Once fertilized, mouse zygotes rapidly proceed to zygotic genome activation (ZGA), during which long terminal repeats (LTRs) of murine endogenous retroviruses with leucine tRNA primer (MERVL) are potently activated by a conserved homeodomain-containing pioneer factor, DUX. However, Dux-knockout embryos produce fertile mice, suggesting that ZGA is redundantly driven by unknown factor(s). In the present study, we report that the multicopy mouse homeobox gene, Obox4, encodes a transcription factor that redundantly drives ZGA. OBOX4 is highly expressed in mouse 2-cell embryos. Single knockdown of Obox4 or Dux is tolerated by embryogenesis, whereas Obox4/Dux double knockdown completely compromises embryonic development. Genome-wide epigenetic profiling revealed that OBOX4 binds to MERVL LTRs as well as murine endogenous retroviruses with lysine tRNA primer (MERVK) LTRs, and mediates the deposition of active histone modifications. Our study identified OBOX4 as a pioneer factor that provides genetic redundancy to pre-implantation development.
Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites that propagate within the host genome and introduce mutations. Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the major TE class, which occupies nearly 20% of the mouse genome. L1 is highly active in mammalian preimplantation embryos, posing a major threat to genome integrity, but the mechanism of stage-specific protection against L1 retrotransposition is unknown. Here, we show that TAR DNA–binding protein 43 (TDP-43), mutations in which constitute a major risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inhibits L1 retrotransposition in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and preimplantation embryos. Knockdown of TDP-43 resulted in massive genomic L1 expansion and impaired cell growth in preimplantation embryos and ESCs. Functional analysis demonstrated that TDP-43 interacts with L1 open reading frame 1 protein (L1 ORF1p) to mediate genomic protection, and loss of this interaction led to derepression of L1 retrotransposition. Our results identify TDP-43 as a guardian of the embryonic genome.
Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites that propagate within the host genome and introduce mutations. Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the major TE class, which occupies nearly 20% of the mouse genome. L1 is highly active in mammalian preimplantation embryos, posing a major threat to genome integrity, but the mechanism of stage-specific protection against L1 retrotransposition is unknown. Here, we show that TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43), mutations in which constitute a major risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), inhibits L1 retrotransposition in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and preimplantation embryos. Knock-down of TDP-43 resulted in massive genomic L1 expansion and impaired cell growth in preimplantation embryos and ESCs. Functional analysis demonstrated that TDP-43 interacts with L1 open reading frame 1 protein (L1 ORF1p) to mediate genomic protection, and loss of this interaction led to de-repression of L1 retrotransposition. Our results identify TDP-43 as a guardian of the embryonic genome.
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