The RNA-Binding Protein NANOS2 Is Required to Maintain Murine Spermatogonial Stem Cells

Abstract

Maintaining Germline Stem Cells Spermatogonial stem cell pools in postnatal testes have to be maintained to continuously generate spermatozoa. It has been difficult to identify these stem cells in vivo, because of their small numbers and lack of appropriate molecular markers, but now Sada et al. (p. 1394 ) show that the RNA-binding protein NANOS2 is expressed in a small subset of spermatogonia that behave as self-renewing stem cells in intact testes. By a combinatorial use of loss- and gain-of-function studies, NANOS2 was found to be essential for the maintenance of the immature state of spermatogonial stem cells by supporting their self-renewing properties and by suppressing differentiation.

NANOS2 interacts with the CCR4-NOT deadenylation complex and leads to suppression of specific RNAs

“…This expression is subsequently lost as these cells differentiate. However, if FLAG-tagged NANOS2 is forcedly and continuously expressed in the spermatogonial population, the male mouse become infertile because the spermatogonia remain in an undifferentiated state in the testis, in which a large number of NANOS2-positive spermatogonia occupy the periphery of the seminiferous tubules (23). In addition, FLAG-tagged NANOS2 also localizes to the P-bodies in the spermatogonia in the manner similar to endogenous Nanos2 (Fig.…”

Long Glucocorticoid-induced Leucine Zipper (L-GILZ) Protein Interacts with Ras Protein Pathway and Contributes to Spermatogenesis Control

“…An appropriate equilibrium between SSC self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation is necessary to maintain spermatogenesis and male fertility. Previous studies have implicated several genes in the regulation of undifferentiated spermatogonia function, but factors influencing their proliferation and differentiation to mature germ cells have not been fully defined (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Molecular and expression characterization of a nanos1 homologue in Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis

“…In vertebrates, previous studies had identified three kinds of nanos (nanos1, nanos2 and nanos3), and nanos1 might function in various somatic tissues, while nanos2 and nanos3 were both specially implicated in germ line (Aoki et al, 2009;Draper et al, 2007;Haraguchi et al, 2003;Jaruzelska et al, 2003;Julaton and Reijo Pera, 2011;Koprunner et al, 2001;Kusz et al, 2009;MacArthur et al, 1999;Sada et al, 2009;Tsuda et al, 2003;Wang and Lin, 2004). However, nanos1 was also expressed in germ cells of some vertebrate species, including zebrafish, medaka, frog, mouse and human.…”