonobstructive azoospermia(NOA),one of the most severe types of male infertility,etiology often remains unclear in most cases.Therefore,this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants(0.5%)in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2(MCMDC2)genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing(WES).Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients(c.1360G>T,c.1956G>T,and c.685C>T)and hypospermatogenesis in one patient(c.94G>T),as further confirmed through immunofluorescence(IF)staining.The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis.The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses.The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA,which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.展开更多
A novel method for predicting hotspots and coldspots using support vector machine （SVM） based on statistical learning theory is developed. This method is applied to published 303 hot and 48 cold open reading frames ...A novel method for predicting hotspots and coldspots using support vector machine （SVM） based on statistical learning theory is developed. This method is applied to published 303 hot and 48 cold open reading frames （ORFs） in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sequence features of general dinucleotide abundance and dinucleotide abundance based on codon usage are extracted, and then the data sets are classified with different parameters and kernel functions combined with the method of two-fold cross validation. The result indicates that 87.47% accuracy can be reached when classifying hot and cold ORF sequences with the kernel of radial basis function combined with dinucleotide abundance based on codon usage.展开更多
Azoospermia patients who carry a monogenetic mutation that causes meiotic arrest may have their biological child through genetic correction in spermatogonial stem cells(SSCs).However,such therapy for infertility has n...Azoospermia patients who carry a monogenetic mutation that causes meiotic arrest may have their biological child through genetic correction in spermatogonial stem cells(SSCs).However,such therapy for infertility has not been experimentally investigated yet.In this study,a mouse model with an X-linked testis-expressed 11(TEX11)mutation(Tex11PM/Y)identified in azoospermia patients exhibited meiotic arrest due to aberrant chromosome segregation.Tex11PM/Y SSCs could be isolated and expanded in vitro normally,and the mutation was corrected by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated endonuclease 9(Cas9),leading to the generation of repaired SSC lines.Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated that the mutation rate in repaired SSCs is comparable with that of autonomous mutation in untreated Tex11PM/Y SSCs,and no predicted off-target sites are modified.Repaired SSCs could restore spermatogenesis in infertile males and give rise to fertile offspring at a high efficiency.In summary,our study establishes a paradigm for the treatment of male azoospermia by combining in vitro expansion of SSCs and gene therapy.展开更多
There are many unknown genetic factors that lead to infertility in nonobstructive azoospermia men.Here,we performed whole-exome sequencing in blood samples obtained from 40 azoospermia patients with meiotic arrest and...There are many unknown genetic factors that lead to infertility in nonobstructive azoospermia men.Here,we performed whole-exome sequencing in blood samples obtained from 40 azoospermia patients with meiotic arrest and found a novel c.151_154del(p.D51fs)frame-shift mutation in exon 3 of the testis expressed 11(TEX11)gene in one patient.Sanger sequencing analysis of the patient and 288 fertile men was performed to validate the mutation.Immunohistochemical analysis showed TEX11 expression in late-pachytene spermatocytes and in round spermatids in fertile human testes.In contrast,testes of the patient with TEX11 mutation underwent meiotic arrest and lacked TEX11 expression.Western blotting of human embryonic kidney(HEK293)cells transfected with a vector for the p.D51fs TEX11 variant detected no TEX11 expression.In conclusion,we identified a novel frame-shift mutation in the TEX11 gene in an azoospermia patient,emphasizing that this gene should be included in genetic screening panels for the clinical evaluation of azoospermia patients.展开更多
Background： The p21-activated kinase 1 （PAK1）is essential of microtubule assembly during oocyte meiotic maturation porcine oocytes. for mitosis and plays an important role in the regulatio in mice; however, little ...Background： The p21-activated kinase 1 （PAK1）is essential of microtubule assembly during oocyte meiotic maturation porcine oocytes. for mitosis and plays an important role in the regulatio in mice; however, little is known about its role in Result： Total p21-activated kinase 1 （PAK1） and phosphorylated PAK1 at Thr423 （PAK1^Thr423） were consistently expressed in porcine oocytes from the germinal vesicle （GV） to the second metaphase （MII） stages, but phosphorylation of histone H3 at Serr10 （H3^ser10） was only expressed after the GV stage. Immunofiuorescence analysis revealed that PAK1Thr423 and H3^ser10 colocalized on chromosomes after the GV stage. Blocking of endogenous PAK1^Thr423 by injecting a specific antibody decreased the phosphorylation level of H3^ser10; however, it had no impact on chromatin condensation, meiotic progression, cleavage rate of blastomeres or the rate of blastocyst formation. Conclusion： Phosphorylation of PAK1^Thr423 is a spontaneous activation process and the activated PAK1^Thr423 can promote the phosphorylation of H3^ser10; however, this pathway is not required for meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes or early embryonic development.展开更多
Gerbera Hybrida is one of the important cut flowers across the world.The novel traits are the primarily market requirements and the breeding targets,mainly determined by the degree of genetic variation after hybridiza...Gerbera Hybrida is one of the important cut flowers across the world.The novel traits are the primarily market requirements and the breeding targets,mainly determined by the degree of genetic variation after hybridization.However,meiotic recombination is highly conserved in most eukaryotes which suppressed the crossover formation and limited the genetic diversity.Recently,several meiotic recombination suppressors have been identified and characterized in plants,whereas it remains elusive in G.hybrida.In order to characterize the expression patterns of these suppressors in G.hybrida,20 candidate reference genes were identified from the transcriptome datasets of G.hybrida,and their expression stabilities during plant development were evaluated by geNorm,NormFinder and BestKeeper.Although the most stable reference genes were variable in different softwares,comprehensive ranking revealed that PGK2 was the most stable reference gene and GAPDH was the most unstable one.The expression patterns of FANCM,FIGL1,RECQ4,RM1,and FLIP further validated that PGK2 was suitable for normalization of gene expression.Our study identified a reliable reference gene for gene expression during meiotic recombination,and provided functional insights into meiotic recombination suppressors in G.hybrida.展开更多
Mouse oocytes undergo polarization during meiotic maturation, and this polarization is essential for asymmetric cell divisions that maximize retention of maternal components required for early development. Without con...Mouse oocytes undergo polarization during meiotic maturation, and this polarization is essential for asymmetric cell divisions that maximize retention of maternal components required for early development. Without conventional centrosomes, the meiotic spindle has less focused poles and is barrel-shaped. The migration of meiotic spindles to the cortex is accompanied by a local reorganization and polarization of the cortex. LGN is a conserved protein involved in cell polarity and regulation of spindle organization. In the present study, we characterized the localization dynamics of LGN during mouse oocyte maturation and analyzed the effects of LGN upregulation and downregulation on meiotic spindle organization. At the germinal vesicle stage, LGN is distributed both cytoplasmically and at the cortex. During maturation, LGN localizes to the meiotic spindle apparatus and cortical LGN becomes less concentrated at the actin cap region. Excessive LGN induces meiotic spindle organization defects by elongating the spindle and enhancing pole focusing, whereas depletion of LGN by RNA interference results in meiotic spindle deformation and chromosome misalignment. Furthermore, the N-terminus of LGN has the ability of full-length LGN to regulate spindle organization, whereas the C-terminus of LGN controls cortical localization and polarization. Our results reveal that LGN is cortically polarized in mouse oocytes and is critical for meiotic spindle organization.展开更多
Meiotic recombination is essential for sexual reproduction and its regulation has been extensively studied in many taxa.However,genome-wide recombination landscape has not been reported in ciliates and it remains unkn...Meiotic recombination is essential for sexual reproduction and its regulation has been extensively studied in many taxa.However,genome-wide recombination landscape has not been reported in ciliates and it remains unknown how it is affected by the unique features of ciliates:the synaptonemal complex(SC)-independent meiosis and the nuclear dimorphism.Here,we show the recombination landscape in the model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila by analyzing single-nucleotide polymorphism datasets from 38 hybrid progeny.We detect 1021 crossover(CO)events(35.8 per meiosis),corresponding to an overall CO rate of 9.9 cM/Mb.However,gene conversion by non-crossover is rare(1.03 per meiosis)and not biased towards G or C alleles.Consistent with the reported roles of SC in CO interference,we find no obvious sign of CO interference.CO tends to occur within germ-soma common genomic regions and many of the 44 identified CO hotspots localize at the centromeric or subtelomeric regions.Gene ontology analyses show that CO hotspots are strongly associated with genes responding to environmental changes.We discuss these results with respect to how nuclear dimorphism has potentially driven the formation of the observed recombination landscape to facilitate environmental adaptation and the sharing of machinery among meiotic and somatic recombination.展开更多
Background:CK2(casein kinase 2)is a serine/threonine-selective protein kinase that has been involved in a variety of cellular processes such as DNA repair,cell cycle control and circadian rhythm regulation.However,its...Background:CK2(casein kinase 2)is a serine/threonine-selective protein kinase that has been involved in a variety of cellular processes such as DNA repair,cell cycle control and circadian rhythm regulation.However,its functional roles in oocyte meiosis have not been fully determined.Results:We report that CK2 is essential for porcine oocyte meiotic maturation by regulating spindle assembly checkpoint(SAC).Immunostaining and immunoblotting analysis showed that CK2 was constantly expressed and located on the chromosomes during the entire oocyte meiotic maturation.Inhibition of CK2 activity by its selective inhibitor CX-4945 impaired the first polar body extrusion and arrested oocytes at M I stage,accompanied by the presence of BubR1 at kinetochores,indicative of activated SAC.In addition,we found that spindle/chromosome structure was disrupted in CK2-inhibited oocytes due to the weakened microtubule stability,which is a major cause resulting in the activation of SAC.Last,we found that the level DNA damage as assessed byγH2A.X staining was considerably elevated when CK2 was inhibited,suggesting that DNA damage might be another critical factor leading to the SAC activation and meiotic failure of oocytes.Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate that CK2 promotes the porcine oocyte maturation by ensuring normal spindle assembly and DNA damage repair.展开更多
The meiotic process in Noctiluca scintillans were observed under light microscope. Some abnormal cell divisions, incompletely separated "zoospores" and the changes of the zoospores are described in this pape...The meiotic process in Noctiluca scintillans were observed under light microscope. Some abnormal cell divisions, incompletely separated "zoospores" and the changes of the zoospores are described in this paper. Together with the findings of field samplings and the previous results by other researchers, the process of meiosis in N. scintillans was supposed to be a pathway to reduce the extra high density of NH 3-N within the cell in order to ensure normal population growth.展开更多
Serine protease 50(PRSS50/TSP50)is highly expressed in spermatocytes.Our study investigated its role in testicular development and spermatogenesis.Initially,PRSS50 knockdown was observed to impair DNA synthesis in spe...Serine protease 50(PRSS50/TSP50)is highly expressed in spermatocytes.Our study investigated its role in testicular development and spermatogenesis.Initially,PRSS50 knockdown was observed to impair DNA synthesis in spermatocytes.To further explore this,we generated PRSS50 knockout(Prss50^(−/−))mice(Mus musculus),which exhibited abnormal spermatid nuclear compression and reduced male fertility.Furthermore,dysplastic seminiferous tubules and decreased sex hormones were observed in 4-week-old Prss50^(−/−)mice,accompanied by meiotic progression defects and increased apoptosis of spermatogenic cells.Mechanistic analysis indicated that PRSS50 deletion resulted in increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2(ERK1/2)and elevated levels of MAP kinase phosphatase 3(MKP3),a specific ERK antagonist,potentially accounting for testicular dysplasia in adolescent Prss50−/−mice.Taken together,these findings suggest that PRSS50 plays an important role in testicular development and spermatogenesis,with the MKP3/ERK signaling pathway playing a significant role in this process.展开更多
We report in this paper primary studies on interspecific species of cotton vis GISH(genomic in situ hybridization).We use interspecific triploid hybrids(F1 from hybridization of allotetraploid cultivated species with ...We report in this paper primary studies on interspecific species of cotton vis GISH(genomic in situ hybridization).We use interspecific triploid hybrids(F1 from hybridization of allotetraploid cultivated species with diploid A,D,or C genome species) and two cultivated tetraploids to study展开更多
R-loops play various roles in many physiological processes,however,their role in meiotic division remains largely unknown.Here we show that R-loops and their regulator RNase H1 are present at centromeres during oocyte...R-loops play various roles in many physiological processes,however,their role in meiotic division remains largely unknown.Here we show that R-loops and their regulator RNase H1 are present at centromeres during oocyte meiotic divisions.Proper centromeric R-loops are essential to ensure chromosome alignment in oocytes during metaphase I(MI).Remarkably,both Rnaseh1 knockout and overexpression in oocytes lead to severe spindle assembly defects and chromosome misalignment due to dysregulation of R-loops at centromeres.Furthermore,we find that replication protein A(RPA)is recruited to centromeric R-loops,facilitating the deposition of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related(ATR)kinase at centromeres by interacting with the ATR-interaction protein(ATRIP).The ATR kinase deposition triggers the activity of CHK1,stimulating the phosphorylation of Aurora B to finally promote proper spindle assembly and chromosome alignment at the equatorial plate.Most importantly,the application of ATR,CHK1,and Aurora B inhibitors could efficiently rescue the defects in spindle assembly and chromosome alignment due to RNase H1 deficiency in oocytes.Overall,our findings uncover a critical role of R-loops during mouse oocyte meiotic divisions,suggesting that dysregulation of R-loops may be associated with female infertility.Additionally,ATR,CHK1,and Aurora B inhibitors may potentially be used to treat some infertile patients.展开更多
Microplastics(MPs)are considered one of the main causes of male and female infertility.However,the reproductive toxicity and its related mechanisms are currently understood primarily through animal models with acute e...Microplastics(MPs)are considered one of the main causes of male and female infertility.However,the reproductive toxicity and its related mechanisms are currently understood primarily through animal models with acute exposure to MPs.In this study,we demonstrate that lowdose exposure to polystyrene microplastics(PSMPs)leads to severely abnormal reproduction in females,manifested by oocyte meiotic maturation defect.Mechanistically,PSMPs exposure induce the overactivation of cell metabolism pathways,insufficient HDACs,and H4K16 hyperacetylation in oocytes both in vivo and in vitro.When an HDAC3 inhibitor is added,the oocyte maturation defect,overactivation of cell metabolism pathways,and H4K16 hyperacetylation are recapitulated.Conversely,the overexpression of HDAC3 can rescue the defects in meiotic maturation induced by PSMPs.Our observations suggest a direct link between the maturation defects caused by PSMPs and HDAC3 insufficiency.Thus,we propose potential treatments to address the meiotic maturation defect of oocytes in women highly exposed to MPs by activating or supplying HDAC3.展开更多
This is a correction to:Yue Lv,Gang Lu,Yuling Cai Ruibao Su,Liang Liang,Xin Wang,Wenyu Mu,Xiuqing He,Tao Huang,Jinlong Ma,Yueran Zhao,Zi-Jiang Chen,Yuanchao Xue,Hongbin Liu,Wai-Yee Chan,RBM46 is essential for gametoge...This is a correction to:Yue Lv,Gang Lu,Yuling Cai Ruibao Su,Liang Liang,Xin Wang,Wenyu Mu,Xiuqing He,Tao Huang,Jinlong Ma,Yueran Zhao,Zi-Jiang Chen,Yuanchao Xue,Hongbin Liu,Wai-Yee Chan,RBM46 is essential for gametogenesis and functions in posttranscriptional roles affecting meiotic cohesin subunits,Protein&Cell,Volume 14,Issue 1,January 2023,Pages 51-63,https://doi.org/10.1093/procel/pwac040.展开更多
Meiosis is pivotal for sexual reproduction and fertility. Meiotic programmed DNA double-strand breaks(DSBs) initiate homologous recombination, ensuring faithful chromosome segregation and generation of gametes. Howeve...Meiosis is pivotal for sexual reproduction and fertility. Meiotic programmed DNA double-strand breaks(DSBs) initiate homologous recombination, ensuring faithful chromosome segregation and generation of gametes. However, few studies have focused on meiotic DSB formation in human reproduction.Here, we report four infertile siblings born to a consanguineous marriage, with three brothers suffering from non-obstructive azoospermia and one sister suffering from unexplained infertility with normal menstrual cycles and normal ovary sizes with follicular activity. An autosomal recessive mutation in TOP6BL was found co-segregating with infertility in this family. Investigation of one male patient revealed failure in programmed meiotic DSB formation and meiotic arrest prior to pachytene stage of prophase I.Mouse models carrying similar mutations to that in patients recapitulated the spermatogenic abnormalities of the patient. Pathogenicity of the mutation in the female patient was supported by observations in mice that meiotic programmed DSBs failed to form in mutant oocytes and oocyte maturation failure due to absence of meiotic recombination. Our study thus illustrates the phenotypical characteristics and the genotype-phenotype correlations of meiotic DSB formation failure in humans.展开更多
Meiosis is a specialized eukaryotic cell division, in which diploid cells undergo a single round of DNA replication and two rounds of nuclear division to produce haploid gametes. In most eukaryotes, the core events of...Meiosis is a specialized eukaryotic cell division, in which diploid cells undergo a single round of DNA replication and two rounds of nuclear division to produce haploid gametes. In most eukaryotes, the core events of meiotic prophase I are chromosomal pairing,synapsis and recombination. To ensure accurate chromosomal segregation, homologs have to identify and align along each other at the onset of meiosis. Although much progress has been made in elucidating meiotic processes, information on the mechanisms underlying chromosome pairing is limited in contrast to the meiotic recombination and synapsis events. Recent research in many organisms indicated that centromere interactions during early meiotic prophase facilitate homologous chromosome pairing, and functional centromere is a prerequisite for centromere pairing such as in maize. Here, we summarize the recent achievements of chromosome pairing research on plants and other organisms, and outline centromere interactions, nuclear chromosome orientation,and meiotic cohesin, as main determinants of chromosome pairing in early meiotic prophase.展开更多
The complete process of meiosis was investigated in Pinus wallichiana, P. strobus and their artificial hybrid （F1） using microsporocytes. It is revealed that there were slightly lower chiasma frequency, lower ring b...The complete process of meiosis was investigated in Pinus wallichiana, P. strobus and their artificial hybrid （F1） using microsporocytes. It is revealed that there were slightly lower chiasma frequency, lower ring bivalent frequency, lower meiotic index and distinctly higher frequency of aberrance （chromosomal bridges, fragments or micronuclei） in pollen mother cells （PMCs） of the hybrid （F1） than those of the parental species, which showed a certain degree of differentiation between homologous chromosomes of the two parents. However, relatively higher frequency of ring bivalents and higher meiotic index in all the three entities indicate the great stability of genomes of parental species, and the differentiation of genomes between the two parents must have been slight. Total nineteen signal loci of 18S rDNA were observed in nine bivalents of the hybrid （F1）, among which one bivalent bears two loci, while the others have only one. It is suggested that distinct differentiation at genetic level existed in homologous chromosomes of the two parental species, whereas only slight differentiation at karyotypic and genomic levels take place between the parent species.展开更多
Background:Considering the increase in the proportion of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)cases among all lung cancers and its considerable contribution to cancer-related deaths worldwide,we sought to identify novel oncogenes...Background:Considering the increase in the proportion of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)cases among all lung cancers and its considerable contribution to cancer-related deaths worldwide,we sought to identify novel oncogenes to provide potential targets and facilitate a better understanding of the malignant progression of LUAD.Methods:The results from the screening of transcriptome and survival analyses according to the integrated Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)datasets and The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)data were combined,and a promising risk biomarker called meiotic nuclear divisions 1(MND1)was selectively acquired.Cell viability assays and subcutaneous xenograftmodelswere used to validate the oncogenic role ofMND1 in LUADcell proliferation and tumor growth.Aseries of assays,including mass spectrometry,co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP),and chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP),were performed to explore the underlying mechanism.Results:MND1 up-regulation was identified to be an independent risk factor for overall survival in LUAD patients evaluated by both tissue microarray staining and third party data analysis.In vivo and in vitro assays showed that MND1 promoted LUAD cell proliferation by regulating cell cycle.The results of the Co-IP,ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays validated that MND1 competitively bound to tumor suppressor Kruppel-like factor 6(KLF6),and thereby protecting E2F transcription factor 1(E2F1)from KLF6-induced transcriptional repression.Luciferase reporter and ChIP assays found that E2F1 activated MND1 transcription by binding to its promoter in a feedback manner.Conclusions:MND1,KLF6,and E2F1 form a positive feedback loop to regulate cell cycle and confer DDP resistance in LUAD.MND1 is crucial for malignant progression and may be a potential therapeutic target in LUAD patients.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC2702700)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82171586)+1 种基金Inner Mongolia Academy of Medical Sciences Public Hospital Joint Science and Technology Project(2023GLLH0045)Specific Project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for“Invigorating Inner Mongolia through Science and Technology”(2022XYJG001-01-19).
文摘Nonobstructive azoospermia(NOA),one of the most severe types of male infertility,etiology often remains unclear in most cases.Therefore,this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants(0.5%)in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2(MCMDC2)genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing(WES).Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients(c.1360G>T,c.1956G>T,and c.685C>T)and hypospermatogenesis in one patient(c.94G>T),as further confirmed through immunofluorescence(IF)staining.The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis.The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses.The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA,which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
文摘A novel method for predicting hotspots and coldspots using support vector machine （SVM） based on statistical learning theory is developed. This method is applied to published 303 hot and 48 cold open reading frames （ORFs） in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sequence features of general dinucleotide abundance and dinucleotide abundance based on codon usage are extracted, and then the data sets are classified with different parameters and kernel functions combined with the method of two-fold cross validation. The result indicates that 87.47% accuracy can be reached when classifying hot and cold ORF sequences with the kernel of radial basis function combined with dinucleotide abundance based on codon usage.
基金This study was supported by Genome Tagging Project and grants from the Chinese Academy of Sciences,the National Key Research and Development Program of China,Shanghai Municipal Commission for Science and Technology,and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(XDB19010204,2019YFA0109900,OYZDJ-SSW-SMC023Facility-based Open Research Program,19411951800,17JC1420102,31821004,32030029,31730062,31530048,and 81672117)The research is partly supported by the Fountain-Valley Life Sciences Fund of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Education Foundation。
文摘Azoospermia patients who carry a monogenetic mutation that causes meiotic arrest may have their biological child through genetic correction in spermatogonial stem cells(SSCs).However,such therapy for infertility has not been experimentally investigated yet.In this study,a mouse model with an X-linked testis-expressed 11(TEX11)mutation(Tex11PM/Y)identified in azoospermia patients exhibited meiotic arrest due to aberrant chromosome segregation.Tex11PM/Y SSCs could be isolated and expanded in vitro normally,and the mutation was corrected by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated endonuclease 9(Cas9),leading to the generation of repaired SSC lines.Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated that the mutation rate in repaired SSCs is comparable with that of autonomous mutation in untreated Tex11PM/Y SSCs,and no predicted off-target sites are modified.Repaired SSCs could restore spermatogenesis in infertile males and give rise to fertile offspring at a high efficiency.In summary,our study establishes a paradigm for the treatment of male azoospermia by combining in vitro expansion of SSCs and gene therapy.
基金the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong Province(2019GSF108237)the Young Scholars Program of Shandong University(2016WLJH50)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2017MH049).
文摘There are many unknown genetic factors that lead to infertility in nonobstructive azoospermia men.Here,we performed whole-exome sequencing in blood samples obtained from 40 azoospermia patients with meiotic arrest and found a novel c.151_154del(p.D51fs)frame-shift mutation in exon 3 of the testis expressed 11(TEX11)gene in one patient.Sanger sequencing analysis of the patient and 288 fertile men was performed to validate the mutation.Immunohistochemical analysis showed TEX11 expression in late-pachytene spermatocytes and in round spermatids in fertile human testes.In contrast,testes of the patient with TEX11 mutation underwent meiotic arrest and lacked TEX11 expression.Western blotting of human embryonic kidney(HEK293)cells transfected with a vector for the p.D51fs TEX11 variant detected no TEX11 expression.In conclusion,we identified a novel frame-shift mutation in the TEX11 gene in an azoospermia patient,emphasizing that this gene should be included in genetic screening panels for the clinical evaluation of azoospermia patients.
基金supported by grants from the National High-Tech R&D Program (No. 2011AA100303)the National Key Technology R&D Program (No. 2011BAD19B01)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 31271253)
文摘Background： The p21-activated kinase 1 （PAK1）is essential of microtubule assembly during oocyte meiotic maturation porcine oocytes. for mitosis and plays an important role in the regulatio in mice; however, little is known about its role in Result： Total p21-activated kinase 1 （PAK1） and phosphorylated PAK1 at Thr423 （PAK1^Thr423） were consistently expressed in porcine oocytes from the germinal vesicle （GV） to the second metaphase （MII） stages, but phosphorylation of histone H3 at Serr10 （H3^ser10） was only expressed after the GV stage. Immunofiuorescence analysis revealed that PAK1Thr423 and H3^ser10 colocalized on chromosomes after the GV stage. Blocking of endogenous PAK1^Thr423 by injecting a specific antibody decreased the phosphorylation level of H3^ser10; however, it had no impact on chromatin condensation, meiotic progression, cleavage rate of blastomeres or the rate of blastocyst formation. Conclusion： Phosphorylation of PAK1^Thr423 is a spontaneous activation process and the activated PAK1^Thr423 can promote the phosphorylation of H3^ser10; however, this pathway is not required for meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes or early embryonic development.
基金funded by Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects(Grant No.2019FD030)Major Science and Technology Project of Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology(Grant Nos.2019ZG006,202102AE090052)Ten-thousand Talents Program of Yunnan Province–Yunling Scholar of Industrial Technology Leading Talent Project(Grant No.Yun Fagai Renshi[2018]No.212)。
文摘Gerbera Hybrida is one of the important cut flowers across the world.The novel traits are the primarily market requirements and the breeding targets,mainly determined by the degree of genetic variation after hybridization.However,meiotic recombination is highly conserved in most eukaryotes which suppressed the crossover formation and limited the genetic diversity.Recently,several meiotic recombination suppressors have been identified and characterized in plants,whereas it remains elusive in G.hybrida.In order to characterize the expression patterns of these suppressors in G.hybrida,20 candidate reference genes were identified from the transcriptome datasets of G.hybrida,and their expression stabilities during plant development were evaluated by geNorm,NormFinder and BestKeeper.Although the most stable reference genes were variable in different softwares,comprehensive ranking revealed that PGK2 was the most stable reference gene and GAPDH was the most unstable one.The expression patterns of FANCM,FIGL1,RECQ4,RM1,and FLIP further validated that PGK2 was suitable for normalization of gene expression.Our study identified a reliable reference gene for gene expression during meiotic recombination,and provided functional insights into meiotic recombination suppressors in G.hybrida.
文摘Mouse oocytes undergo polarization during meiotic maturation, and this polarization is essential for asymmetric cell divisions that maximize retention of maternal components required for early development. Without conventional centrosomes, the meiotic spindle has less focused poles and is barrel-shaped. The migration of meiotic spindles to the cortex is accompanied by a local reorganization and polarization of the cortex. LGN is a conserved protein involved in cell polarity and regulation of spindle organization. In the present study, we characterized the localization dynamics of LGN during mouse oocyte maturation and analyzed the effects of LGN upregulation and downregulation on meiotic spindle organization. At the germinal vesicle stage, LGN is distributed both cytoplasmically and at the cortex. During maturation, LGN localizes to the meiotic spindle apparatus and cortical LGN becomes less concentrated at the actin cap region. Excessive LGN induces meiotic spindle organization defects by elongating the spindle and enhancing pole focusing, whereas depletion of LGN by RNA interference results in meiotic spindle deformation and chromosome misalignment. Furthermore, the N-terminus of LGN has the ability of full-length LGN to regulate spindle organization, whereas the C-terminus of LGN controls cortical localization and polarization. Our results reveal that LGN is cortically polarized in mouse oocytes and is critical for meiotic spindle organization.
基金supported by the Wuhan Branch,Supercomputing Center,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Chinasupported by the National Aquatic Biological Resource Center(NABRC)+4 种基金supported by the Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education,Chinese Academy of Sciences(ZDBS-LY-SM026)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32370457,32122015,32130011,31900316,and 31900339)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB0480000)PJA3 grant of ARC Foundation(ARCPJA2021060003830)Equipes 2022 grant of Foundation Recherche Medicale(EQU202203014651).
文摘Meiotic recombination is essential for sexual reproduction and its regulation has been extensively studied in many taxa.However,genome-wide recombination landscape has not been reported in ciliates and it remains unknown how it is affected by the unique features of ciliates:the synaptonemal complex(SC)-independent meiosis and the nuclear dimorphism.Here,we show the recombination landscape in the model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila by analyzing single-nucleotide polymorphism datasets from 38 hybrid progeny.We detect 1021 crossover(CO)events(35.8 per meiosis),corresponding to an overall CO rate of 9.9 cM/Mb.However,gene conversion by non-crossover is rare(1.03 per meiosis)and not biased towards G or C alleles.Consistent with the reported roles of SC in CO interference,we find no obvious sign of CO interference.CO tends to occur within germ-soma common genomic regions and many of the 44 identified CO hotspots localize at the centromeric or subtelomeric regions.Gene ontology analyses show that CO hotspots are strongly associated with genes responding to environmental changes.We discuss these results with respect to how nuclear dimorphism has potentially driven the formation of the observed recombination landscape to facilitate environmental adaptation and the sharing of machinery among meiotic and somatic recombination.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31822053,31900592)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(SBK2019043265)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2019M651849).
文摘Background:CK2(casein kinase 2)is a serine/threonine-selective protein kinase that has been involved in a variety of cellular processes such as DNA repair,cell cycle control and circadian rhythm regulation.However,its functional roles in oocyte meiosis have not been fully determined.Results:We report that CK2 is essential for porcine oocyte meiotic maturation by regulating spindle assembly checkpoint(SAC).Immunostaining and immunoblotting analysis showed that CK2 was constantly expressed and located on the chromosomes during the entire oocyte meiotic maturation.Inhibition of CK2 activity by its selective inhibitor CX-4945 impaired the first polar body extrusion and arrested oocytes at M I stage,accompanied by the presence of BubR1 at kinetochores,indicative of activated SAC.In addition,we found that spindle/chromosome structure was disrupted in CK2-inhibited oocytes due to the weakened microtubule stability,which is a major cause resulting in the activation of SAC.Last,we found that the level DNA damage as assessed byγH2A.X staining was considerably elevated when CK2 was inhibited,suggesting that DNA damage might be another critical factor leading to the SAC activation and meiotic failure of oocytes.Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate that CK2 promotes the porcine oocyte maturation by ensuring normal spindle assembly and DNA damage repair.
文摘The meiotic process in Noctiluca scintillans were observed under light microscope. Some abnormal cell divisions, incompletely separated "zoospores" and the changes of the zoospores are described in this paper. Together with the findings of field samplings and the previous results by other researchers, the process of meiosis in N. scintillans was supposed to be a pathway to reduce the extra high density of NH 3-N within the cell in order to ensure normal population growth.
基金supported by the Research Foundation of Jilin Provincial Science&Technology Development(20210204164YY,YDZJ202201ZYTS524,20230204067YY,20230204069YY)Jilin Province Development and Reform Commission(2022C044-3)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(135131002)。
文摘Serine protease 50(PRSS50/TSP50)is highly expressed in spermatocytes.Our study investigated its role in testicular development and spermatogenesis.Initially,PRSS50 knockdown was observed to impair DNA synthesis in spermatocytes.To further explore this,we generated PRSS50 knockout(Prss50^(−/−))mice(Mus musculus),which exhibited abnormal spermatid nuclear compression and reduced male fertility.Furthermore,dysplastic seminiferous tubules and decreased sex hormones were observed in 4-week-old Prss50^(−/−)mice,accompanied by meiotic progression defects and increased apoptosis of spermatogenic cells.Mechanistic analysis indicated that PRSS50 deletion resulted in increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2(ERK1/2)and elevated levels of MAP kinase phosphatase 3(MKP3),a specific ERK antagonist,potentially accounting for testicular dysplasia in adolescent Prss50−/−mice.Taken together,these findings suggest that PRSS50 plays an important role in testicular development and spermatogenesis,with the MKP3/ERK signaling pathway playing a significant role in this process.
文摘We report in this paper primary studies on interspecific species of cotton vis GISH(genomic in situ hybridization).We use interspecific triploid hybrids(F1 from hybridization of allotetraploid cultivated species with diploid A,D,or C genome species) and two cultivated tetraploids to study
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32230029,81925015,32270898,32400709,and 32400714)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC2702600)+2 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2024M760638 and 2024M760640)the Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou(2023A03J0886)the plan on enhancing scientific research in GMU.
文摘R-loops play various roles in many physiological processes,however,their role in meiotic division remains largely unknown.Here we show that R-loops and their regulator RNase H1 are present at centromeres during oocyte meiotic divisions.Proper centromeric R-loops are essential to ensure chromosome alignment in oocytes during metaphase I(MI).Remarkably,both Rnaseh1 knockout and overexpression in oocytes lead to severe spindle assembly defects and chromosome misalignment due to dysregulation of R-loops at centromeres.Furthermore,we find that replication protein A(RPA)is recruited to centromeric R-loops,facilitating the deposition of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related(ATR)kinase at centromeres by interacting with the ATR-interaction protein(ATRIP).The ATR kinase deposition triggers the activity of CHK1,stimulating the phosphorylation of Aurora B to finally promote proper spindle assembly and chromosome alignment at the equatorial plate.Most importantly,the application of ATR,CHK1,and Aurora B inhibitors could efficiently rescue the defects in spindle assembly and chromosome alignment due to RNase H1 deficiency in oocytes.Overall,our findings uncover a critical role of R-loops during mouse oocyte meiotic divisions,suggesting that dysregulation of R-loops may be associated with female infertility.Additionally,ATR,CHK1,and Aurora B inhibitors may potentially be used to treat some infertile patients.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32370862)Basic Public Welfare Research Program of Zhejiang Province(LY22C120001)Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(LQ24C120002).
文摘Microplastics(MPs)are considered one of the main causes of male and female infertility.However,the reproductive toxicity and its related mechanisms are currently understood primarily through animal models with acute exposure to MPs.In this study,we demonstrate that lowdose exposure to polystyrene microplastics(PSMPs)leads to severely abnormal reproduction in females,manifested by oocyte meiotic maturation defect.Mechanistically,PSMPs exposure induce the overactivation of cell metabolism pathways,insufficient HDACs,and H4K16 hyperacetylation in oocytes both in vivo and in vitro.When an HDAC3 inhibitor is added,the oocyte maturation defect,overactivation of cell metabolism pathways,and H4K16 hyperacetylation are recapitulated.Conversely,the overexpression of HDAC3 can rescue the defects in meiotic maturation induced by PSMPs.Our observations suggest a direct link between the maturation defects caused by PSMPs and HDAC3 insufficiency.Thus,we propose potential treatments to address the meiotic maturation defect of oocytes in women highly exposed to MPs by activating or supplying HDAC3.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Developmental Program of China (2018YFC1003700, 2016YFC1000600, 2018YFC1003400 and 2018YFC1004700)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB19000000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31890780, 31630050, 31871514 and 31771668)。
文摘Meiosis is pivotal for sexual reproduction and fertility. Meiotic programmed DNA double-strand breaks(DSBs) initiate homologous recombination, ensuring faithful chromosome segregation and generation of gametes. However, few studies have focused on meiotic DSB formation in human reproduction.Here, we report four infertile siblings born to a consanguineous marriage, with three brothers suffering from non-obstructive azoospermia and one sister suffering from unexplained infertility with normal menstrual cycles and normal ovary sizes with follicular activity. An autosomal recessive mutation in TOP6BL was found co-segregating with infertility in this family. Investigation of one male patient revealed failure in programmed meiotic DSB formation and meiotic arrest prior to pachytene stage of prophase I.Mouse models carrying similar mutations to that in patients recapitulated the spermatogenic abnormalities of the patient. Pathogenicity of the mutation in the female patient was supported by observations in mice that meiotic programmed DSBs failed to form in mutant oocytes and oocyte maturation failure due to absence of meiotic recombination. Our study thus illustrates the phenotypical characteristics and the genotype-phenotype correlations of meiotic DSB formation failure in humans.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31600994.31630049)
文摘Meiosis is a specialized eukaryotic cell division, in which diploid cells undergo a single round of DNA replication and two rounds of nuclear division to produce haploid gametes. In most eukaryotes, the core events of meiotic prophase I are chromosomal pairing,synapsis and recombination. To ensure accurate chromosomal segregation, homologs have to identify and align along each other at the onset of meiosis. Although much progress has been made in elucidating meiotic processes, information on the mechanisms underlying chromosome pairing is limited in contrast to the meiotic recombination and synapsis events. Recent research in many organisms indicated that centromere interactions during early meiotic prophase facilitate homologous chromosome pairing, and functional centromere is a prerequisite for centromere pairing such as in maize. Here, we summarize the recent achievements of chromosome pairing research on plants and other organisms, and outline centromere interactions, nuclear chromosome orientation,and meiotic cohesin, as main determinants of chromosome pairing in early meiotic prophase.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30121003)
文摘The complete process of meiosis was investigated in Pinus wallichiana, P. strobus and their artificial hybrid （F1） using microsporocytes. It is revealed that there were slightly lower chiasma frequency, lower ring bivalent frequency, lower meiotic index and distinctly higher frequency of aberrance （chromosomal bridges, fragments or micronuclei） in pollen mother cells （PMCs） of the hybrid （F1） than those of the parental species, which showed a certain degree of differentiation between homologous chromosomes of the two parents. However, relatively higher frequency of ring bivalents and higher meiotic index in all the three entities indicate the great stability of genomes of parental species, and the differentiation of genomes between the two parents must have been slight. Total nineteen signal loci of 18S rDNA were observed in nine bivalents of the hybrid （F1）, among which one bivalent bears two loci, while the others have only one. It is suggested that distinct differentiation at genetic level existed in homologous chromosomes of the two parental species, whereas only slight differentiation at karyotypic and genomic levels take place between the parent species.
基金Project of Jiangsu Provincial Medical Talent,Grant/Award Number:ZDRCA2016033China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,Grant/Award Number:2018M640465+2 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:81672295,81702265,81802277,81872378Research Program of Jiangsu Health Department,Grant/Award Number:LGY2016025Social Development Project of Jiangsu Province,Grant/Award Number:BE2019758。
文摘Background:Considering the increase in the proportion of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)cases among all lung cancers and its considerable contribution to cancer-related deaths worldwide,we sought to identify novel oncogenes to provide potential targets and facilitate a better understanding of the malignant progression of LUAD.Methods:The results from the screening of transcriptome and survival analyses according to the integrated Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)datasets and The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)data were combined,and a promising risk biomarker called meiotic nuclear divisions 1(MND1)was selectively acquired.Cell viability assays and subcutaneous xenograftmodelswere used to validate the oncogenic role ofMND1 in LUADcell proliferation and tumor growth.Aseries of assays,including mass spectrometry,co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP),and chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP),were performed to explore the underlying mechanism.Results:MND1 up-regulation was identified to be an independent risk factor for overall survival in LUAD patients evaluated by both tissue microarray staining and third party data analysis.In vivo and in vitro assays showed that MND1 promoted LUAD cell proliferation by regulating cell cycle.The results of the Co-IP,ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays validated that MND1 competitively bound to tumor suppressor Kruppel-like factor 6(KLF6),and thereby protecting E2F transcription factor 1(E2F1)from KLF6-induced transcriptional repression.Luciferase reporter and ChIP assays found that E2F1 activated MND1 transcription by binding to its promoter in a feedback manner.Conclusions:MND1,KLF6,and E2F1 form a positive feedback loop to regulate cell cycle and confer DDP resistance in LUAD.MND1 is crucial for malignant progression and may be a potential therapeutic target in LUAD patients.
