Project description:We identified genes expressed in mouse liver that are regulated by Cux2, a highly female-specific liver transcription factor whose expression is regulated by sex-dependent plasma GH patterns. Using siRNA to knockdown Cux2 expression in female liver, we show that female specific genes are predominantly repressed by Cux2 knockdown. In contrast, similar numbers of male-biased genes are repressed as are induced by Cux2 knockdown. A scrambled, non-specific siRNA was used as a control. (Published in: TL Conforto et al 2012, Mol Cell Biol. 2012, 32:4611-4627. PubMed PMID: 22966202; PMCID: PMC3486175)
Project description:RNA-sequencing analysis was utilized to investigate the impact of Trps1 knockdown via siRNA on transcriptome profiling in mouse primary Leydig cells compared to the Negative siRNA
Project description:Methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is the active metabolite of the widely used industrial chemical ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, an established testicular toxicant. MAA induces the degradation of testicular germ cells in association with changes in gene expression in both germ cells and Sertoli cells of the testis. This study investigates the impact of MAA on gene expression in testicular Leydig cells, which play a critical role in germ cell survival and male reproductive function. Cultured mouse TM3 Leydig cells were treated with MAA for 3, 8, and 24 h and global gene expression was monitored by microarray analysis. A total of 3,912 MAA-responsive genes were identified. Ingenuity Pathway analysis identified reproductive system disease, inflammatory disease and connective tissue disorder as the top biological functions affected by MAA. The MAA-responsive genes were classified into 1,366 early responders, 1,387 mid-responders, and 1,138 late responders, based on the time required for MAA to elicit a response. Analysis of enriched functional clusters for each subgroup identified 106 MAA early response genes involved in transcription regulation, including 32 genes associated with developmental processes and 60 DNA-binding proteins that responded to MAA rapidly but transiently, and which may contribute to the downstream effects of MAA seen for large numbers of mid and late response genes. Genes within the phosphatidylinositol/phospholipase C/calcium signaling pathway, whose activity is required for potentiation of nuclear receptor signaling by MAA, were also enriched in the set of early MAA response genes. These findings on the progressive changes in gene expression induced by MAA in Leydig cells may help elucidate the signaling pathways perturbed by this testicular toxicant and explain its mechanism of toxicity at the gene level.
Project description:We identified genes expressed in mouse liver that are regulated by Cux2, a highly female-specific liver transcription factor whose expression is regulated by sex-dependent plasma GH patterns. Using siRNA to knockdown Cux2 expression in female liver, we show that female specific genes are predominantly repressed by Cux2 knockdown. In contrast, similar numbers of male-biased genes are repressed as are induced by Cux2 knockdown. A scrambled, non-specific siRNA was used as a control. (Published in Molec Cell Biology, TL Conforto et al, 2012) Liver RNA isolated from the following 3 groups of mice was used in the present study: (1) 8 wk old female mice treated with non-specific siRNA control (n = 13; 6 or 7 per each pool); (2) 8 wk old female mice treated with Cux2 siRNA and euthanized 5 days later (n = 5; 2 or 3 per each pool); (3) 8 wk old female mice treated with Cux2 siRNA and euthanized 8 days later (n = 4; 2 per each pool). These RNA pools were used in two separate sets of competitive hybridization experiments: 1) 8 wk non-specific siRNA treated vs. 8 wk Cux2 siRNA treated for 5 days; 2) 8 wk non-specific siRNA treated vs. 8 wk Cux2 siRNA treated for 8 days. Fluorescent labeling of RNA and hybridization of the Alexa 555-labeled (green) and Alexa 647-labeled (red) RNA samples to Agilent Mouse Gene Expression 4x44k v1 microarrays (Agilent Technology, Palo Alto, CA; catalog # G4122F-014868) were carried out, with dye swapping for each of the two hybridization experiments to eliminate dye bias. Two microarrays, one for each mixed cDNA sample, were hybridized for each of the two fluorescent reverse pairs, giving a total of 4 microarrays.
Project description:Methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is the active metabolite of the widely used industrial chemical ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, an established testicular toxicant. MAA induces the degradation of testicular germ cells in association with changes in gene expression in both germ cells and Sertoli cells of the testis. This study investigates the impact of MAA on gene expression in testicular Leydig cells, which play a critical role in germ cell survival and male reproductive function. Cultured mouse TM3 Leydig cells were treated with MAA for 3, 8, and 24 h and global gene expression was monitored by microarray analysis. A total of 3,912 MAA-responsive genes were identified. Ingenuity Pathway analysis identified reproductive system disease, inflammatory disease and connective tissue disorder as the top biological functions affected by MAA. The MAA-responsive genes were classified into 1,366 early responders, 1,387 mid-responders, and 1,138 late responders, based on the time required for MAA to elicit a response. Analysis of enriched functional clusters for each subgroup identified 106 MAA early response genes involved in transcription regulation, including 32 genes associated with developmental processes and 60 DNA-binding proteins that responded to MAA rapidly but transiently, and which may contribute to the downstream effects of MAA seen for large numbers of mid and late response genes. Genes within the phosphatidylinositol/phospholipase C/calcium signaling pathway, whose activity is required for potentiation of nuclear receptor signaling by MAA, were also enriched in the set of early MAA response genes. These findings on the progressive changes in gene expression induced by MAA in Leydig cells may help elucidate the signaling pathways perturbed by this testicular toxicant and explain its mechanism of toxicity at the gene level. Mouse TM3 Leydig cells (American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA) were grown in DMEM-F12 medium containing 5% horse serum and 2.5% FBS. Cells were grown to ~60% confluence and treated with culture medium alone, or with culture medium containing 1 mM or 5 mM MAA for either 3, 8 or 24 h. Total RNA was then isolated using TRIzol reagent, followed by incubation with RQ1 RNAse-free DNAse for 1 h at 37°C and then heating at 75°C for 5 min using the manufacturerâs protocol. A total of 6 cultures of TM3 cells were independently treated with MAA under each of the 6 treatment conditions specified above (i.e., 1 mM or 5 mM MAA for either 3, 8 or 24 h), and the corresponding 6 sets of RNA samples were validated by RNA integrity analysis (Agilent Bioanalyzer). Each RNA sample was also validated by qPCR analysis using SYBR Green I-based chemistry and primers specific for 3 genes known to respond to MAA (Cyp17a1, Shbg, and Igfbp3) to verify consistency of the MAA responses. The 6 RNA samples were then used to prepare two independent pools (n=3 RNA samples each) for microarray analysis with dye swaps. Sample labeling, hybridization to microarrays, scanning and calculation of normalized expression ratios were carried out at the Wayne State University Institute of Environmental Health Sciences microarray facility using Alexa 555 and Alexa 647 aminoallyl-aRNA samples
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:Testosterone production by Leydig cells is a tightly regulated process requiring synchronized expression of several steroidogenic genes by numerous transcription factors. Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) is a transcription factor recently identified in somatic cells of the male gonad. In other tissues, MEF2 is an essential regulator of organogenesis and cell differentiation. So far in the testis, MEF2 was found to regulate Leydig cell steroidogenesis by controlling Nr4a1 and Star gene expression. To expand our understanding of the role of MEF2 in Leydig cells, we performed microarray analyses of MA-10 Leydig cells depleted in MEF2 and results were analyzed using the Partek and IPA softwares. Several genes were differentially expressed in MEF2-depleted Leydig cells and 15 were validated by qPCR. A large number of these genes are known to be involved in fertility, gonad morphology and steroidogenesis and include Pde8a, Por, Ahr, Bmal1, Cyp1a1, Cyp1b1, Map2k1, Tsc22d3, Nr0b2, Smad4, and Star, which were all downregulated in the absence of MEF2. In silico analyses revealed the presence of MEF2 binding sites within the first 2 kb upstream the transcription start site of the Por, Bmal1, and Nr0b2 promoters, which suggests a direct regulation by MEF2. Using transient transfections in MA-10 Leydig cells, siRNA knockdown, and a MEF2-Engrailed dominant negative, we found that MEF2 activates the Por, Bmal1 and Nr0b2 promoters and that this requires an intact MEF2 element. Our results identify novel target genes for MEF2 and define MEF2 as an important regulator of Leydig cell function and male reproduction. MA-10 Leydig cells were treated with siRNA MEF2A/2D (siRNA MEF2) or scrambled siRNA as control (siRNA Ctrl) 48h before total RNA extraction.