DDX5 Can Act as a Transcription Factor Participating in the Formation of Chicken PGCs by Targeting .

As an RNA binding protein (RBP), DDX5 is widely involved in the regulation of various biological activities. While recent studies have confirmed that DDX5 can act as a transcriptional cofactor that is involved in the formation of gametes, few studies have investigated whether DDX5 can be used as a transcription factor to regulate the formation of primordial germ cells (PGCs). In this study, we found that was significantly up-regulated during chicken PGC formation. Under different PGC induction models, the overexpression of not only up-regulates PGC markers but also significantly improves the formation efficiency of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLC). Conversely, the inhibition of expression can significantly inhibit both the expression of PGC markers and PGCLC formation efficiency. The effect of on PGC formation in vivo was consistent with that seen in vitro. Interestingly, not only participates in the formation of PGCs but also positively regulates their migration and proliferation. In the process of studying the mechanism by which regulates PGC formation, we found that acts as a transcription factor to bind to the promoter region of -a key gene for PGC formation-and activates the expression of . In summary, we confirm that DDX5 can act as a positive transcription factor to regulate the formation of PGCs in chickens. The obtained results not only enhance our understanding of the way in which regulates the development of germ cells but also provide a new target for systematically optimizing the culture and induction system of PGCs in chickens in vitro.