title: Tudor domain containing 7 (Tdrd7) is essential for dynamic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) remodeling of chromatoid bodies during spermatogenesis.
abstract: In the male germline in mammals, chromatoid bodies, a specialized assembly of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP), are structurally evident during meiosis and haploidgenesis, but their developmental origin and regulation remain elusive. The tudor domain containing proteins constitute a conserved class of chromatoid body components. We show that tudor domain containing 7 (Tdrd7), the deficiency of which causes male sterility and age-related cataract (as well as glaucoma), is essential for haploid spermatid development and defines, in concert with Tdrd6, key biogenesis processes of chromatoid bodies. Single and double knockouts of Tdrd7 and Tdrd6 demonstrated that these spermiogenic tudor genes orchestrate developmental programs for ordered remodeling of chromatoid bodies, including the initial establishment, subsequent RNP fusion with ubiquitous processing bodies/GW bodies and later structural maintenance. Tdrd7 suppresses LINE1 retrotransposons independently of piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) biogenesis wherein Tdrd1 and Tdrd9 operate, indicating that distinct Tdrd pathways act against retrotransposons in the male germline. Tdrd6, in contrast, does not affect retrotransposons but functions at a later stage of spermiogenesis when chromatoid bodies exhibit aggresome-like properties. Our results delineate that chromatoid bodies assemble as an integrated compartment incorporating both germline and ubiquitous features as spermatogenesis proceeds and that the conserved tudor family genes act as master regulators of this unique RNP remodeling, which is genetically linked to the male germline integrity in mammals.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Mihoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.forename: Vasily V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Vagin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Ayako L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kondoh
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuramochi-Miyagawa
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sachidanandam
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.forename: Ramesh S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakatsuji
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chuma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D022202:Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013091:Spermatogenesis
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C517522:TDRD7 protein, mouse