Discrete roles of RNA helicases in human male germline and spermatogenesis

Abstract

RNA helicases are known from their ability to bind and unwind double-stranded RNA initiating RNA processing events. These evolutionary conserved RNA binding proteins are broadly expressed in a variety of tissues; however, we can distinguish those, which represent tissue-specific expression pattern and play unique roles in certain cell lineages. For instance, some RNA helicases mediate transcriptomic changes triggering cell differentiation which results in specification and establishment of germline in a developing embryo. Others act as safeguards responsible for maintenance of DNA integrity in germ cell. In this article, we focus on selected DEAD/DEAH-box RNA helicases involved in germline development and spermatogenesis presenting their diverse functions and implications for male fertility.

Primordial Germ Cell Specification in Vertebrate Embryos: Phylogenetic Distribution and Conserved Molecular Features of Preformation and Induction

“…In mammals, such as mice and humans, Vasa/DDX4 protein is expressed in migrating PGCs and exhibits sexually dimorphic functions in germ cells during gametogenesis ( Fujiwara et al, 1994 ; Castrillon et al, 2000 ; Tanaka et al, 2000 ; Noce et al, 2001 ). Vasa/DDX4 and another DEAD-box RNA helicase, GRTH/DDX25, are associated with granular nuage-like structures in mammalian spermatogenic cells and required for spermatogenesis and male fertility ( Tanaka et al, 2000 ; Tsai-Morris et al, 2010 ; Tutak and Rozwadowska, 2020 ).…”