UPF2, a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor, is required for prepubertal Sertoli cell development and male fertility by ensuring fidelity of the transcriptome

TY - JOUR

T1 - UPF2, a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor, is required for prepubertal Sertoli cell development and male fertility by ensuring fidelity of the transcriptome

AU - Bao, Jianqiang

AU - Tang, Chong

AU - Yuan, Shuiqiao

AU - Porse, Bo Torben

AU - Yan, Wei

N1 - © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

PY - 2015/1/15

Y1 - 2015/1/15

N2 - Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) represents a highly conserved RNA surveillance mechanism through which mRNA transcripts bearing premature termination codons (PTCs) are selectively degraded to maintain transcriptomic fidelity in the cell. Numerous in vitro studies have demonstrated the importance of the NMD pathway; however, evidence supporting its physiological necessity has only just started to emerge. Here, we report that ablation of Upf2, which encodes a core NMD factor, in murine embryonic Sertoli cells (SCs) leads to severe testicular atrophy and male sterility owing to rapid depletion of both SCs and germ cells during prepubertal testicular development. RNA-Seq and bioinformatic analyses revealed impaired transcriptomic homeostasis in SC-specific Upf2 knockout testes, characterized by an accumulation of PTC-containing transcripts and the transcriptome-wide dysregulation of genes encoding splicing factors and key proteins essential for SC fate control. Our data demonstrate an essential role of UPF2-mediated NMD in prepubertal SC development and male fertility.

AB - Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) represents a highly conserved RNA surveillance mechanism through which mRNA transcripts bearing premature termination codons (PTCs) are selectively degraded to maintain transcriptomic fidelity in the cell. Numerous in vitro studies have demonstrated the importance of the NMD pathway; however, evidence supporting its physiological necessity has only just started to emerge. Here, we report that ablation of Upf2, which encodes a core NMD factor, in murine embryonic Sertoli cells (SCs) leads to severe testicular atrophy and male sterility owing to rapid depletion of both SCs and germ cells during prepubertal testicular development. RNA-Seq and bioinformatic analyses revealed impaired transcriptomic homeostasis in SC-specific Upf2 knockout testes, characterized by an accumulation of PTC-containing transcripts and the transcriptome-wide dysregulation of genes encoding splicing factors and key proteins essential for SC fate control. Our data demonstrate an essential role of UPF2-mediated NMD in prepubertal SC development and male fertility.

U2 - 10.1242/dev.115642

DO - 10.1242/dev.115642

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25503407

SN - 0950-1991

VL - 142

SP - 352

EP - 362

JO - Development

JF - Development

ER -