A G-quadruplex DNA structure resolvase, RHAU, is essential for spermatogonia differentiation

Cell Death Dis. 2015 Jan 22;6(1):e1610. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2014.571.

Abstract

G-quadruplex (G4) DNA and G4 DNA resolvase are involved in a variety of biological processes. To understand the biological function of G4 DNA structures and their resolvases in spermatogenesis, we investigated the distribution of G4 structures in mouse testis and identified their alterations during spermatogenesis. Meanwhile, we studied the function of RNA helicase associated with AU-rich element (RHAU), a G4 DNA resolvase, in spermatogenesis with a germ-cell-specific knockout mouse model. The results showed that the ablation of RHAU in germ cells caused the increase of G4 structures and thus resulted in the decrease of spermatogonial differentiation. c-kit, a spermatogonia differentiation-related gene, contains two G4 DNA motifs on its promoter. We found its expression was significantly downregulated in RHAU conditional knockout testis. A further analysis demonstrated that RHAU directly bound to the G4 structures to activate c-kit expression. We concluded that RHAU regulates spermatogonia differentiation by promoting c-kit expression via directly binding to the G4 DNA motifs c-kit promoter.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Azoospermia / enzymology
  • Azoospermia / pathology
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / deficiency
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / metabolism
  • G-Quadruplexes*
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Male
  • Meiosis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleotide Motifs / genetics
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Protein Binding
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / metabolism
  • Recombinases / metabolism*
  • Spermatogonia / cytology*
  • Spermatogonia / enzymology*
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Testis / cytology
  • Testis / enzymology

Substances

  • Recombinases
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • DNA
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Dhx36 protein, mouse
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases