Zoological Research最新文献

{"title":"<i>Myotis</i> bat STING attenuates aging-related inflammation in female mice.","authors":"Xi Wang, Jing-Kun Jia, Qi Wang, Jing-Wen Gong, Ang Li, Jia Su, Peng Zhou","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.030","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bats, notable as the only flying mammals, serve as natural reservoir hosts for various highly pathogenic viruses in humans (e.g., SARS-CoV and Ebola virus). Furthermore, bats exhibit an unparalleled longevity among mammals relative to their size, particularly the <i>Myotis</i> bats, which can live up to 40 years. However, the mechanisms underlying these distinctive traits remain incompletely understood. In our prior research, we demonstrated that bats exhibit dampened STING-interferon activation, potentially conferring upon them the capacity to mitigate virus- or aging-induced inflammation. To substantiate this hypothesis, we established the first <i>in vivo</i> bat-mouse model for aging studies by integrating <i>Myotis davidii</i> bat STING ( <i>Md</i>STING) into the mouse genome. We monitored the genotypes of these mice and performed a longitudinal comparative transcriptomic analysis on <i>Md</i>STING and wild-type mice over a 3-year aging process. Blood transcriptomic analysis indicated a reduction in aging-related inflammation in female <i>Md</i>STING mice, as evidenced by significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, immunopathology, and neutrophil recruitment in aged female <i>Md</i>STING mice compared to aged wild-type mice <i>in vivo</i>. These results indicated that <i>Md</i>STING knock-in attenuates the aging-related inflammatory response and may also improve the healthspan in mice in a sex-dependent manner. Although the underlying mechanism awaits further study, this research has critical implications for bat longevity research, potentially contributing to our comprehension of healthy aging in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491773/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141628080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anti-infective immune functions of type IV interferon in grass carp ( <i>Ctenopharyngodon idella</i>): A novel antibacterial and antiviral interferon in lower vertebrates.","authors":"Yuchen Liu, Wentao Zhu, Yanqi Zhang, Jingjing Zhang, Maolin Lv, Jianguo Su","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.008","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Type IV interferon (IFN-υ) is a recently discovered cytokine crucial for host defense against viral infections. However, the role and mechanisms of IFN-υ in bacterial infections remain unexplored. This study investigated the antibacterial and antiviral functions and mechanisms of grass carp ( <i>Ctenopharyngodon idella</i>) IFN-υ (CiIFN-υ) both <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i>. The CiIFN-υ gene was first identified and characterized in grass carp. Subsequently, the immune expression of CiIFN-υ significantly increased following bacterial challenge, indicating its response to bacterial infections. The eukaryotic recombinant expression plasmid of CiIFN-υ was then constructed and transfected into fathead minnow (FHM) cells. Supernatants were collected and incubated with four bacterial strains, followed by plate spreading and colony counting. Results indicated that CiIFN-υ exhibited more potent antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive bacteria and aggregated gram-negative bacteria but not gram-positive bacteria. <i>In vivo</i> experiments further confirmed the antibacterial function, showing high survival rates, low tissue edema and damage, reduced tissue bacterial load, and elevated proinflammatory response at the early stages of bacterial infection. In addition, the antiviral function of CiIFN-υ was confirmed through <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> experiments, including crystal violet staining, survival rates, tissue viral burden, and RT-qPCR. This study highlights the antibacterial function and preliminary mechanism of IFN-υ, demonstrating that IFN-υ possesses dual functions against bacterial and viral infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491785/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141861331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Homozygous <i>CCDC146</i> mutation causes oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in humans and mice.","authors":"Jing-Wei Ye, Tanveer Abbas, Jian-Teng Zhou, Jing Chen, Meng-Lei Yang, Xiong-Heng Huang, Huan Zhang, Hui Ma, Ao Ma, Bo Xu, Ghulam Murtaza, Qing-Hua Shi, Bao-Lu Shi","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.019","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infertility represents a significant health concern, with sperm quantity and quality being crucial determinants of male fertility. Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) is characterized by reduced sperm motility, lower sperm concentration, and morphological abnormalities in sperm heads and flagella. Although variants in several genes have been implicated in OAT, its genetic etiologies and pathogenetic mechanisms remain inadequately understood. In this study, we identified a homozygous nonsense mutation (c.916C>T, p.Arg306*) in the coiled-coil domain containing 146 ( <i>CCDC146</i>) gene in an infertile male patient with OAT. This mutation resulted in the production of a truncated CCDC146 protein (amino acids 1-305), retaining only two out of five coiled-coil domains. To validate the pathogenicity of the <i>CCDC146</i> mutation, we generated a mouse model ( <i>Ccdc146</i> ^{<i>mut/mut</i>} ) with a similar mutation to that of the patient. Consistently, the <i>Ccdc146</i> ^{<i>mut/mut</i>} mice exhibited infertility, characterized by significantly reduced sperm counts, diminished motility, and multiple defects in sperm heads and flagella. Furthermore, the levels of axonemal proteins, including DNAH17, DNAH1, and SPAG6, were significantly reduced in the sperm of <i>Ccdc146</i> ^{<i>mut/mut</i>} mice. Additionally, both human and mouse CCDC146 interacted with intraflagellar transport protein 20 (IFT20), but this interaction was lost in the mutated versions, leading to the degradation of IFT20. This study identified a novel deleterious homozygous nonsense mutation in <i>CCDC146</i> that causes male infertility, potentially by disrupting axonemal protein transportation. These findings offer valuable insights for genetic counseling and understanding the mechanisms underlying <i>CCDC146</i> mutant-associated infertility in human males.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491774/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>foxl2l</i> is a germ cell-intrinsic gatekeeper of oogenesis in zebrafish.","authors":"Zhiqin Ren, Ding Ye, Naike Su, Chaofan Wang, Lijia He, Houpeng Wang, Mudan He, Yonghua Sun","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.046","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zebrafish serve as a valuable model organism for studying germ cell biology and reproductive processes. The AB strain of zebrafish is proposed to exhibit a polygenic sex determination system, where most males initially develop juvenile ovaries before committing to male fate. In species with chromosomal sex determination, gonadal somatic cells are recognized as key determinants of germ cell fate. Notably, the loss of germ cells in zebrafish leads to masculinization, implying that germ cells harbor an intrinsic feminization signal. However, the specific signal triggering oogenesis in zebrafish remains unclear. In the present study, we identified <i>foxl2l</i> as an oocyte progenitor-specific gene essential for initiating oogenesis in germ cells. Results showed that <i>foxl2l</i>-knockout zebrafish bypassed the juvenile ovary stage and exclusively developed into fertile males. Further analysis revealed that loss of <i>foxl2l</i> hindered the initiation of oocyte-specific meiosis and prevented entry into oogenesis, leading to premature spermatogenesis during early gonadal development. Furthermore, while mutation of the pro-male gene <i>dmrt1</i> led to fertile female differentiation, simultaneous disruption of <i>foxl2l</i> in <i>dmrt1</i> mutants completely blocked oogenesis, with a large proportion of germ cells arrested as germline stem cells, highlighting the crucial role of <i>foxl2l</i> in oogenesis. Overall, this study highlights the unique function of <i>foxl2l</i> as a germ cell-intrinsic gatekeeper of oogenesis in zebrafish.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491788/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142298919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overexpression of <i>Kdm6b</i> induces testicular differentiation in a temperature-dependent sex determination system.","authors":"Qiran Chen, Wei Sun, Lin Jin, Yingjie Zhou, Fang Li, Chutian Ge","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.186","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In reptiles, such as the red-eared slider turtle ( <i>Trachemys scripta elegans</i>), gonadal sex determination is highly dependent on the environmental temperature during embryonic stages. This complex process, which leads to differentiation into either testes or ovaries, is governed by the finely tuned expression of upstream genes, notably the testis-promoting gene <i>Dmrt1</i> and the ovary-promoting gene <i>Foxl2</i>. Recent studies have identified epigenetic regulation as a crucial factor in testis development, with the H3K27me3 demethylase KDM6B being essential for <i>Dmrt1</i> expression in <i>T. s. elegans.</i> However, whether KDM6B alone can induce testicular differentiation remains unclear. In this study, we found that overexpression of <i>Kdm6b</i> in <i>T. s. elegans</i> embryos induced the male development pathway, accompanied by a rapid increase in the gonadal expression of <i>Dmrt1</i> at 31°C, a temperature typically resulting in female development. Notably, this sex reversal could be entirely rescued by <i>Dmrt1</i> knockdown. These findings demonstrate that <i>Kdm6b</i> is sufficient for commitment to the male pathway, underscoring its role as a critical epigenetic regulator in the sex determination of the red-eared slider turtle.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491778/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cretaceous crown male ant reveals the rise of modern lineages.","authors":"Qiong Wu, Alexander G Radchenko, Michael S Engel, Xiao-Qin Li, Hong-Ru Yang, Xing-Ru Li, Chung-Kun Shih, Dong Ren, Tai-Ping Gao","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.390","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.390","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most described Mesozoic ants belong to stem groups that existed only during the Cretaceous period. Previously, the earliest known crown ants were dated to the Turonian (Late Cretaceous, ca. 94-90 million years ago (Ma)) deposits found in the USA, Kazakhstan, and Botswana. However, the recent discovery of an alate male ant in Kachin amber from the earliest Cenomanian (ca. 99 Ma), representing a new genus and species, <i>Antiquiformica alata</i>, revises the narrative on ant diversification. <i>Antiquiformica</i> can be distinctly differentiated from all known male stem ants by its geniculate antennae with elongated scape, extending far beyond the occipital margin of the head and half the length of the funiculus, as well as its partly reduced forewing venation. Furthermore, the combination of a one-segmented waist with a well-developed node, elongated scape extending beyond the occipital margin, and reduced forewing venation, particularly the completely reduced m-cu and rs-m crossveins and absence of rm and mcu closed cells, firmly places the fossil within the extant subfamily Formicinae. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that the amber containing <i>Antiquiformica alata</i> originated from the Kachin mines in Myanmar. This discovery significantly revises our understanding of the early evolution of Formicinae. The presence of <i>Antiquiformica</i> in Cenomanian amber indicates that the subfamily Formicinae emerged at least by the start of the Late Cretaceous, with crown ants likely originating earlier during the earliest Cretaceous or possibly the Late Jurassic, although paleontological evidence is lacking to support the latter hypothesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491779/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141861332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chromosome-level genome assembly of the glass catfish ( <i>Kryptopterus vitreolus</i>) reveals molecular clues to its transparent phenotype.","authors":"Chao Bian, Rui-Han Li, Zhi-Qiang Ruan, Wei-Ting Chen, Yu Huang, Li-Yue Liu, Hong-Ling Zhou, Cheong-Meng Chong, Xi-Dong Mu, Qiong Shi","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.396","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.396","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glass catfish ( <i>Kryptopterus vitreolus</i>) are notable in the aquarium trade for their highly transparent body pattern. This transparency is due to the loss of most reflective iridophores and light-absorbing melanophores in the main body, although certain black and silver pigments remain in the face and head. To date, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this transparent phenotype remain largely unknown. To explore the genetic basis of this transparency, we constructed a chromosome-level haplotypic genome assembly for the glass catfish, encompassing 32 chromosomes and 23 344 protein-coding genes, using PacBio and Hi-C sequencing technologies and standard assembly and annotation pipelines. Analysis revealed a premature stop codon in the putative albinism-related <i>tyrp1b</i> gene, encoding tyrosinase-related protein 1, rendering it a nonfunctional pseudogene. Notably, a synteny comparison with over 30 other fish species identified the loss of the endothelin-3 ( <i>edn3b</i>) gene in the glass catfish genome. To investigate the role of <i>edn3b</i>, we generated <i>edn3b</i> ^<i>-/-</i> mutant zebrafish, which exhibited a remarkable reduction in black pigments in body surface stripes compared to wild-type zebrafish. These findings indicate that <i>edn3b</i> loss contributes to the transparent phenotype of the glass catfish. Our high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly and identification of key genes provide important molecular insights into the transparent phenotype of glass catfish. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying transparency in glass catfish, but also offer a valuable genetic resource for further research on pigmentation in various animal species.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491783/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative DNA methylation reveals epigenetic adaptation to high altitude in snub-nosed monkeys.","authors":"Ling Wang, Wei-Qiang Liu, Juan Du, Meng Li, Rui-Feng Wu, Ming Li","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.050","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>DNA methylation plays a crucial role in environmental adaptations. Here, using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, we generated comprehensive genome-wide DNA methylation profiles for the high-altitude Yunnan snub-nosed monkey ( <i>Rhinopithecus bieti</i>) and the closely related golden snub-nosed monkey ( <i>R. roxellana</i>). Our findings indicated a slight increase in overall DNA methylation levels in golden snub-nosed monkeys compared to Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, suggesting a higher prevalence of hypermethylated genomic regions in the former. Comparative genomic methylation analysis demonstrated that genes associated with differentially methylated regions were involved in membrane fusion, vesicular formation and trafficking, hemoglobin function, cell cycle regulation, and neuronal differentiation. These results suggest that the high-altitude-related epigenetic modifications are extensive, involving a complete adaptation process from the inhibition of single Ca ²⁺ channel proteins to multiple proteins collaboratively enhancing vesicular function or inhibiting cell differentiation and proliferation. Functional assays demonstrated that overexpression or down-regulation of candidate genes, such as <i>SNX10</i>, <i>TIMELESS</i>, and <i>CACYBP</i>, influenced cell viability under stress conditions. Overall, this research suggests that comparing DNA methylation across closely related species can identify novel candidate genomic regions and genes associated with local adaptations, thereby deepening our understanding of the mechanisms underlying environmental adaptations.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491775/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single nucleus/cell RNA-seq of the chicken hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis offers new insights into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of ovarian development.","authors":"Dong Leng, Bo Zeng, Tao Wang, Bin-Long Chen, Di-Yan Li, Zhuan-Jian Li","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.037","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis represents a central neuroendocrine network essential for reproductive function. Despite its critical role, the intrinsic heterogeneity within the HPO axis across vertebrates and the complex intercellular interactions remain poorly defined. This study provides the first comprehensive, unbiased, cell type-specific molecular profiling of all three components of the HPO axis in adult Lohmann layers and Liangshan Yanying chickens. Within the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary, seven, 12, and 13 distinct cell types were identified, respectively. Results indicated that the pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and prolactin (PRL) signaling pathways may modulate the synthesis and secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), FSH, and luteinizing hormone (LH) within the hypothalamus and pituitary. In the ovary, interactions between granulosa cells and oocytes involved the KIT, CD99, LIFR, FN1, and ANGPTL signaling pathways, which collectively regulate follicular maturation. The SEMA4 signaling pathway emerged as a critical mediator across all three tissues of the HPO axis. Additionally, gene expression analysis revealed that relaxin 3 (RLN3), gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), and cocaine- and amphetamine regulated transcripts (CART, also known as CARTPT) may function as novel endocrine hormones, influencing the HPO axis through autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine pathways. Comparative analyses between Lohmann layers and Liangshan Yanying chickens demonstrated higher expression levels of <i>GRP</i>, <i>RLN3</i>, <i>CARTPT</i>, <i>LHCGR</i>, <i>FSHR</i>, and <i>GRPR</i> in the ovaries of Lohmann layers, potentially contributing to their superior reproductive performance. In conclusion, this study provides a detailed molecular characterization of the HPO axis, offering novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying reproductive biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491784/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PRSS50-mediated inhibition of MKP3/ERK signaling is crucial for meiotic progression and sperm quality.","authors":"Chun-Xue Niu, Jia-Wei Li, Xiao-Li Li, Lin-Lin Zhang, Yan Lang, Zhen-Bo Song, Chun-Lei Yu, Xiao-Guang Yang, Hai-Feng Zhao, Jia-Ling Sun, Li-Hua Zheng, Xue Wang, Ying Sun, Xiao-Hong Han, Guan-Nan Wang, Yong-Li Bao","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.388","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.388","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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 ( <i>Prss50</i> ^<i>-/-</i> ) mice ( <i>Mus musculus</i>), which exhibited abnormal spermatid nuclear compression and reduced male fertility. Furthermore, dysplastic seminiferous tubules and decreased sex hormones were observed in 4-week-old <i>Prss50</i> ^<i>-/-</i> 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 <i>Prss50</i> ^<i>-/-</i> 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.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491780/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}