Expression characterization of testicular DMRT1 in both Sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells of polyploid gibel carp

Dmrt1 has been suggested to play significant roles in sex determination and differentiation, but various expression patterns and cell types have been observed in the testis of vertebrates. Polyploid gibel carp, because of the multiple modes of unisexual gynogenesis and sexual reproduction, has become a unique case to explore the evolution of sex determination and differentiation. However, the sex-determination related genes in gibel carp have remained unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized 4 cDNAs of Dmrt1 genes. Subsequently, a polyclonal antibody specific to CagDMRT1 was prepared to examine its expression and distribution patterns at protein level. Significantly, both relative real-time PCR and Western blot detection confirmed predominant expression of CagDmrt1 in the adult testis of gibel carp. Moreover, the intensive expression of CagDMRT1 around spermatogenic cysts was revealed during spermatogenesis. And, following immunofluorescence co-localization of CagDMRT1 and CagVASA, a prominent CagDMRT1 expression in Sertoli cells and a mild CagDMRT1 expression in spermatogenic cells including spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes were clearly characterized. The CagDMRT1 signal in Sertoli cells is extensively distributed in both nuclei and cytoplasm, while the CagDMRT1 in spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes is mainly expressed in nuclei, and there is only the remained CagDMRT1 signal in the cytoplasm of secondary spermatocytes. These findings suggest that DMRT1 should be related to testis differentiation and spermatogenesis in gibel carp.     

多倍体银鲫nanos2等位多态性、共线性和表达模式分析

为研究生殖干细胞(Germline stem cells, GSCs)的标记基因nanos2的功能, 在银鲫(Carassius gibelio)中克隆了两个nanos2的同源基因(Homologs), 将其命名为Cgnanos2a和Cgnanos2b, 等位、系统进化树和共线性分析表明, 在银鲫进化历程中发生了额外的两轮多倍化事件, 是一个异源六倍体。qPCR分析表明Cgnanos2a和Cgnanos2b在5月龄银鲫精巢中的表达水平最高, 其次是卵巢; 对在孵化后25—190d的卵巢中的表达动态分析表明, 孵化后25d的卵巢中的Cgnanos2a和Cgnanos2b转录水平最高, 随后表达水平急剧下降; 并且Cgnanos2a和Cgnanos2b呈现出偏向表达的特征。切片RNA原位杂交实验结果表明, Cgnanos2a和Cgnanos2b均特异地在银鲫卵巢邻近生殖上皮的胞囊(Cyst)中一类直径小于20 μm的细胞中表达, Cgnanos2a在精巢精小囊边缘一类单个或两个紧紧相邻的细胞中高表达, 推测是银鲫的GSCs。此外, 还可在精原细胞和初级精母细胞中检测到Cgnanos2a和Cgnanos2b的转录本。研究通过对nanos2阳性细胞的追踪描绘了银鲫卵巢早期胞囊的发育过程, 为后续分离银鲫GSCs奠定了基础; 同时对银鲫nanos2两个歧化的部分同源基因的序列特征、进化及表达特征分析, 为研究鱼类多次多倍化事件后重复基因的进化提供了一个典型例子。     

异源四倍体银鲫外周血和精巢的组织学特征

通过比较D 系三倍体银鲫 (Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch) 与异源四倍体银鲫, 我们发现异源四倍体的外周血与精巢组织跟三倍体银鲫存在明显差异。HE 染色结果表明, 异源四倍体银鲫外周血红细胞有明显的分裂倾向。利用流式细胞术对D 系三倍体银鲫与异源四倍体银鲫外周血的DNA 直方图进行比较, 结果表明异源四倍体外周血的DNA 直方图有两个主峰。此外, 我们观察到异源四倍体银鲫精巢的三种类型, 其中Ⅰ型精巢可以产生正常精子, Ⅱ型可观察到精小囊结构, 但不能产生精子, Ⅲ型精巢未发育出精小囊结构。进一步用银鲫Vasa 抗体对精巢切片进行组织免疫荧光共聚焦显微分析, 结果表明, Ⅰ型精巢的生殖细胞完成了减数分裂, 能观察到精原细胞、初级精母细胞、次级精母细胞, 以及大量位于精小管中间的精子细胞和精子; 而Ⅱ型精巢的生殖细胞不能完成第二次减数分裂, 精小囊中存在大量的初级和次级精母细胞, 没有精子细胞产生。研究丰富了对异源四倍体银鲫生物学性状的认识。       

Differential expression of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2r in the developing ovary and testis of penaeid shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marsupenaeus japonicus</Emphasis>

In order to identify genes involved in oogenesis and spermatogenesis in penaeid shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus, a modified annealing control primer (ACP) system was adapted to identify genes differentially expressed in ovary and testis at different developmental stages. By using 20 pairs of ACP primers, 8 differentially expressed genes were obtained. One of these genes is ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2r (UBE2r). Bioinformatics analyses show that this gene encodes a protein of 241 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 27.4 kDa. Real time PCR analyses demonstrated that the expression level changed significantly in the developing testis and ovary. In the stage 2 of testis, it reached its highest expression level, the lowest expression level present in the stage 1 of ovary. The significantly different expression levels in developing testis and ovary suggest that UBE2r has an important role in oogenesis and spermatogenesis. This article is the first report of UBE2r in crustaceans and also is the first report showing that UBE2r is differentially expressed at different stages of the developing ovary and testis in an animal.     

NYD-SP15: A Novel Gene Potentially Involved in Regulating Testicular Development and Spermatogenesis

By hybridizing human adult testis cDNA microarrays with human adult and embryo testis cDNA probes, we identified a novel human testis gene, NYD-SP15. NYD-SP15 expression was 3.26-fold higher in adult than in fetal testis; however, there was almost no NYD-SP15 expression in the sperm. NYD-SP15 comprises 3364 base pairs, including a 1545 bp open reading frame encoding a 514 amino acid protein possessing 89% sequence identity with the mouse testis homologous protein. NYD-SP15 is located on human chromosome 13q14.2. The deduced structure of the protein contains two dCMP_cyt_deam domains, indicating a potential functional role for zinc ion binding. The gene is expressed variably in a wide range of tissues, with high expression levels in the testis. Sequence analysis revealed that NYD-SP15 is not a highly conserved protein, with its distribution in high-level species such as vertebrates including Homo, Mus, Rattus, and Canis. The results of semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction in mouse testis representing different developmental stages indicate that NYD-SP15 expression was developmentally regulated. These results suggest the putative NYD-SP15 protein may play an important role in testicular development and spermatogenesis and may be an important factor governing male infertility. These authors contributed equally to this work     

Molecular characterization of growth differentiation factor 9 and its spatio-temporal expression pattern in gibel carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus gibelio</Emphasis>)

Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) is a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily with a key role in regulating follicle development. In this study, the GDF9 full-length genomic DNA and cDNA were isolated and characterized from the gibel carp ovary using rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and LD-PCR. The full-length genomic DNA and cDNA sequences of GDF9 are 3979 and 2044 bp which code 428 amino acid residues with a specific RKKR protease cleavage site of TGF-β superfamily. Sequence analysis showed that gibel carp was similar to zebrafish and other fish species. Spatio-temporal expression analysis using real-time quantitative PCR revealed that GDF9 mRNA was largely expressed in ovary and testis. GDF9 is mainly present at stage I follicles indicating its important role in early follicles development. The same result was obtained in immunohistochemistry localization of GDF9 protein. Within the follicle, the follicle layer cells were barely expressed whereas GDF9 mRNA was mostly expressed in the oocytes. Supplemented with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in isolated follicles, the expression of GDF9 mRNA was increased firstly and then decreased. The results of this study indicated that GDF9 gene played a role in fish during development of follicles, especially in the early stage follicles.     

银鲫精巢特异的Ly-6/uPAR相关蛋白的分子克隆及其特征分析

Ly-6/uPAR基因超家族(Ly-6 SF)成员广泛地存在于后生动物中, 开展该家族相关功能基因研究具有重要的意义。研究从银鲫(Carassius auratus gibelio)中鉴定到一个该家族新成员, cDNA全长为570 bp, 其中开放阅读框长度为300 bp, 编码99个氨基酸, 生物软件预测该蛋白含有一个LU结构域, 不含GPI锚信号序列, N端含有信号肽, 表明其可能为Ly-6基因超家族中分泌型蛋白。组织表达分析显示, 该基因只在银鲫精巢中特异表达, 且又是Ly-6基因超家族中一员, 因此将其命名为银鲫精巢特异的Ly-6/uPAR相关蛋白(Carassius auratus gibelio testis-specific Ly-6/uPAR related protein, 简称CagTslurp)。原位杂交结果显示, 该基因在银鲫精巢的精原细胞, 初级精母细胞以及次级精母细胞中表达, 精子细胞中存在少量的表达, 而在体细胞中不表达。这种精巢特异的表达模式, 暗示CagTslurp在银鲫精子发生中可能发挥了作用。       

银鲫pou2基因在胚胎发育过程中的时空表达图式

用RACE-PCR方法从原肠期SMART文库中扩增到银鲫pou2基因的全长cDNA,其全长为2421bp,开放阅读框为1416bp,编码471个氨基酸,与斑马鱼pou2基因的氨基酸序列一致性高达91.0%。我们用RT-PCR和整体原位杂交的方法研究了银鲫pou2基因在胚胎发育过程中的时空表达图式。RT-PCR结果显示,银鲫pou2基因有母源转录本,其合子基因在高囊胚期强烈表达,在50%下包期和90%下包期也有高量的转录本,但在100%下包期表达量急剧降低,至体节期时已经完全检测不到其转录本。胚胎整体原位杂交结果显示其母源转录本在所有的胚盘细胞中。在高囊胚期和50%下包期,高度表达的合子转录本仍在所有的胚盘细胞中,但至90%下包期时,pou2的表达向胚胎背部的正中线汇聚,集中在神经板的两侧区域和脑部的两条横向条带。在100%下包期时,pou2的表达集中在神经板的中间区域以及预期形成的中后脑区域。至体节期时,转录本消失,这与RT-PCR结果高度一致。银鲫pou2基因的表达图式提示该基因在胚胎发育的早期具有重要作用,它可能参与调控神经板的形成和中后脑细胞的发育命运。     

Genomic polymorphisms at the crhr2 locus improve feed conversion efficiency through alleviation of hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal axis activity in gibel carp (Carassius gibelio)

Improvement in fish feed conversion efficiency (FCE) is beneficial for sustaining global food fish supplies. Here, we show that a set of polymorphisms at locus of the corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 (crhr2), which is involved in hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis signaling, is associated with improved FCE in farmed allogynogenetic gibel carp strain CAS III compared with that in the wild gibel carp strain Dongting (DT). This set of polymorphisms downregulates the expression levels of crhr2 mRNA in the brain and pituitary tissues in gibel carp strain CAS III compared with those in strain DT. Furthermore, compromised HPI axis signaling is observed in gibel carp strain CAS III, such as decreased α-melanocyte stimulating hormone protein levels, plasma cortisol content, and stress responses. Moreover, enhanced activation of protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling observed in the muscle tissue of strain CAS III in comparison to that in strain DT indicated elevated anabolic metabolism in strain CAS III. Thus, these studies demonstrate that the genetic markers associated with compromised HPI axis signaling, such as crhr2, are potentially useful for genetic selection toward improvement in farmed fish growth and FCE, which would reduce fishmeal consumption and thereby indirectly facilitate sustainable fisheries.

     

Developmental expression of CagMdkb during gibel carp embryogenesis

Midkine (Mdk) genes have been revealed to have different expression patterns in vertebrates and therefore, additional studies on Mdk expression patterns are required in more species. In this study, CagMdkb has been cloned and characterized from a SMART cDNA library of 10-somite stage embryos of Carassius auratus gibelio. Its full length cDNA is 1091 bp and encodes a sequence of 147 amino acids, which shows 97.3% identity to zebrafish Mdkb on the amino acid level. RT-PCR analysis reveals that CagMdkb is first transcribed in gastrula embryos and maintains a relatively stable expression level during subsequent embryogenesis. Western blot analysis reveals a 19 kDa maternal CagMdkb protein band and the zygotic CagMdkb protein is expressed from gastrula stage. At around 10 somite stage, the 19 kDa CagMdkb is processed to another protein band of about 17 kDa, which might be the secreted form with the 21-residue signal peptide removed. With immunofluorescence analysis, maternal CagMdkb protein was found to be localized in each blastamere cell of early embryos. The zygotic CagMdkb positive fluorescence signal was detected from a pair of large neurons at 18-somite stage. At the later stages, CagMdkb protein was also extended to numerous small neurons in the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain, as well as to nerve fibers in the spinal cord. Co-localization with 3A10 antibody revealed CagMdkb immunoreactivity on developing Mauthner neurons, a member of reticulospinal neurons. In addition, ectopic expression of CagMdkb in early embryos of gibel carp and zebrafish suppressed head formation and CagMdkb function was found to depend on secretory activity. All these findings indicate that CagMdkb plays an important role in neural development during gibel carp embryogenesis and there is functional conservation of Mdkb in fish head formation.     

银鲫肌酸激酶M3-CK cDNA的克隆及其表达特征

用抑制性差减杂交结合SMART cDNA合成和RACE—PCR技术克隆到雌核发育银鲫(Carassius auratus gibelio)肌酸激酶M3-CK基因的全长cDNA。银鲫M3-CK cDNA全长1551bp，编码380个氨基酸，与普通鲤鱼(cyprinus carpio)M3-CK的氨基酸序列同源性高达95％。种系分析表明，银鲫M3-CK与其它脊椎动物的肌肉型肌酸激酶聚为较近的一支，与鲤鱼的M3-CK聚在一起，与脑特异型肌酸激酶及线粒体型肌酸激酶分歧较大。虚拟Northern杂交显示银鲫M3-CK基因在胚胎发育中差异表达。RT—PCR表明，银鲫M3-CK基因在成熟卵母细胞和胚胎发育早期可检测到少量的转录产物，在胚胎发育期间从肌肉效应期开始转录，并一直持续表达。组织RT—PCR表明，银鲫M3-CK基因只在心脏和肌肉表达。     

银鲫果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶的分子克隆与表达分析

果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶(EC 3.1.3.11)是糖异生中的关键限速酶之一, 在糖代谢中起重要作用。哺乳动物存在肝脏型和肌肉型两种果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶同工酶,分别由Fbp1和Fbp2编码。银鲫作为我国重要的经济养殖鱼类, 尚无果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶基因的有关资料, 其组织分布特征和胚胎发育模式亦不清楚。本研究采用RACE方法从银鲫原肠胚SMART cDNA文库中扩增了果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶基因的全长cDNA, 其长度为1170 bp,编码337个氨基酸残基,多重序列比对和系统发育分析表明该基因为肝脏型果糖-1,6-二磷酶。RT-PCR分析虽在银鲫的肝、脑、心、脾、肾、肠、肌肉和卵巢组织中皆能检测到该基因的表达, 但以肝组织的表达量最高。Western Blot检测表明, 肝脏组织除有一条与其他组织(肌肉除外)共有的蛋白带之外,还有一条特异带;肌肉中有不同于其他组织的特异带。成熟卵子和不同发育阶段胚胎的RT-PCR和Western Blot分析都可检测到母源的CagFbp转录本和蛋白,且其转录本从原肠期开始上升, 到神经胚时迅速上升到较高水平, 其蛋白从尾芽期以后出现一条比母源蛋白分子量小、与肝脏的特异带大小基本相同的蛋白带。这些结果证实本研究克隆的CagFbp为肝脏型,且鱼类至少存在肝脏型和肌肉型两种果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶同工酶。       

Correlation of appearance of metastasis-associated protein1 (Mta1) with spermatogenesis in developing mouse testis

Mta1, a representative of the MTA gene family, is believed to be involved in the metastasis of malignant tumors. However, a systematic study of its physiological function has not been performed. It has been found in normal mouse organs at relatively low levels, except for in testis, suggesting a potential function in the male reproductive system. In order to explore the role of Mta1 protein during spermatogenesis, its expression in adult mouse testis was compared with that in developing mouse testis and in testis from adult mice treated with methoxyacetic acid, which selectively depletes primary spermatocytes. Quantitative analysis revealed that Mta1 protein gradually increased in the testis from 14 days postnatally. Immunolocalization analysis demonstrated strong signals in the seminiferous tubules, and Mta1 was predominantly present in the nucleus of primary spermatocytes and spermatogonia from 14 days postnatally. The most intensive staining was located in the nucleus of pachytene spermatocytes in mature testes. The expression pattern of Mta1 during spermatogenesis was also shown to be stage-specific by immunohistochemistry analysis. Finally, dramatic loss of Mta1 expression from pachytene spermatocytes was observed in the spermatogenic-arrested adult mouse testis. These results collectively demonstrate that Mta1 appears during postnatal testis development and suggest that this expression may be crucial for spermatogenesis. This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (2006: 30570982; 2003: 30370750; 2003: 30371584).