TY - JOUR
T1 - Zscan4 is expressed specifically during late meiotic prophase in both spermatogenesis and oogenesis
AU - Ishiguro, Kei ichiro
AU - Monti, Manuela
AU - Akiyama, Tomohiko
AU - Kimura, Hiromi
AU - Chikazawa-Nohtomi, Nana
AU - Sakota, Miki
AU - Sato, Saeko
AU - Redi, Carlo Alberto
AU - Ko, Shigeru B.H.
AU - Ko, Minoru S.H.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Drs. Alberto Calligaro and Antonia Icaro Cornaglia for their help in the adult ovarian section preparation. We also thank Collaborative Research Resources, School of Medicine, Keio University for technical assistance and all members of the Ko laboratory for their support and discussion. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “Mechanisms regulating gamete formation in animals” (KAKENHI no. 16H01257); a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “Epigenome dynamics and regulation in germ cells” (KAKENHI no. 16H01221); a Grant-in-Aid Scientific Research (C) (KAKENHI no. 26440003); a Grant-in-Aid for challenging Exploratory Research (KAKENHI no. 15606842) from MEXT, Japan; the Takeda Science Foundation; the Uehara Memorial Foundation; the Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research; the Yamada Science Foundation (to K.I.); and a Grant-in-Aid for challenging Exploratory Research (KAKENHI no. 15606842) from MEXT, Japan (to M.S.H.K.).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, The Author(s).
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - Mouse zinc finger and SCAN domain containing 4 (Zscan4) proteins, which are encoded by multiple copies of Zscan4 genes, are expressed specifically in preimplantation embryos in vivo and embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro. However, the expression patterns of mouse Zscan4 in vivo have been largely elusive. Here, we show that Zscan4 proteins are expressed in adult ovaries and testes. In ovaries, Zscan4 proteins were detected in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes in antral follicles, indicating that Zscan4 genes are activated during the diplotene/dictyate stage in meiotic prophase I. Remarkably, Zscan4 showed different spatial localization patterns between two distinct GV oocytes, which can be distinguished by global chromatin organization—surrounded nucleolus (SN) and non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN). These spatiotemporal differences in Zscan4 localizations correlated with the transition of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcriptional status during GV oocyte maturation. In testes, Zscan4 proteins were detected in spermatocytes at late pachytene/diplotene stages and in Sertoli cells. These results suggest that Zscan4 may play critical roles during late meiotic prophase in both males and females.
AB - Mouse zinc finger and SCAN domain containing 4 (Zscan4) proteins, which are encoded by multiple copies of Zscan4 genes, are expressed specifically in preimplantation embryos in vivo and embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro. However, the expression patterns of mouse Zscan4 in vivo have been largely elusive. Here, we show that Zscan4 proteins are expressed in adult ovaries and testes. In ovaries, Zscan4 proteins were detected in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes in antral follicles, indicating that Zscan4 genes are activated during the diplotene/dictyate stage in meiotic prophase I. Remarkably, Zscan4 showed different spatial localization patterns between two distinct GV oocytes, which can be distinguished by global chromatin organization—surrounded nucleolus (SN) and non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN). These spatiotemporal differences in Zscan4 localizations correlated with the transition of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcriptional status during GV oocyte maturation. In testes, Zscan4 proteins were detected in spermatocytes at late pachytene/diplotene stages and in Sertoli cells. These results suggest that Zscan4 may play critical roles during late meiotic prophase in both males and females.
KW - ES cell
KW - GV oocyte
KW - Ovary
KW - Preimplantation embryo
KW - SN and NSN oocyte
KW - Testis
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U2 - 10.1007/s11626-016-0096-z
DO - 10.1007/s11626-016-0096-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 27699653
AN - SCOPUS:84989938165
SN - 0073-5655
VL - 53
SP - 167
EP - 178
JO - In Vitro
JF - In Vitro
IS - 2
ER -