Find in Library
Search millions of books, articles, and more
Indexed Open Access Databases
The Expression and Epigenetic Characteristics of the HSF2 Gene in Cattle-Yak and the Correlation with Its Male Sterility
oleh: Qinhui Yang, Yumian Xie, Bangting Pan, Yuying Cheng, Yanjin Zhu, Xixi Fei, Xupeng Li, Jun Yu, Zhuo Chen, Jian Li, Xianrong Xiong
Format: | Article |
---|---|
Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2024-05-01 |
Deskripsi
Aberrant expression of the heat shock proteins and factors was revealed to be closely associated with male reproduction. Heat shock factor 2 (HSF2) is a transcription factor that is involved in the regulation of diverse developmental pathways. However, the role and the corresponding molecular mechanism of <i>HSF2</i> in male cattle-yak sterility are still poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain the sequence and the biological information of the cattle-yak <i>HSF2</i> gene and to investigate the spatiotemporal expression profiles of the locus during the development of cattle-yak testes. Additionally, the differential expression was analyzed between the cattle-yak and the yak, and the methylation of corresponding promoter regions was compared. Our results showed an additional 54 bp fragment and a missense mutation (lysine to glutamic acid) were presented in the cattle-yak <i>HSF2</i> gene, which correlated with enriched expression in testicular tissue. In addition, the expression of the <i>HSF2</i> gene showed dynamic changes during the growth of the testes, reaching a peak in adulthood. The IHC indicated that HSF2 protein was primarily located in spermatocytes (PS), spermatogonia (SP), and Sertoli cells (SC) in cattle-yak testes, compared with the corresponding cells of cattle and the yak. Furthermore, bisulfite-sequencing PCR (BSP) revealed that the methylated CpG sites in the promoter region of the cattle-yak HSF2 were more numerous than in the yak counterpart, which suggests hypermethylation of this region in the cattle-yak. Taken together, the low expression abundance and hypermethylation of <i>HSF2</i> may underpin the obstruction of spermatogenesis, which leads to male cattle-yak infertility. Our study provided a basic guideline for the <i>HSF2</i> gene in male reproduction and a new insight into the mechanisms of male cattle-yak sterility.