Transcriptome analysis of differentiating spermatogonia stimulated with kit ligand.
Kit ligand (KL) is a survival factor and a mitogenic stimulus for differentiating spermatogonia. However, it is not known whether KL also plays a role in the differentiative events that lead to meiotic entry of these cells. We performed a wide genome analysis of difference in gene expression induced by treatment with KL of spermatogonia from 7-day-old mice, using gene chips spanning the whole mouse genome. The analysis revealed that the pattern of RNA expression induced by KL is compatible with the qualitative changes of the cell cycle that occur during the subsequent cell divisions in type A and B spermatogonia, i.e. the progressive lengthening of the S phase and the shortening of the G2/M transition. Moreover, KL up-regulates in differentiating spermatogonia the expression of early meiotic genes (for instance: Lhx8, Nek1, Rnf141, Xrcc3, Tpo1, Tbca, Xrcc2, Mesp1, Phf7, Rtel1), whereas it down-regulates typical spermatogonial markers (for instance: Pole, Ptgs2, Zfpm2, Egr2, Egr3, Gsk3b, Hnrpa1, Fst, Ptch2). Since KL modifies the expression of several genes known to be up-regulated or down-regulated in spermatogonia during the transition from the mitotic to the meiotic cell cycle, these results are consistent with a role of the KL/kit interaction in the induction of their meiotic differentiation.
Rossi
Pellegrino
P
Dipartimento di Sanita' Pubblica e Biologia Cellulare, Universita' degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy. pellegrino.rossi@med.uniroma2.it
Lolicato
Francesca
F
Grimaldi
Paola
P
Dolci
Susanna
S
Di Sauro
Annarita
A
Filipponi
Doria
D
Geremia
Raffaele
R
D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016678:Genome; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000502:physiology*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018075:RNA, Complementary; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018075:RNA, Complementary; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D012313:RNA; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit