Lymphoid specific helicase (Lsh) is a major epigenetic regulator that is essential for DNA methyl... more Lymphoid specific helicase (Lsh) is a major epigenetic regulator that is essential for DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing of parasitic elements in the mammalian genome 1, 2. However, whether Lsh is involved in the regulation of chromatin-mediated processes ...
Errors in chromosome segregation during meiotic division in gametes can lead to aneuploidy that i... more Errors in chromosome segregation during meiotic division in gametes can lead to aneuploidy that is subsequently transmitted to the embryo upon fertilization. The resulting aneuploidy in developing embryos is recognized as a major cause of pregnancy loss and congenital birth defects such as Down's syndrome. Accurate chromosome segregation is critically dependent on the formation of the microtubule spindle apparatus, yet this process remains poorly understood in mammalian oocytes. Intriguingly, meiotic spindle assembly differs from mitosis and is regulated, at least in part, by unique microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs). Assessment of MTOC-associated proteins can provide valuable insight into the regulatory mechanisms that govern meiotic spindle formation and organization. Here, we describe methods to isolate mouse oocytes and deplete MTOC-associated proteins using a siRNA-mediated approach to test function. In addition, we describe oocyte fixation and immunofluorescence analysis conditions to evaluate meiotic spindle formation and organization.
The Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (Bscl2, seipin) gene is involved in adipoge... more The Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (Bscl2, seipin) gene is involved in adipogenesis. Bscl2-/- males were infertile but had normal mating behavior. Both Bscl2-/- cauda epididymis sperm count and sperm motility were ~20×less than control. Bscl2-/- seminiferous tubules had relatively normal presence of spermatogonia and spermatocytes but had reduced spermatids and sperm. Spatiotemporal expression analyses in Bscl2+/+ testes demonstrated prominent Bscl2 transcriptional activity in spermatocytes with a plateau reached around postnatal day 28. Seipin protein localization was most abundant in postmeiotic spermatids, suggesting translational repression of Bscl2 mRNA in spermatocytes. In situ end-labeling plus detected increased spermatid apoptosis in Bscl2-/- testis and annexin V detected increased percentage of positive Bscl2-/- round spermatids compared with control. Immunofluorescence of marker proteins synaptonemal complex proteins 3 and 1 (SYCP3 and SYCP1), and H3K9m...
Endometriosis is associated with infertility and debilitating chronic pain. Abnormal epigenetic m... more Endometriosis is associated with infertility and debilitating chronic pain. Abnormal epigenetic modifications in the human endometrium have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of this condition. However, whether an altered epigenetic landscape contributes to pathological changes in the ovary is unknown. Using an established baboon endometriosis model, early and late stage epigenetic changes in the ovary were investigated. Transcript profiling of key chromatin modifying enzymes using pathway focused PCR arrays on ovarian tissue from healthy control animals and at 3 and 15 months of endometriosis revealed dramatic changes in gene expression in a disease duration-dependent manner. Ingenuity pathway analysis indicated that transcripts for chromatin-remodeling enzymes associated with reproductive system disease and cancer development were abnormally regulated, most prominently the arginine methyltransferases Carm1, Prmt2 and Prmt8. Down-regulation of CARM1 protein expression was...
Molecular reproduction and development, Jan 22, 2015
This study tested the function of protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) during fertilization and embryoni... more This study tested the function of protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) during fertilization and embryonic development using gene-knockout (Prkcd(-/-) ) mice. Fertility analysis revealed that Prkcd(-/-) mating pairs produce significantly fewer pups per litter than wild-type pairs (P < 0.05), and exhibit a high incidence of embryonic loss post-implantation. Both Prkcd(-/-) male as well as Prkcd(-/-) female mice mated to Prkcd(+/+) controls also showed reduced litter sizes, with a selective loss of Prkcd-null pups. Further analysis of the females demonstrated comparable in vitro fertilization outcomes between control and Prkcd(-/-) oocytes fertilized with wild-type sperm. Pregnant Prkcd(-/-) females, however, exhibited a reduced number of total implantations, suggesting a possible disruption in early embryo quality and/or implantation. In turn, male gamete analysis revealed that Prkcd(-/-) sperm demonstrated a decreased capacity to penetrate the zona pellucida (P < 0.05), necessary for ...
A striking proportion of human cleavage-stage embryos exhibit chromosome instability (CIN). Notab... more A striking proportion of human cleavage-stage embryos exhibit chromosome instability (CIN). Notably, until now, no experimental model has been described to determine the origin and mechanisms of complex chromosomal rearrangements. Here, we examined mouse embryos deficient for the chromatin remodeling protein ATRX to determine the cellular mechanisms activated in response to CIN. We demonstrate that ATRX is required for silencing of major satellite transcripts in the maternal genome, where it confers epigenetic asymmetry to pericentric heterochromatin during the transition to the first mitosis. This stage is also characterized by a striking kinetochore size asymmetry established by differences in CENP-C protein between the parental genomes. Loss of ATRX results in increased centromeric mitotic recombination, a high frequency of sister chromatid exchanges and double strand DNA breaks, indicating the formation of mitotic recombination break points. ATRX-deficient embryos exhibit a twof...
Postmeiotic gene expression is essential for development and maturation of sperm and eggs. We rep... more Postmeiotic gene expression is essential for development and maturation of sperm and eggs. We report that the dual bromodomain-containing protein BRWD1, which is essential for both male and female fertility, promotes haploid spermatid-specific transcription but has distinct roles in oocyte meiotic progression. Brwd1 deficiency caused down-regulation of ∼300 mostly spermatid-specific transcripts in testis, including nearly complete elimination of those encoding the protamines and transition proteins, but was not associated with global epigenetic changes in chromatin, which suggests that BRWD1 acts selectively. In females, Brwd1 ablation caused severe chromosome condensation and structural defects associated with abnormal telomere structure but only minor changes in gene expression at the germinal vesicle stage, including more than twofold overexpression of the histone methyltransferase MLL5 and LINE-1 elements transposons. Thus, loss of BRWD1 function interferes with the completion o...
Functional differentiation of chromatin structure is essential for the control of gene expression... more Functional differentiation of chromatin structure is essential for the control of gene expression, nuclear architecture, and chromosome stability. Compelling evidence indicates that alterations in chromatin remodeling proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of human disease. Among these, α-thalassemia mental retardation X-linked protein (ATRX) has recently emerged as a critical factor involved in heterochromatin formation at mammalian centromeres and telomeres as well as facultative heterochromatin on the murine inactive X chromosome. Mutations in human ATRX result in an X-linked neurodevelopmental condition with various degrees of gonadal dysgenesis (ATRX syndrome). Patients with ATRX syndrome may exhibit skewed X chromosome inactivation (XCI) patterns, and ATRX-deficient mice exhibit abnormal imprinted XCI in the trophoblast cell line. Non-random or skewed XCI can potentially affect both the onset and severity of X-linked disease. Notably, failure to establish epigenet...
Page 1. 18 Chromatin remodelling in mammalian oocytes Rabindranath De La Fuente,1 Claudia Baumann... more Page 1. 18 Chromatin remodelling in mammalian oocytes Rabindranath De La Fuente,1 Claudia Baumann,1 Feikun Yang,1 and Maria M. Viveiros2 1Department of Clinical Studies, Center for Animal Transgenesis and Germ ...
Lymphoid specific helicase (Lsh) is a major epigenetic regulator that is essential for DNA methyl... more Lymphoid specific helicase (Lsh) is a major epigenetic regulator that is essential for DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing of parasitic elements in the mammalian genome 1, 2. However, whether Lsh is involved in the regulation of chromatin-mediated processes ...
Errors in chromosome segregation during meiotic division in gametes can lead to aneuploidy that i... more Errors in chromosome segregation during meiotic division in gametes can lead to aneuploidy that is subsequently transmitted to the embryo upon fertilization. The resulting aneuploidy in developing embryos is recognized as a major cause of pregnancy loss and congenital birth defects such as Down&amp;amp;#39;s syndrome. Accurate chromosome segregation is critically dependent on the formation of the microtubule spindle apparatus, yet this process remains poorly understood in mammalian oocytes. Intriguingly, meiotic spindle assembly differs from mitosis and is regulated, at least in part, by unique microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs). Assessment of MTOC-associated proteins can provide valuable insight into the regulatory mechanisms that govern meiotic spindle formation and organization. Here, we describe methods to isolate mouse oocytes and deplete MTOC-associated proteins using a siRNA-mediated approach to test function. In addition, we describe oocyte fixation and immunofluorescence analysis conditions to evaluate meiotic spindle formation and organization.
The Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (Bscl2, seipin) gene is involved in adipoge... more The Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (Bscl2, seipin) gene is involved in adipogenesis. Bscl2-/- males were infertile but had normal mating behavior. Both Bscl2-/- cauda epididymis sperm count and sperm motility were ~20×less than control. Bscl2-/- seminiferous tubules had relatively normal presence of spermatogonia and spermatocytes but had reduced spermatids and sperm. Spatiotemporal expression analyses in Bscl2+/+ testes demonstrated prominent Bscl2 transcriptional activity in spermatocytes with a plateau reached around postnatal day 28. Seipin protein localization was most abundant in postmeiotic spermatids, suggesting translational repression of Bscl2 mRNA in spermatocytes. In situ end-labeling plus detected increased spermatid apoptosis in Bscl2-/- testis and annexin V detected increased percentage of positive Bscl2-/- round spermatids compared with control. Immunofluorescence of marker proteins synaptonemal complex proteins 3 and 1 (SYCP3 and SYCP1), and H3K9m...
Endometriosis is associated with infertility and debilitating chronic pain. Abnormal epigenetic m... more Endometriosis is associated with infertility and debilitating chronic pain. Abnormal epigenetic modifications in the human endometrium have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of this condition. However, whether an altered epigenetic landscape contributes to pathological changes in the ovary is unknown. Using an established baboon endometriosis model, early and late stage epigenetic changes in the ovary were investigated. Transcript profiling of key chromatin modifying enzymes using pathway focused PCR arrays on ovarian tissue from healthy control animals and at 3 and 15 months of endometriosis revealed dramatic changes in gene expression in a disease duration-dependent manner. Ingenuity pathway analysis indicated that transcripts for chromatin-remodeling enzymes associated with reproductive system disease and cancer development were abnormally regulated, most prominently the arginine methyltransferases Carm1, Prmt2 and Prmt8. Down-regulation of CARM1 protein expression was...
Molecular reproduction and development, Jan 22, 2015
This study tested the function of protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) during fertilization and embryoni... more This study tested the function of protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) during fertilization and embryonic development using gene-knockout (Prkcd(-/-) ) mice. Fertility analysis revealed that Prkcd(-/-) mating pairs produce significantly fewer pups per litter than wild-type pairs (P < 0.05), and exhibit a high incidence of embryonic loss post-implantation. Both Prkcd(-/-) male as well as Prkcd(-/-) female mice mated to Prkcd(+/+) controls also showed reduced litter sizes, with a selective loss of Prkcd-null pups. Further analysis of the females demonstrated comparable in vitro fertilization outcomes between control and Prkcd(-/-) oocytes fertilized with wild-type sperm. Pregnant Prkcd(-/-) females, however, exhibited a reduced number of total implantations, suggesting a possible disruption in early embryo quality and/or implantation. In turn, male gamete analysis revealed that Prkcd(-/-) sperm demonstrated a decreased capacity to penetrate the zona pellucida (P < 0.05), necessary for ...
A striking proportion of human cleavage-stage embryos exhibit chromosome instability (CIN). Notab... more A striking proportion of human cleavage-stage embryos exhibit chromosome instability (CIN). Notably, until now, no experimental model has been described to determine the origin and mechanisms of complex chromosomal rearrangements. Here, we examined mouse embryos deficient for the chromatin remodeling protein ATRX to determine the cellular mechanisms activated in response to CIN. We demonstrate that ATRX is required for silencing of major satellite transcripts in the maternal genome, where it confers epigenetic asymmetry to pericentric heterochromatin during the transition to the first mitosis. This stage is also characterized by a striking kinetochore size asymmetry established by differences in CENP-C protein between the parental genomes. Loss of ATRX results in increased centromeric mitotic recombination, a high frequency of sister chromatid exchanges and double strand DNA breaks, indicating the formation of mitotic recombination break points. ATRX-deficient embryos exhibit a twof...
Postmeiotic gene expression is essential for development and maturation of sperm and eggs. We rep... more Postmeiotic gene expression is essential for development and maturation of sperm and eggs. We report that the dual bromodomain-containing protein BRWD1, which is essential for both male and female fertility, promotes haploid spermatid-specific transcription but has distinct roles in oocyte meiotic progression. Brwd1 deficiency caused down-regulation of ∼300 mostly spermatid-specific transcripts in testis, including nearly complete elimination of those encoding the protamines and transition proteins, but was not associated with global epigenetic changes in chromatin, which suggests that BRWD1 acts selectively. In females, Brwd1 ablation caused severe chromosome condensation and structural defects associated with abnormal telomere structure but only minor changes in gene expression at the germinal vesicle stage, including more than twofold overexpression of the histone methyltransferase MLL5 and LINE-1 elements transposons. Thus, loss of BRWD1 function interferes with the completion o...
Functional differentiation of chromatin structure is essential for the control of gene expression... more Functional differentiation of chromatin structure is essential for the control of gene expression, nuclear architecture, and chromosome stability. Compelling evidence indicates that alterations in chromatin remodeling proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of human disease. Among these, α-thalassemia mental retardation X-linked protein (ATRX) has recently emerged as a critical factor involved in heterochromatin formation at mammalian centromeres and telomeres as well as facultative heterochromatin on the murine inactive X chromosome. Mutations in human ATRX result in an X-linked neurodevelopmental condition with various degrees of gonadal dysgenesis (ATRX syndrome). Patients with ATRX syndrome may exhibit skewed X chromosome inactivation (XCI) patterns, and ATRX-deficient mice exhibit abnormal imprinted XCI in the trophoblast cell line. Non-random or skewed XCI can potentially affect both the onset and severity of X-linked disease. Notably, failure to establish epigenet...
Page 1. 18 Chromatin remodelling in mammalian oocytes Rabindranath De La Fuente,1 Claudia Baumann... more Page 1. 18 Chromatin remodelling in mammalian oocytes Rabindranath De La Fuente,1 Claudia Baumann,1 Feikun Yang,1 and Maria M. Viveiros2 1Department of Clinical Studies, Center for Animal Transgenesis and Germ ...
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