Downregulation of Col1a1 induces differentiation in mouse spermatogonia.
Col1a1 (one of the subunit of collagen type I) is a collagen, which belongs to a family of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that play an important role in cellular proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of Col1a1 in spermatogenesis, especially in the control of proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), remains unknown. In this study, we explored effects of downregulation of Col1a1 on differentiation and proliferation of mouse spermatogonia. Loss-of-function study revealed that Oct4 and Plzf, markers of SSC self-renewal, were significantly decreased, whereas the expression of c-kit and haprin, hallmarks of SSC differentiation, was enhanced after Col1a1 knockdown. Cell cycle analyses indicated that two-thirds of spermatogonia were arrested in S phase after Col1a1 knockdown. In vivo experiments, DNA injection and electroporation of the testes showed that spermatogonia self-renewal ability was impaired remarkably with the loss-of-function of Col1a1. Our data suggest that silencing of Col1a1 can suppress spermatogonia self-renewal and promote spermatogonia differentiation.
Department of Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Sun-Hong
SH
Chen
Ding
D
Li
Chen
C
Xu
D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000235:genetics*; D000090602:Collagen Type I, alpha 1 Chain; D015536:Down-Regulation; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000075722:Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D024042:Collagen Type I; D000090602:Collagen Type I, alpha 1 Chain; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D000075722:Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; C513267:Zbtb16 protein, mouse; C480040:Trim36 protein, mouse; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins