Selvaraju Sellappan, Ramya Laxman, Parthipan Sivashanmugam, Swathi Divakar, Binsila Bala Krishnan, Kolte Atul P
Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bengaluru, 560030, India.
Omics Laboratory, Animal Nutrition Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bengaluru, 560030, India.
Cell Tissue Res. 2021 Jul;385(1):207-222. doi: 10.1007/s00441-021-03443-6. Epub 2021 Mar 30.
Deciphering sperm transcriptome is the key to understanding the molecular mechanisms governing peri-fertilization, embryonic development, and pregnancy establishment. This study aimed to profile sperm transcriptome to identify signature transcripts regulating male fertility. Semen samples were collected from 47 bulls with varied fertility rates. The sperm total RNA was isolated (n = 8) and subjected to transcriptome sequencing. Based on the expression pattern obtained from RNA profiling, the bulls were grouped (p = 0.03) into high-fertile and sub-fertile, and signature transcripts controlling sperm functions and fertility were identified. The results were validated using the OMIM database, qPCR, and sperm function tests. The sperm contains 1100 to 1700 intact transcripts, of which BCL2L11 and CAPZA3 were abundant and associated (p < 0.05) with spermatogenesis and post-embryonic organ morphogenesis. The upregulated genes in the acrosome integrity and functional membrane integrity groups had a close association with the fertility rate. The biological functions of these upregulated genes (p < 0.05) in the high-fertile bulls were associated with spermatogenesis (AFF4 and BRIP1), sperm motility (AK6 and ATP6V1G3), capacitation and zona binding (AGFG1), embryo development (TCF7 and AKIRIN2), and placental development (KRT19). The transcripts involved in pathways regulating embryonic development such as translation (EEF1B2 and MTIF3, p = 8.87E-05) and nonsense-mediated decay (RPL23 and RPL7A, p = 5.01E-27) were upregulated in high-fertile bulls. The identified transcripts may significantly impact oocyte function, embryogenesis, trophectoderm development, and pregnancy establishment. In addition, the study also reveals that the genes governing sperm functional membrane integrity and acrosome integrity have a prospective effect on male fertility.
破译精子转录组是理解受精周围、胚胎发育和妊娠建立的分子机制的关键。本研究旨在分析精子转录组，以鉴定调节雄性生育力的特征转录本。从47头生育力不同的公牛采集精液样本。分离精子总RNA（n = 8）并进行转录组测序。根据RNA分析获得的表达模式，将公牛分为高生育力组和低生育力组（p = 0.03），并鉴定了控制精子功能和生育力的特征转录本。使用OMIM数据库、qPCR和精子功能测试对结果进行验证。精子含有1100至1700个完整转录本，其中BCL2L11和CAPZA3丰富，且与精子发生和胚后器官形态发生相关（p < 0.05）。顶体完整性和功能膜完整性组中上调的基因与生育力密切相关。这些上调基因（p < 0.05）在高生育力公牛中的生物学功能与精子发生（AFF4和BRIP1）、精子活力（AK6和ATP6V1G3）、获能和透明带结合（AGFG1）、胚胎发育（TCF7和AKIRIN2）以及胎盘发育（KRT19）有关。参与调节胚胎发育途径的转录本，如翻译（EEF1B2和MTIF3，p = 8.87E - 05）和无义介导的衰变（RPL23和RPL7A，p = 5.01E - 27）在高生育力公牛中上调。鉴定出的转录本可能对卵母细胞功能、胚胎发生、滋养外胚层发育和妊娠建立有显著影响。此外，该研究还表明，控制精子功能膜完整性和顶体完整性的基因对雄性生育力有前瞻性影响。
