Experimental Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Biol Reprod. 2013 Oct 17;89(4):93. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.108597. Print 2013 Oct.
JmjC domain-containing proteins are a class of enzymes responsible for histone demethylation. Previous studies revealed that the JmjC domain-containing protein KDM3A possesses intrinsic demethylase activity toward lysine 9 of histone H3 and plays essential roles in spermiogenesis. In contrast, the biological roles of JMJD1C, a KDM3A homolog in mice, are largely unknown. Here we present the crucial role of JMJD1C in male gametogenesis. Jmjd1c-deficient males became infertile due to the progressive reduction of germ cells after 3 mo of age. Importantly, Jmjd1c-deficient testes frequently contained abnormal tubules lacking developmentally immature germ cells. JMJD1C is most abundantly expressed in undifferentiated spermatogonia in mouse testis. The numbers of ZBTB16-positive spermatogonia and apoptotic germ cells in Jmjd1c-deficient testes decreased and increased in an age-dependent manner, respectively. Our studies demonstrated that JMJD1C contributes to the long-term maintenance of the male germ line.
JmjC 结构域蛋白是一类负责组蛋白去甲基化的酶。先前的研究表明，JmjC 结构域蛋白 KDM3A 对组蛋白 H3 的赖氨酸 9 具有内在的去甲基化活性，并在精子发生中发挥重要作用。相比之下，JMJD1C，即小鼠中的 KDM3A 同源物，其生物学功能在很大程度上尚不清楚。在这里，我们介绍了 JMJD1C 在雄性配子发生中的关键作用。Jmjd1c 缺陷型雄性由于 3 个月龄后生殖细胞的逐渐减少而变得不育。重要的是，Jmjd1c 缺陷型睾丸经常包含缺乏发育不成熟生殖细胞的异常小管。JMJD1C 在小鼠睾丸中未分化精原细胞中表达最为丰富。ZBTB16 阳性精原细胞和凋亡生殖细胞的数量在 Jmjd1c 缺陷型睾丸中分别呈年龄依赖性减少和增加。我们的研究表明，JMJD1C 有助于雄性生殖系的长期维持。
