Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Liza O'Donnell, Laura F. Dagley, Michael Curley, Annalucia Darbey, Peter J. O'Shaughnessy, Thorsten Diemer, Adrian Pilatz, Daniela Fietz, Peter G. Stanton, Lee B. Smith, Diane Rebourcet
Summary: In this study, Sertoli cell-enriched proteins in testicular interstitial fluid (TIF) were identified and found to play potential roles in regulating somatic cell-cell communication and testis function.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Antoni Riera-Escamilla, Matthias Vockel, Liina Nagirnaja, Miguel J. Xavier, Albert Carbonell, Daniel Moreno-Mendoza, Marc Pybus, Ginevra Farnetani, Viktoria Rosta, Francesca Cioppi, Corinna Friedrich, Manon S. Oud, Godfried W. van der Heijden, Armin Soave, Thorsten Diemer, Elisabet Ars, Josvany Sanchez-Curbelo, Sabine Kliesch, Moira K. O'Bryan, Eduard Ruiz-Castane, Fernando Azorin, Joris A. Veltman, Kenneth Aston, Donald F. Conrad, Frank Tuettelmann, Csilla Krausz
Summary: This study provides a significant contribution to the understanding of X chromosome-linked genetic causes of azoospermia/cryptozoospermia. It identifies 21 genes strongly associated with azoospermia/cryptozoospermia and 34 genes moderately associated, including one prioritized gene, RBBP7, which was found mutated in ten men and supported by functional studies in Drosophila.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Xia Chen, Yujuan Qi, Qiuru Huang, Chi Sun, Yanli Zheng, Li Ji, Yi Shi, Xinmeng Cheng, Zhenbei Li, Sen Zheng, Yijuan Cao, Zhifeng Gu, Jun Yu
Summary: This study used single-cell RNA sequencing analysis to characterize the transcriptomes of terminal epithelium in the testis of Drosophila during aging. It revealed the functional characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of terminal epithelium populations, as well as age-related genes and their evolutionary advantages. These findings provide a gene target resource for further research on the functions of testicular terminal epithelium during aging.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Pengxiang Tian, Zhiming Zhao, Yanli Fan, Na Cui, Baojun Shi, Guimin Hao
Summary: This study investigated the effects of stress on male reproductive function by observing changes in the testes of rats exposed to stress. It found that chronic stress can lead to pathological changes in the testes, decreased expression of key marker genes related to spermatogenesis, and alterations in the population of spermatogenic cells, which may contribute to male reproductive dysfunction.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Bryan Johnson, Judith Leatherman
Summary: In the Drosophila testis niche, the tumor suppressor gene Merlin and the gene Expanded have partially redundant functions in regulating cyst lineage cell proliferation, as well as impacting and integrating multiple signaling pathways. Merlin's ability to dynamically change its activity via phosphorylation in response to neighboring germ cell division provides a mechanism for the dynamic regulation of signaling pathways that control stem cells.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael E. Baumgartner, Paul F. Langton, Remi Logeay, Alex Mastrogiannopoulos, Anna Nilsson-Takeuchi, Iwo Kucinski, Jules Lavalou, Eugenia Piddini
Summary: Investigating organ biology often involves creating genetically distinct clones in living tissues. However, analyzing the 3D nature of these clones is challenging and time-consuming, leading to limited manually-extracted information. In this study, the researchers introduce PECAn, a pipeline for processing and analyzing complex multi-genotype 3D images, which enables rapid and scalable rigorous analyses without programming skills. They demonstrate the effectiveness of PECAn by applying it to study Minute cell competition in drosophila, identifying sexual dimorphism and tissue parameters correlated with competitive death, as well as discovering genes involved in cell competition through an RNAi-based screen.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Andrology
Yuki Oyama, Haruhiko Miyata, Keisuke Shimada, Yoshitaka Fujihara, Keizo Tokuhiro, Thomas X. Garcia, Martin M. Matzuk, Masahito Ikawa
Summary: In this study, KO mice were generated for 12 testis-enriched genes using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The mating tests of these KO mice revealed that these genes are not essential for male fertility, at least when individually ablated. Our results could prevent duplicative efforts in generating KO mice with no apparent phenotype.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Rafael Senos Demarco, Brian J. Stack, Alexander M. Tang, Justin Voog, Sharsti L. Sandall, Tony D. Southall, Andrea H. Brand, D. Leanne Jones
Summary: The text discusses the role of Escargot in regulating the maintenance of somatic cyst stem cells in the Drosophila testis by attenuating the activity of the pro-differentiation insulin receptor pathway. The study shows that Escargot positively regulates the expression of an antagonist of insulin signaling and is required to suppress stem cell loss in response to starvation. Understanding how Escargot regulates cell-fate decisions during homeostasis and nutrient availability decline may provide insight into the metabolic regulation of stem cell behavior in other tissues and organisms.
Article
Cell Biology
Andres M. Acosta, Khaleel Al-Obaidy, Lynette M. Sholl, Thomas M. Ulbright, Muhammad T. Idrees
Summary: Adenocarcinomas of the rete testis (ACRT) are rare and aggressive testicular neoplasms that predominantly occur in older men and tend to spread early. Genomic alterations associated with these tumors often involve genes related to cell cycle regulation. In this study, eight cases of ACRT from previous clinicopathologic series were assessed, and potential variants amenable to targeted therapy were identified.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
J. Chalmers, Y. C. L. Tung, C. H. Liu, C. J. O'Kane, S. O'Rahilly, G. S. H. Yeo
Summary: A multicomponent screen for feeding behaviour phenotypes in Drosophila was validated and used to study genes implicated in energy homeostasis and nutritionally regulated genes in hypothalamic neurons. The study identified genes from human GWAS and murine genes that significantly influenced feeding behaviour and energy homeostasis in fruit flies. This approach demonstrates the utility of Drosophila as a model organism for high-throughput genetic screening of obesity-related genes.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Julie M. Cridland, Alex C. Majane, Li Zhao, David J. Begun
Summary: Research on de novo gene discovery in Drosophila has revealed significant differences in gene abundance and expression between different tissues, particularly in the testis and accessory gland. While other properties such as transcript length and chromosomal distribution are more similar, regulatory mechanisms may vary and interact with selection to produce differences in de novo genes expressed in male reproductive tissues.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Purna Gadre, Nitin Nitsure, Debasmita Mazumdar, Samir Gupta, Krishanu Ray
Summary: The study shows that adult stem cells and their progeny in the Drosophila testis adjust their lifespans during division, with an extension after the first division and a shrinkage after the second division. Even significant alterations in the lifespans of stem cells and their immediate daughters have little effect on subsequent differentiation. This suggests that early division rates of germline cells can influence later division rates and differentiation.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Terumichi Kawahara, Miki Kanouchi, Yousuke Naniwa, Masanori Koyago, Takashi Numabe, Keishi Mizutani, Kentaro Tanemura, Kenshiro Hara
Summary: The study found that even in old bulls with nearly constant sperm output, testicular spermatogenic activity declined, while the number of undifferentiated spermatogonia remained stable, potentially exhibiting resistance to age-related changes in bovine testes.
ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biology
Scott R. Allen, Rebeccah K. Stewart, Michael Rogers, Ivan Jimenez Ruiz, Erez Cohen, Alain Laederach, Christopher M. Counter, Jessica K. Sawyer, Donald T. Fox
Summary: Codon usage bias plays a critical role in protein production and tissue-specific gene expression. This study investigates the impact of codon usage on tissue-specific mRNA and protein expression using codon-modified reporters in Drosophila melanogaster. The results reveal distinct tissue responses to codon usage bias, with the testis and brain being capable of expressing rare codon-enriched reporters. The findings also demonstrate conserved enrichment for rare codon usage in the endogenously expressed genes of both Drosophila and human testis, highlighting the importance of codon bias in tissue biology.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Alessio Basolo, Anello Marcello Poma, Elisabetta Macerola, Diana Bonuccelli, Agnese Proietti, Alessandra Salvetti, Paola Vignali, Liborio Torregrossa, Laura Evangelisti, Rebecca Sparavelli, Riccardo Giannini, Clara Ugolini, Fulvio Basolo, Ferruccio Santini, Antonio Toniolo
Summary: Infection by SARS-CoV-2 may lead to testicular dysfunction and affect male fertility. Testicular cells are commonly infected in lethal COVID-19 cases, which is associated with activation of interferon pathways and downregulation of testis-specific genes involved in spermatogenesis.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)