title: Novel small noncoding RNAs in mouse spermatozoa, zygotes and early embryos.
abstract: The recent discovery of a significant amount of RNA in spermatozoa contradicted the previously held belief that paternal contribution was limited to one copy of the genome. Furthermore, detection of RNA in sperm raised the intriguing question of its possible role in embryonic development. The possibility that RNAs may serve as epigenetic determinants was supported by experiments showing inheritance of epigenetic traits in mice mediated by RNA. We used high-throughput, large-scale sequencing technology to analyze sperm RNA. The RNA sequences generated were diverse in terms of length and included mRNAs, rRNAs, piRNAs, and miRNAs. We studied two small noncoding RNAs enriched in mature sperm, designated sperm RNAs (spR) -12 and -13. They are both encoded in a piRNA locus on chromosome 17, but neither their length (20-21 nt), nor their sequences correspond to known piRNAs or miRNAs. They are resistant to periodate-oxidation-mediated reaction, implying that they undergo terminal post-transcriptional modification. Both were detected in sperm and ovulated unfertilized oocytes, present in one-cell embryos and maintained in preimplantation stages, but not at later differentiation stages. These findings offer a new perspective regarding a possibly important role for gamete-specific small RNAs in early embryogenesis.
authors.affiliation: RIKEN Omics Science Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Hideya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawaji
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grandjean
authors.forename: Jafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiani
authors.forename: Minoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rassoulzadegan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics*; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015053:Zygote / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated; D012313:RNA; D010100:Oxygen