Huwe1 regulates the establishment and maintenance of spermatogonia by suppressing DNA damage response

Kin Lam Fok, Rohini Bose, Kai Sheng, Ching Wen Chang, Mira Katz-Egorov, Martine Culty, Sicheng Su, Ming Yang, Yechun Ruan, Hsiao Chang Chan, Antonio Iavarone, Anna Lasorella, Regina Cencic, Jerry Pelletier, Makoto Nagano, Wenming Xu, Simon S. Wing

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Spermatogenesis is sustained by a heterogeneous population of spermatogonia that includes the spermatogonial stem cells. However, the mechanisms underlying their establishment from gonocyte embryonic precursors and theirmaintenance thereafter remain largely unknown. In this study,we report that inactivation of the ubiquitin ligase Huwe1 in male germ cells in mice led to the degeneration of spermatogonia in neonates and resulted in a Sertoli cell-only phenotype in the adult. Huwe1 knockout gonocytes showed a decrease in mitotic re-entry, which inhibited their transition to spermatogonia. Inactivation of Huwe1 in primary spermatogonial culture or the C18-4 cell line resulted in cell degeneration. Degeneration of Huwe1 knockout spermatogoniawas associated with an increased level of histone H2AX and an elevated DNA damage response that led to apparent mitotic catastrophe but not apoptosis or senescence. Blocking this increase inH2AX prevented the degeneration ofHuwe1-depleted cells. Taken together, these results reveal a previously undefined role of Huwe1 in orchestrating the physiological DNA damage response in the male germline that contributes to the establishment and maintenance of spermatogonia.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4000-4016
Number of pages17
JournalEndocrinology
Volume158
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2017
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology

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