Melatonin ameliorates the toxic effects of 2,6-Dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone on mouse oocytes by restoring subcellular structures.

2,6-Dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (2,6-DCBQ) is a disinfection by-product (DBP) formed during the disinfection of drinking water. Due to its frequent detection and high concentrations, it has garnered significant attention. However, the effects of 2,6-DCBQ on oocyte meiosis remain poorly understood.

[Male reproductive damage caused by phthalate esters: Progress in research].

Phthalate esters are plasticizers that people are often exposed to in daily life. They are closely related to our lives and generally exist in the air, soil and water. Studies show that the exposure to phthalates is associated with male reproductive damage.

Surfeit locus protein 4 modulates endoplasmic reticulum function and maintains oocyte quality.

Surfeit locus protein 4 is a cargo receptor mediating cargo transport from the endoplasmic reticulum lumen to the Golgi apparatus. Loss of gene led to embryonic lethality in mice. However, the role of during oocyte development remains unknown.

The landscape of transcriptional profiles in human oocytes with different chromatin configurations.

With increasingly used assisted reproductive technology (ART), the acquisition of high-quality oocytes and early embryos has become the focus of much attention. Studies in mice have found that the transition of chromatin conformation from non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN) to surrounded nucleolus (SN) is essential for oocyte maturation and early embryo development, and similar chromatin transition also exists in human oocytes. In this study, we collected human NSN and SN oocytes and investigated their transcriptome.

Chromatin Modifier EP400 Regulates Oocyte Quality and Zygotic Genome Activation in Mice.

Epigenetic modifiers that accumulate in oocytes, play a crucial role in steering the developmental program of cleavage embryos and initiating life. However, the identification of key maternal epigenetic regulators remains elusive. In the findings, the essential role of maternal Ep400, a chaperone for H3.

Deficiency of nucleosome-destabilizing factor GLYR1 dampens spermatogenesis in mice.

Aberrant sperm morphology hinders sperm motility and causes male subfertility. Spermatogenesis, a complex process in male germ cell development, necessitates precise regulation of numerous developmental genes. However, the regulatory pathways involved in this process remain partially understood.

CRISPR/Cas9 technology: applications in oocytes and early embryos.

CRISPR/Cas9, a highly versatile genome-editing tool, has garnered significant attention in recent years. Despite the unique characteristics of oocytes and early embryos compared to other cell types, this technology has been increasing used in mammalian reproduction. In this comprehensive review, we elucidate the fundamental principles of CRISPR/Cas9-related methodologies and explore their wide-ranging applications in deciphering molecular intricacies during oocyte and early embryo development as well as in addressing associated diseases.

Regulation of cleavage embryo genes upon DRP1 inhibition in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Dynamic-related protein 1 (DRP1) is a key protein of mitochondrial fission. In this study, we found that inhibition of activity of DRP1 led to increased levels of cleavage embryo genes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which might reflect a transient totipotency status derived from pluripotency. This result indicates that DRP1 inhibition in mESCs leads to a tendency to obtain a new expression profile similar to that of the 2C-like state.

H3K4 Methylation Promotes Expression of Mitochondrial Dynamics Regulators to Ensure Oocyte Quality in Mice.

Significantly decreased H3K4 methylation in oocytes from aged mice indicates the important roles of H3K4 methylation in female reproduction. However, how H3K4 methylation regulates oocyte development remains largely unexplored. In this study, it is demonstrated that oocyte-specific expression of dominant negative mutant H3.

Transcriptome and DNA methylome analysis of peripheral blood samples reveals incomplete restoration and transposable element activation after 3-months recovery of COVID-19.

Comprehensive analyses showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection caused COVID-19 and induced strong immune responses and sometimes severe illnesses. However, cellular features of recovered patients and long-term health consequences remain largely unexplored. In this study, we collected peripheral blood samples from nine recovered COVID-19 patients (median age of 36 years old) from Hubei province, China, 3 months after discharge as well as 5 age- and gender-matched healthy controls; and carried out RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to identify hallmarks of recovered COVID-19 patients.

Gene mutations impede oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryonic development.

Reproductive diseases are a long-standing problem and have become more common in the world. Currently, 15% of the world's population suffers from infertility, and half of them are women. Maturation of oocytes, successful fertilization, and high-quality embryos are prerequisites for pregnancy.

Regulatory roles of alternative splicing at Ezh2 gene in mouse oocytes.

Background: Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), the core member of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), has multiple splicing modes and performs various physiological functions. However, function and mechanism of alternative splicing at Ezh2 exon 3 in reproduction are unknown.

Methods: We generated Ezh2 and Ezh2 mouse models with different point mutations at the Ezh2 exon 3 alternative splicing site, and each mutant mouse model expressed either the long or the short isoform of Ezh2.

deficiency results in female infertility by disturbing steroid pathway and decreasing ovarian reserve in mice.

The number and quality of oocytes in the ovarian reserve are related to fertility and reproductive lifespan in mammals. Some transcription factors have been demonstrated to determine oogenesis. The insulinoma-associated 2 () gene is a member of the Snail transcriptional repressor superfamily.

H3K36me2 methyltransferase NSD2 orchestrates epigenetic reprogramming during spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis is precisely controlled by sophisticated gene expression programs and is driven by epigenetic reprogramming, including histone modification alterations and histone-to-protamine transition. Nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 2 (Nsd2) is the predominant histone methyltransferase catalyzing H3K36me2 and its role in male germ cell development remains elusive. Here, we report that NSD2 protein is abundant in spermatogenic cells.

Effect and Mechanism of lncRNA CERS6-AS1 on the Biological Behavior of Prostate Cancer Cell.

Objective: To investigate the effect of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CERS6 antisense RNA1 (CERS6-AS1) on the biological behavior of prostate cancer cells DU145 and its mechanism.

Methods: RT-PCR was used to detect the relative level of CERS6-AS1 and miR-16-5p in prostate cancer tissues, adjacent tissues, prostate cancer cells DU145, and human normal prostate epithelial cells RWPE-1. DU145 cells were divided into control group, si-CERS6-AS1 group, si-NC group, miR-16-5p mimic group, miR-NC group, and si-CERS6-AS1+miR-16-5p inhibitor group.

Ppan is essential for preimplantation development in mice†.

PETER PAN (PPAN), located to nucleoli and mitochondria, is a member of the Brix domain protein family, involved in rRNA processing through its rRNA binding motif and mitochondrial apoptosis by protecting mitochondria structure and suppressing basal autophagic flux. Ppan is important for cell proliferation and viability, and mutation of Ppan in Drosophila caused larval lethality and oogenesis failure. Yet, its role in mammalian reproduction remains unclear.

Aberrant Expression of Mitochondrial SAM Transporter SLC25A26 Impairs Oocyte Maturation and Early Development in Mice.

The immature germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes proceed through metaphase I (MI) division, extrude the first polar body, and become mature metaphase II (MII) oocytes for fertilization which is followed by preimplantation and postimplantation development until birth. is the gene encoding S-adenosylmethionine carrier (SAMC), a member of the mitochondrial carrier family. Its major function is to catalyze the uptake of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) from cytosol into mitochondria, which is the only known mitochondrial SAM transporter.

Exposure of mouse oocytes to N,N-dimethylformamide impairs mitochondrial functions and reduces oocyte quality.

N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is a widely-used solvent for the synthesis of synthetic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile fiber, and can also be used to make medicine. Although this organic solvent has multipurpose applications, its biological toxicity cannot be ignored and its impact on mammalian reproduction remains largely unexplored. Our study found that DMF exposure inhibited oocyte maturation and fertilization ability.

Lactate Activates Germline and Cleavage Embryo Genes in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Lactate was recently found to mediate histone lysine lactylation and facilitate polarization of M1 macrophages, indicating its role in metabolic regulation of gene expression. During somatic cell reprogramming, lactate promotes histone lactylation of pluripotency genes and improves reprogramming efficiency. However, the function of lactate in cell fate control in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) remains elusive.

Inhibition of DRP1 Impedes Zygotic Genome Activation and Preimplantation Development in Mice.

Mitochondrion plays an indispensable role during preimplantation embryo development. Dynamic-related protein 1 (DRP1) is critical for mitochondrial fission and controls oocyte maturation. However, its role in preimplantation embryo development is still lacking.

Cleavage-embryo genes and transposable elements are regulated by histone variant H2A.X.

During mammalian preimplantation development, stimulation of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and transposable elements (TEs) shapes totipotency profiling. A rare mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) subpopulation is capable of transiently entering a state resembling 2-cell stage embryos, with subtypes of TEs expressed and ZGA genes transiently activated. In this study, we found that deletion of H2A.

dCas9 techniques for transcriptional repression in mammalian cells: Progress, applications and challenges.

Innovative loss-of-function techniques developed in recent years have made it much easier to target specific genomic loci at transcriptional levels. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) has been proven to be the most effective and specific tool to knock down any gene of interest in mammalian cells. The catalytically deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) can be fused with transcription repressors to downregulate gene expression specified by sgRNA complementary to target genomic sequence.