Yang Yu-Wei, Chen Lu, Mou Qiao, Liang Hao, Du Zhi-Qiang, Yang Cai-Xia
College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, Heilongjiang, China.
College of Animal Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China.
Theriogenology. 2020 Dec;158:309-320. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.09.022. Epub 2020 Sep 29.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA) can regulate antioxidation and affect many cellular processes. However, the effect of AA on the reproduction of male animals remains less explored. Here, we showed that by supplementing exogenous AA to porcine immature Sertoli cells (iSCs), AA could promote the proliferation, suppress apoptosis, and decrease the global nucleic acid methylation (5 mC and mA) levels of iSCs. After we profiled mRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression by transcriptome sequencing on iSCs (treated by 250 μM AA for 36 h), 1232 mRNAs and 937 lncRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed (DE). Gene enrichment analysis found multiple significantly enriched biological pathways, including oxidoreductase activity, cell proliferation and apoptosis, regulation of hormone level, regulation of catalytic activity, developmental process, ATP metabolism and reproductive process. Specifically, for the reproductive process, 49 up- and 36 down-regulated DE mRNAs (including highly expressed genes, such as Tfcp2l1, Hmgcs1, Mmp7, Fndc3a, and Zfp36l1) are involved. Moreover, AA supplementation could promote the secretion of anti-müllerian hormone, inhibin B and lactate, and enhance the activity of lactate dehydrogenase as well. Taken together, AA could promote the reproductive function of pig iSCs, potentially through reprogramming the global transcriptome, and elevating hormone secretion and metabolite production.
维生素C（抗坏血酸，AA）可调节抗氧化作用，并影响许多细胞过程。然而，AA对雄性动物生殖的影响仍有待深入研究。在此，我们发现，通过向猪未成熟支持细胞（iSCs）补充外源性AA，AA可促进iSCs的增殖、抑制其凋亡，并降低其整体核酸甲基化（5 - 甲基胞嘧啶和N6 - 甲基腺嘌呤）水平。在用转录组测序分析iSCs（用250μM AA处理36小时）的mRNA和长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）表达后，共鉴定出1232个mRNA和937个lncRNA存在差异表达（DE）。基因富集分析发现多个显著富集的生物学途径，包括氧化还原酶活性、细胞增殖和凋亡、激素水平调节、催化活性调节、发育过程、ATP代谢和生殖过程。具体而言，在生殖过程方面，有49个上调和36个下调的DE mRNA（包括高表达基因，如Tfcp2l1、Hmgcs1、Mmp7、Fndc3a和Zfp36l1）参与其中。此外，补充AA可促进抗苗勒管激素、抑制素B和乳酸的分泌，并增强乳酸脱氢酶的活性。综上所述，AA可能通过重编程整体转录组、提高激素分泌和代谢产物生成来促进猪iSCs的生殖功能。
