Abstract
Spermatogenesis is an important cellular differentiation process that produces the male gametes and remains active throughout the individual’s lifespan. Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO) refers to the dysfunction of the male reproductive system, including infertility. Accurate self-renewal of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) is essential to prevent SCO syndrome. This study investigated the role of microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase family member 4 (MAST4) in spermatogenesis in mice. MAST4 was localized in Sertoli cells before puberty, providing a somatic niche for spermatogenesis in mice and MAST4 expression shifted to Leydig cells and spermatids throughout puberty. Mast4 knockout (KO) testes were reduced in size compared to wild-type testes, and germ cell depletion associated with an increase in apoptosis and subsequent loss of tubular structure were similar to the SCO phenotype. In addition, MAST4 phosphorylated the Ets-related molecule (ERM), specifically the serine 367 residue. The phosphorylation of ERM ultimately controls the transcription of ERM target genes related to SSC self-renewal. The expression of spermatogenesis-associated proteins was significantly decreased whereas Sertoli cell markers were increased in Mast4 KO testes, which was well-founded by RNA-sequencing analysis. Therefore, MAST4 is associated with the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)/ERM pathway and this association helps us explore the capacity of SSCs to maintain a vertebrate stem cell niche.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Prof. G Yamada and C Tickle for critical reading of this manuscript. This research was supported in part by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korea Government (MSIP) (NRF-2019R1A2C3005294, NRF-2017M3A9B3061833 and NRF-2016R1A5A2008630).
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Lee, SJ., Park, J., Lee, DJ. et al. Mast4 knockout shows the regulation of spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal via the FGF2/ERM pathway. Cell Death Differ 28, 1441–1454 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-020-00670-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-020-00670-2
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