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Expression of histone H3 lysine 4 methylation and its demethylases in the developing mouse testis

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Abstract

Histone H3 lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me) is an epigenetic modification associated with gene activation and is dynamically regulated by histone methylases and demethylases. To date, the expression patterns of H3K4me and its demethylases in the developing testis remain unclear. The present study was designed to detect the expression of H3K4me1/2/3 and its demethylases LSD1, RBP2 and SMCX in 21-, 40- and 60-day-old mouse testes by using immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. The immunohistochemical results demonstrated that the expression patterns of the same protein were similar in testes at different ages and that the positive staining cell types were mainly Leydig cells, type A and B spermatogonia, leptotene spermatocytes and spermatids for H3K4me1/2/3, Leydig cells, type A spermatogonia, zygotene and pachytene spermatocytes, spermatids, and Sertoli cells for LSD1 and type A and B spermatogonia for RBP2. Immunostaining for SMCX was not detected in testes. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot showed that the amounts of LSD1, RPB2 and SMCX mRNA and protein were age-dependent, were significantly reduced with increasing age and exhibited a negative correlation with the protein levels of H3K4me1/2/3. Thus, H3K4me, which is modified by its demethylases, probably plays a role in male spermatogenesis and testis development.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the editors and reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, No. 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Liuping Zhang, Jie Jin & Genbao Shao

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated People’s Hospital of Jiangsu University, No. 8, Dianli Road, Zhenjiang, 212002, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Wang

  3. Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Eastern HuaLan Avenue, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Yaoqian Pan

  4. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, No. 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Jianrong Sang

  5. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, No. 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Pan Huang

Authors
  1. Liuping Zhang
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  2. Jie Wang
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  3. Yaoqian Pan
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  4. Jie Jin
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  6. Pan Huang
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  7. Genbao Shao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Genbao Shao.

Additional information

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 81170573, 31372407), Henan Key Science and Technology Foundation (no. 132102110118) and Senior Personnel Program of Jiangsu University (no. 12JDG063).

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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Zhang, L., Wang, J., Pan, Y. et al. Expression of histone H3 lysine 4 methylation and its demethylases in the developing mouse testis. Cell Tissue Res 358, 875–883 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-014-1991-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-014-1991-9

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