Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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The mouse cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase NSun2 is a component of the chromatoid body and required for testis differentiation

ABSTRACT: Post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms are crucial for protein synthesis during spermatogenesis and often organized by the chromatoid body. Chromatoid bodies are large cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules, whose precise function and composition remain unclear. Here, we identify NSun2 as a novel component of the chromatoid body, and further show that this RNA methylase is essential for germ cell differentiation in the mouse testis. Lack of NSun2 leads to down-regulation of genes controlling RNA processing and post-transcriptional repression pathways, including Ddx4, Mili, Piwil1 (Miwi) and Tudor domain containing (Tdrd) proteins. Germ cell differentiation was blocked specifically at the pachytene stage by lack of NSun2, as spermatogonial and Sertoli cells were unaffected in knockout mice. We observed the same phenotype when we simultaneously deleted NSun2 with Dnmt2, the only other characterized cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase to date, indicating that Dnmt2 was not functionally redundant for NSun2 in spermatogonial stem cells or Sertoli cells. Thus, our data indicate that RNA methylation pathways play an essential role in male germ cell differentiation. Four sample groups: Testes from Wild-type and NSun2 knock out mice at 15 and 49 days; 6 samples in each group

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Suraj Menon

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-39480 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:Spermatogenesis is dependent primarily on testosterone action on the Sertoli cells. Although the identification of testosterone-regulated target genes in Sertoli cells has been approached using microarray analysis to compare gene expression in mice with androgen receptor (AR) elimination in the Sertoli cells (SCARKO) and wild type mice, the analysis has been complicated by alteration of germ cell composition of the testis when pubertal or adult mice were used and differences in Sertoli-cell gene expression from those in adult when prepubertal mice were used. Since the testicular cell components of adult jsd (Utp14bjsd ,juvenile spermatogonial depletion) mice and SCARKO-jsd mice are essentially identical, consisting of only type A spermatogonia and somatic cells, comparisons of gene expression profiles between jsd and SCARKO-jsd testes would identify AR regulated genes in adult Sertoli cells, with minimum effects of cell number changes. Microarray analysis identified 161 genes as downregulated and 202 genes as upregulated in the SCARKO-jsd mice compared to jsd mice. Some of the genes identified in the previous studies, including Rhox5, Drd4, and Fhod3, were also AR-regulated in the jsd testes but others, such as proteases and components of junctional complexes, were not androgen regulated in our model. Surprisingly, a set of germ-cell-specific genes preferentially expressed in differentiated spermatogonia and meiotic cells, including Meig1, Sycp3, and Ddx4, were all upregulated about 2-fold in SCARKO-jsd testes, demonstrating that, although there was no significant differentiation to spermatocytes in SCARKO-jsd mice, AR-regulated genes in Sertoli cells are involved in the regulation of spermatogonial differentiation. Further gene ontogeny analysis revealed possible sets of genes whose expression changes may be involved in the disruption of Sertoli cell organization in SCARKO-jsd testes. Comparisons of gene expression profiles between the testis of jsd mice (n=3) and SCARKO-jsd mice (n=3).

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The mouse cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase NSun2 is a component of the chromatoid body and required for testis differentiation

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