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Development, Differentiation, and Toxicity in Reproduction

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2022) | Viewed by 12110

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Youngsok Choi

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Guest Editor

Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Interests: uterine biology; germ cell development; regeneration; aging; infertility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproductive development is very important for maintaining and preserving successful pregnancy in both males and females. In recent years, infertility has been increasing due to various factors that cause the abnormal development and differentiation of reproductive organs, including testis, ovary, and uterus. These include both genetic defects and environmental factors that result in malfunction of the reproductive system. Identifying the exact factors leading to the abnormal development and toxicity of reproductive organs over the lifespan is of great importance. This requires continued efforts, which will give us a better understanding necessary to overcome infertility related to the development and toxicity of the reproductive system. In this Issue, we invite potential researchers who are working toward revealing the causes of infertility and solving this problem by investigating the development, differentiation, and toxicity of reproductive organs.

Prof. Dr. Youngsok Choi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Reproductive development
Infertility
Gonadotoxicity
Environmental factors
Cancer drugs

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 10827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

BAF-L Modulates Histone-to-Protamine Transition during Spermiogenesis

by Chao Huang, Huan Gong, Bin Mu, Xinting Lan, Chengcheng Yang, Jinlong Tan, Wentao Liu, Yuanfeng Zou, Lixia Li, Bin Feng, Xia He, Qihui Luo and Zhengli Chen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(4), 1985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23041985 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3630

Abstract

Maturing male germ cells undergo a unique developmental process in spermiogenesis that replaces nucleosomal histones with protamines, the process of which is critical for testicular development and male fertility. The progress of this exchange is regulated by complex mechanisms that are not well understood. Now, with mouse genetic models, we show that barrier-to-autointegration factor-like protein (BAF-L) plays an important role in spermiogenesis and spermatozoal function. BAF-L is a male germ cell marker, whose expression is highly associated with the maturation of male germ cells. The genetic deletion of BAF-L in mice impairs the progress of spermiogenesis and thus male fertility. This effect on male fertility is a consequence of the disturbed homeostasis of histones and protamines in maturing male germ cells, in which the interactions between BAF-L and histones/protamines are implicated. Finally, we show that reduced testicular expression of BAF-L represents a risk factor of human male infertility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Differentiation, and Toxicity in Reproduction)

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11 pages, 2221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

MFN1 and MFN2 Are Dispensable for Sperm Development and Functions in Mice

by Junru Miao, Wei Chen, Pengxiang Wang, Xin Zhang, Lei Wang, Shuai Wang and Yuan Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(24), 13507; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222413507 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2564

Abstract

MFN1 (Mitofusin 1) and MFN2 (Mitofusin 2) are GTPases essential for mitochondrial fusion. Published studies revealed crucial roles of both Mitofusins during embryonic development. Despite the unique mitochondrial organization in sperm flagella, the biological requirement in sperm development and functions remain undefined. Here, using sperm-specific Cre drivers, we show that either Mfn1 or Mfn2 knockout in haploid germ cells does not affect male fertility. The Mfn1 and Mfn2 double knockout mice were further analyzed. We found no differences in testis morphology and weight between Mfn-deficient mice and their wild-type littermate controls. Spermatogenesis was normal in Mfn double knockout mice, in which properly developed TRA98+ germ cells, SYCP3+ spermatocytes, and TNP1+ spermatids/spermatozoa were detected in seminiferous tubules, indicating that sperm formation was not disrupted upon MFN deficiency. Collectively, our findings reveal that both MFN1 and MFN2 are dispensable for sperm development and functions in mice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Differentiation, and Toxicity in Reproduction)

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19 pages, 3870 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Radiation on Transcriptomic Profile of Pig Myometrium during the Peri-Implantation Period—An In Vitro Study

by Ewa Monika Drzewiecka, Wiktoria Kozlowska, Lukasz Paukszto, Agata Zmijewska, Pawel Jozef Wydorski, Jan Pawel Jastrzebski and Anita Franczak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(14), 7322; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22147322 - 07 Jul 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2640

Abstract

The electromagnetic field (EMF) affects the physiological processes in mammals, but the molecular background of the observed alterations remains not well established. In this study was tested the effect of short duration (2 h) of the EMF treatment (50 Hz, 8 mT) on global transcriptomic alterations in the myometrium of pigs during the peri-implantation period using next-generation sequencing. As a result, the EMF treatment affected the expression of 215 transcript active regions (TARs), and among them, the assigned gene protein-coding biotype possessed 90 ones (differentially expressed genes, DEGs), categorized mostly to gene ontology terms connected with defense and immune responses, and secretion and export. Evaluated DEGs enrich the KEGG TNF signaling pathway, and regulation of IFNA signaling and interferon-alpha/beta signaling REACTOME pathways. There were evaluated 12 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DE-lnc-RNAs) and 182 predicted single nucleotide variants (SNVs) substitutions within RNA editing sites. In conclusion, the EMF treatment in the myometrium collected during the peri-implantation period affects the expression of genes involved in defense and immune responses. The study also gives new insight into the mechanisms of the EMF action in the regulation of the transcriptomic profile through lnc-RNAs and SNVs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Differentiation, and Toxicity in Reproduction)

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19 pages, 4254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Estrogenic Activity and Site-Specific Accumulation of Bisphenol-A in Epididymal Fat Pad: Interfering Effects on the Endocannabinoid System and Temporal Progression of Germ Cells

by Teresa Chioccarelli, Marina Migliaccio, Antonio Suglia, Francesco Manfrevola, Veronica Porreca, Nadia Diano, Sonia Errico, Silvia Fasano and Gilda Cobellis

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(5), 2540; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052540 - 03 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2479

Abstract

The objective of this work has been to characterize the estrogenic activity of bisphenol-A (BPA) and the adverse effects on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in modulating germ cell progression. Male offspring exposed to BPA during the foetal-perinatal period at doses below the no-observed-adverse-effect-level were used to investigate the exposure effects in adulthood. Results showed that BPA accumulates specifically in epididymal fat rather than in abdominal fat and targets testicular expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and cytochrome P450 aromatase, thus promoting sustained increase of estrogens and a decrease of testosterone. The exposure to BPA affects the expression levels of some ECS components, namely type-1 (CB1) and type-2 cannabinoid (CB2) receptor and monoacylglycerol-lipase (MAGL). Furthermore, it affects the temporal progression of germ cells reported to be responsive to ECS and promotes epithelial germ cell exfoliation. In particular, it increases the germ cell content (i.e., spermatogonia while reducing spermatocytes and spermatids), accelerates progression of spermatocytes and spermatids, promotes epithelial detachment of round and condensed spermatids and interferes with expression of cell–cell junction genes (i.e., zonula occcludens protein-1, vimentin and β-catenin). Altogether, our study provides evidence that early exposure to BPA produces in adulthood sustained and site-specific BPA accumulation in epididymal fat, becoming a risk factor for the reproductive endocrine pathways associated to ECS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Differentiation, and Toxicity in Reproduction)

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