Evaluation of MYBL1 as the master regulator for pachytene spermatocyte genes dysregulated in interspecific hybrid dzo.

Misregulation of spermatogenesis transcription factors (TF) in hybrids can lead to misexpression, which is a mechanism for hybrid male sterility (HMS). We used dzo (male offspring of Bos taurus ♂ × Bos grunniens ♀) in bovines to investigate the relationship of the key TF with HMS via RNA sequencing and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing analyses. RNA sequencing showed that the widespread misexpression in dzo was associated with spermatogenesis-related genes and somatic or progenitor genes.

N6-methyladenosine RNA demethylase ALKBH5 is testis-specifically downregulated in hybrid male sterile dzo and is a target gene of bta-miR-200a.

N6-methyladenosine (mA) is the most common RNA methylation modification in mammals, which is controlled in the male germline to ensure coordinated gene expression in the entire process of spermatogenesis. Dzo is the male offspring of a cross between the domestic cattle (Bos taurus) and yak (Bos grunniens), and is sterile. This study aimed to investigate whether mA-associated genes are linked with dzo male sterility.