Sahlu Bahlibi Weldegebriall, Wang Huan, Hu Zhihui, Heng Nuo, Gong Jianfei, Wang Haoyu, Zhu Huabin, Zhao Shanjiang
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Mekelle Agricultural Research Center, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
Anim Reprod Sci. 2023 Oct 21;258:107360. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2023.107360.
Spermatogenesis is an extremely sophisticated and complex process and is regulated not only by a large number of genes, but also by a large number of epigenetic factors. Although existing studies have demonstrated that circRNAs plays an important regulatory role in spermatogenesis, there is still insufficient information to properly understand the regulatory role and mechanism of circRNA action. We addressed this issue by examining the testes of two Holstein bull developmental stages; three 8-week-olds (young bull, YB) and three 80-week-olds (adult bull, AB), randomly selected from the same breeding stock. A total of 3032 circRNAs, 683 miRNAs were identified as significantly differentially expressed noncoding RNAs, and 14,081 mRNAs. Based on these results, a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed containing 3298 targeted regulatory axes. Modular analysis revealed a total of four modules in the ceRNA regulatory network. Functional analysis of these results showed that the ceRNA regulatory network in AB testis exhibited more positive regulatory effects on the spermatogenesis cycle checkpoints, chromosome and cytoplasm segregation, sperm tail formation, and sperm motility. In addition, screening combining the results of our previous studies on lncRNA regulation of spermatogenesis revealed 4 genes (FOXO4, PPP1CB, CDC26, and CDKN1B) that co-exist in the 2 ceRNA regulatory networks, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA. A ceRNA regulatory network was constructed based on these genes. This study demonstrated the possible regulatory role of circRNAs in adult testicular spermatogenesis based on constructed transcriptome profiles and furtzher broadened our understanding of the regulatory role of circRNAs in spermatogenesis.
精子发生是一个极其精细和复杂的过程，不仅受到大量基因的调控，还受到大量表观遗传因素的调控。尽管现有研究表明环状RNA（circRNA）在精子发生中发挥着重要的调控作用，但仍缺乏足够的信息来全面了解circRNA作用的调控机制。我们通过检测两个荷斯坦公牛发育阶段的睾丸来解决这个问题；从同一繁殖群体中随机选取三头8周龄（幼年公牛，YB）和三头80周龄（成年公牛，AB）的公牛。共鉴定出3032个circRNA、683个微小RNA（miRNA）为显著差异表达的非编码RNA，以及14081个信使RNA（mRNA）。基于这些结果，构建了一个包含3298个靶向调控轴的circRNA-miRNA-mRNA竞争性内源RNA（ceRNA）调控网络。模块分析显示ceRNA调控网络中共有四个模块。对这些结果的功能分析表明，AB睾丸中的ceRNA调控网络对精子发生周期检查点、染色体和细胞质分离、精子尾部形成以及精子活力表现出更多的正向调控作用。此外，结合我们之前关于lncRNA对精子发生调控的研究结果进行筛选，发现有4个基因（FOXO4、PPP1CB、CDC26和CDKN1B）同时存在于lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA和circRNA-miRNA-mRNA这两个ceRNA调控网络中。基于这些基因构建了一个ceRNA调控网络。本研究基于构建的转录组图谱证明了circRNA在成年睾丸精子发生中的可能调控作用，并进一步拓宽了我们对circRNA在精子发生中调控作用的理解。
