State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
J Mol Cell Biol. 2023 Apr 6;14(11). doi: 10.1093/jmcb/mjac069.
Spermatogenesis is a highly complex developmental process that typically consists of mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. DNA/RNA helicase DHX36, a unique guanine-quadruplex (G4) resolvase, plays crucial roles in a variety of biological processes. We previously showed that DHX36 is highly expressed in male germ cells with the highest level in zygotene spermatocytes. Here, we deleted Dhx36 in advanced germ cells with Stra8-GFPCre and found that a Dhx36 deficiency in the differentiated spermatogonia leads to meiotic defects and abnormal spermiogenesis. These defects in late stages of spermatogenesis arise from dysregulated transcription of G4-harboring genes, which are required for meiosis. Thus, this study reveals that Dhx36 plays crucial roles in late stages of spermatogenesis.
精子发生是一个高度复杂的发育过程，通常包括有丝分裂、减数分裂和精子形成。DNA/RNA 解旋酶 DHX36 是一种独特的鸟嘌呤四链体（G4）解旋酶，在多种生物过程中发挥着关键作用。我们之前曾表明，DHX36 在具有最高水平的合子期精母细胞中的雄性生殖细胞中高度表达。在这里，我们使用 Stra8-GFPCre 在晚期生殖细胞中删除 Dhx36，发现分化的精原细胞中的 Dhx36 缺失导致减数分裂缺陷和异常精子形成。这些在精子发生晚期出现的缺陷源自 G4 结合基因的转录失调，这些基因对于减数分裂是必需的。因此，这项研究揭示了 Dhx36 在精子发生的晚期阶段起着至关重要的作用。
