Project description:This study investigates the impact of Dexamethasone on sperm RNA in mice. Using RNA sequencing we find that Dexamethasone impacts the sperm payload significantly 2 weeks post intra peritoneal administration. Sperm RNA was sequenced 14 days following 2mg/kg dexamethasone or vehicle intraperitoneal injection.
Project description:2-cell embryo RNA was sequenced following IVF of naive untreated oocytes with sperm harvested 2 weeks after 2mg/kg dexamethasone or vehicle intraperitoneal injection in males.
Project description: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) vs. distal (cauda) epididymis, then characterized development of the resulting embryos. Embryos generated using caput sperm significantly overexpress multiple regulatory factors throughout preimplantation development, and subsequently implant inefficiently and fail soon after implantation. Remarkably, microinjection of purified cauda-specific small RNAs into caput-derived embryos not only completely rescued preimplantation molecular defects, but also suppressed the postimplantation embryonic lethality phenotype. These findings reveal an essential role for small RNA remodeling during post-testicular maturation of mammalian sperm, and identify a specific preimplantation gene expression program responsive to sperm-delivered microRNAs.
Project description:Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) have been proposed as potential vectors of the interface between genes and environment. Here, we report that environmental conditions involving traumatic stress in early life, alter miRNA and piRNA composition in sperm of adult males in mice. Examination of small RNA content of sperm from males, that experienced early chronic stress during their first two weeks of life versus small RNA content of sperm from control males.