Project description:Male germ cell meiosis is essential for generating haploid spermatozoa in mice. Here, we investigate the essential role of DIS3 in male germ cell meiosis in mice. Conditional inactivation of DIS3 in spermatocytes with Stra8-cre transgenic mice have severely impaired meiotic progression, which results in defective meiosis and spermatogenesis. RNA-seq analysis reveals that Dis3 deficiency causes significant dysregulation of the expression of transcripts in mutant testes. Meiosis-associated genes are significantly decreased in the absence of DIS3. Therefore, we show that DIS3 ribonuclease plays a critical role in germ cell meiosis during spermatogenesis in mice.
Project description:Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) self-renewal and differentiation are the foundation for continious spermatognenesis in mice. Here, we investigate the essential role of DIS3 in maintaining SSC homeostasis and facilitating germ cell differentiation to ensure male fertility. Conditional inactivation of DIS3 in male germ cells have severely impaired SSC self-renewal and differentiation, which results in the failure of spermatogenesis associated with a Sertoli cell-only syndrome and adult sterility. RNA-seq analysis reveales that Dis3 deficiency abolishes its nucleolytic activity and causes significant dysregulation of the expression of transcripts in Dis3 mutant testes. We have also found that the pervasive transcription products described previously, such as Promoter Upstream Transcripts (PROMPTs), accumulate robustly upon DIS3 dysfunction in Dis3 cKO testes. In addition, scRNA-seq analysis indicates that DIS3 mutation significantly impairs germline stem cell development that blocks stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Overall, we show that DIS3 ribonuclease plays a critical role in the maintenance of spermatogenic lineage during spermatogenesis in mice.
Project description:Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) self-renewal and differentiation are the foundation for continious spermatognenesis in mice. Here, we investigate the essential role of DIS3 in maintaining SSC homeostasis and facilitating germ cell differentiation to ensure male fertility. Conditional inactivation of DIS3 in male germ cells have severely impaired SSC self-renewal and differentiation, which results in the failure of spermatogenesis associated with a Sertoli cell-only syndrome and adult sterility. RNA-seq analysis reveals that Dis3 deficiency abolishes its nucleolytic activity and causes significant dysregulation of the expression of transcripts in Dis3 mutant testes. We have also found that the pervasive transcription products described previously, such as Promoter Upstream Transcripts (PROMPTs), accumulate robustly upon DIS3 dysfunction in Dis3 cKO testes. In addition, scRNA-seq analysis indicates that DIS3 mutation significantly impairs germline stem cell development that blocks stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Overall, we show that DIS3 ribonuclease plays a critical role in the maintenance of spermatogenic lineage during spermatogenesis in mice.
Project description:Male germ cell development requires precise regulation of gene activity, in a cell-type and stage-specific manner, with perturbations in gene expression during spermatogenesis associated with infertility. Here, we use both steady-state and nascent RNA sequencing strategies to comprehensively characterize gene expression across male germ cell populations, to dissect the mechanisms of gene control and provide new insights towards therapy. We discover a requirement for pausing of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) at the earliest stages of sperm differentiation to establish the landscape of gene activity across development. Accordingly, genetic knockout of the Pol II pause-inducing factor NELF in immature germ cells impairs differentiation to mature spermatids. Moreover, our work reveals unanticipated roles for Pol II pausing in the regulation of meiosis during spermatogenesis, with the presence of paused Pol II influencing double strand break formation by Spo11, and disruption of Spo11 expression in germ cells lacking NELF.
Project description:Male germ cell meiosis is essential for generating haploid spermatozoa in mice. Here, we investigate the essential role of DIS3L2 in male germ cell meiosis in mice. Conditional inactivation of DIS3L2 in spermatocytes with Stra8-cre transgenic mice have severely impaired meiotic progression, which results in defective meosis and spermatogenesis associated with a Sertoli cell-only syndrome and adult sterility. RNA-seq analysis reveales that Dis3l2 deficiency causes significant dysregulation of the expression of transcripts in mutant testes. Meiosis-assocaited genes are significantly decreased in the absence of DIS3L2. Therefore, we show that DIS3L2 ribonuclease plays a critical role in germ cell meiosis during spermatogenesis in mice.
Project description:Male germ cell development requires precise regulation of gene activity in a cell-type and stage-specific manner, with perturbations in gene expression during spermatogenesis associated with infertility. Here, we use steady-state, nascent and single-cell RNA sequencing strategies to comprehensively characterize gene expression across male germ cell populations, to dissect the mechanisms of gene control and provide new insights towards therapy. We discover a requirement for pausing of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) at the earliest stages of sperm differentiation to establish the landscape of gene activity across development. Accordingly, genetic knockout of the Pol II pause-inducing factor NELF in immature germ cells blocks differentiation to spermatids. Further, we uncover unanticipated roles for Pol II pausing in the regulation of meiosis during spermatogenesis, with the presence of paused Pol II associated with double strand break (DSB) formation, and disruption of meiotic gene expression and DSB repair in germ cells lacking NELF.
Project description:Male germ cell development requires precise regulation of gene activity in a cell-type and stage-specific manner, with perturbations in gene expression during spermatogenesis associated with infertility. Here, we use steady-state, nascent and single-cell RNA sequencing strategies to comprehensively characterize gene expression across male germ cell populations, to dissect the mechanisms of gene control and provide new insights towards therapy. We discover a requirement for pausing of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) at the earliest stages of sperm differentiation to establish the landscape of gene activity across development. Accordingly, genetic knockout of the Pol II pause-inducing factor NELF in immature germ cells blocks differentiation to spermatids. Further, we uncover unanticipated roles for Pol II pausing in the regulation of meiosis during spermatogenesis, with the presence of paused Pol II associated with double strand break (DSB) formation, and disruption of meiotic gene expression and DSB repair in germ cells lacking NELF.
Project description:WIN 18,446/RA treatment of neonatal mice was used to synchronize the initial wave of spermatogenesis and identify novel messages expressed within either germ or Sertoli cells as spermatogonia enter meiosis. germ cell-specific (Stra8-cre: RiboTag; or Ngn3-cre:RiboTag) and Sertoli cell-specific (Amh-Cre: RiboTag)
Project description:We report a comprehensive large-scale expression profiling analysis of mammalian male germ cells undergoing mitotic growth, meiosis and gametogenesis using High Density Oligonucleotide Microarrays and highly enriched cell populations. Among 11955 rat loci investigated, 1268 were identified as differentially transcribed in germ cells at subsequent developmental stages as compared to total testis, somatic Sertoli cells as well as brain and skeletal muscle controls. The loci were organized into four expression clusters that correspond to somatic, mitotic, meiotic and post-meiotic cell types. This work provides information about expression patterns of approximately 200 genes known to be important during male germ cell development. Approximately 40 of those are included in a group of 121 transcripts for which we report germ cell expression and lack of transcription in three somatic control cell types. Moreover, we demonstrate the testicular expression and transcriptional induction in mitotic, meiotic and/or post-meiotic germ cells of 293 as yet uncharacterized transcripts some of which are likely to encode factors involved in spermatogenesis and fertility. This group also contains numerous potential germ cell specific targets for innovative contraceptives. A graphical display of the data is conveniently accessible through the GermOnline database at http://www.germonline.org.
Project description:WIN 18,446/RA treatment of neonatal mice was used to synchronize the initial wave of spermatogenesis and identify novel messages expressed within either germ or Sertoli cells as spermatogonia enter meiosis.