title: Requirement for Sun1 in the expression of meiotic reproductive genes and piRNA.
abstract: The inner nuclear envelope (NE) proteins interact with the nuclear lamina and participate in the architectural compartmentalization of chromosomes. The association of NE proteins with DNA contributes to the spatial rearrangement of chromosomes and their gene expression. Sun1 is an inner nuclear membrane (INM) protein that locates to telomeres and anchors chromosome movement in the prophase of meiosis. Here, we have created Sun1-/- mice and have found that these mice are born and grow normally but are reproductively infertile. Detailed molecular analyses showed that Sun1-/- P14 testes are repressed for the expression of reproductive genes and have no detectable piRNA. These findings raise a heretofore unrecognized role of Sun1 in the selective gene expression of coding and non-coding RNAs needed for gametogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Virology Section, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Ya-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Lily I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Jerrold M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faucette
authors.forename: Jing-Ya
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kuan-Teh
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Jeang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C448522:Piwil1 protein, mouse; C448521:Piwil2 protein, mouse; D011506:Proteins; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; C464932:SUN1 protein, mouse