Misexpression of testicular microRNA in sterile Xenopus hybrids points to tetrapod-specific microRNAs associated with male fertility.

摘要: Spermatogenesis is one of the most complex biological processes undergone by any organism, making it susceptible to perturbations that result in male sterility. Research has demonstrated mutant phenotypes can be obtained from disruption epigenetic modifications, which are commonly microRNA guided. Employing Xenopus system, whereby homogametic interspecies males always sterile, thus violating Haldane’s Rule, we deep-sequenced testes-specific small-RNAs identify microRNAs frequently misexpressed between sterile hybrids and their fertile parental taxa. Using these data, cross-referenced our expression information with previously published mouse (Mus musculus) data identified a subset seven common both (miR-338, miR-222, miR-18, miR-30, miR-10, miR-196, miR-365). We propose likely critical for spermatogenesis all tetrapods, having retained testicular across ~350 million years evolution (Amphibian–Mammal split). Gene targets six known, associate zinc finger proteins (both found fertility), three Hox genes (some have also been deemed development fertility). Expression revealed those associated express mammalian testes. One target known expression, two close relatives more expression. In addition, miR-222 prior association spermatogenesis, miR-30 abundantly expressed human