Molecular cloning, gene expression and methylation status analysis of PIWIL1 in cattle-yaks and the parental generation

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• 作者：Yao Gu ; Qifa Li ; Zengxiang Pan ; Minggui Li ; Hua Luo ; Zhuang Xie
• 关键词：Cattle-yaks ; Male sterility ; PIWIL1 ; mRNA expression ; DNA methylation ; LINE-1 element
• 刊名：Animal Reproduction Science
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：August, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：140
• 期：3-4
• 页码：131-137
• 全文大小：1174 K

文摘

The PIWI-like protein 1 (PIWIL1) plays an important role in spermatogenesis and transposon control. In mammals, the absence of the PIWIL1 gene can lead to over-expression of retrotransposons, spermatogenetic arrest, and male infertility. To assess whether the PIWIL1 gene is associated with the male sterility of cattle-yaks, we examined PIWIL1 and LINE-1 (long interspersed element-1) retrotransposon mRNA expression and DNA methylation patterns in the testes of cattle, yaks, and cattle-yaks. Our results indicate that PIWIL1 mRNA expression in the testes of cattle-yaks is significantly lower than that of cattle or yaks. Correlating with decreased gene expression, we also found that the methylation levels of the PIWIL1 gene in cattle-yaks were significantly higher than in cattle or yaks. However, even though LINE-1 element expressed higher mRNA levels in the testes of cattle-yaks than in their parents, DNA methylation patterns were un-altered. Our results suggest that the higher methylation levels of the PIWIL1 gene in cattle-yaks coincides with decreased PIWIL1 mRNA expression, thereby affecting the transposon silencing mechanism and possibly contributing to cattle-yak male sterility.