9 research outputs found
Human globozoospermia-related gene spata16 is required for sperm formation revealed by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mouse models
Fujihara, Y.; Oji, A.; Larasati, T.; Kojima-Kita, K.; Ikawa, M. Human Globozoospermia-Related Gene Spata16 Is Required for Sperm Formation Revealed by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Mouse Models. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 2208. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms1810220
Spermatozoa lacking Fertilization Influencing Membrane Protein (FIMP) fail to fuse with oocytes in mice
Fujihara, Y., Lu, Y., Noda, T., Oji, A., Larasati, T., Kojima-Kita, K., . . . Ikawa, M. (2020). Spermatozoa lacking fertilization influencing membrane protein (FIMP) fail to fuse with oocytes in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(17), 9393-9400. doi:10.1073/pnas.191706011
Identification of multiple male reproductive tractspecific proteins that regulate sperm migration through the oviduct in mice
Fujihara, Y., Noda, T., Kobayashi, K., Oji, A., Kobayashi, S., Matsumura, T., . . . Ikawa, M. (2019). Identification of multiple male reproductive tractspecific proteins that regulate sperm migration through the oviduct in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(37), 18498-18506. doi:10.1073/pnas.190873611
MIWI2 as an Effector of DNA Methylation and Gene Silencing in Embryonic Male Germ Cells
During the development of mammalian embryonic germ cells, global demethylation and de novo DNA methylation take place. In mouse embryonic germ cells, two PIWI family proteins, MILI and MIWI2, are essential for the de novo DNA methylation of retrotransposons, presumably through PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Although piRNA-associated MIWI2 has been reported to play critical roles in the process, its molecular mechanisms have remained unclear. To identify the mechanism, transgenic mice were produced; they contained a fusion protein of MIWI2 and a zinc finger (ZF) that recognized the promoter region of a type A LINE-1 gene. The ZF-MIWI2 fusion protein brought about DNA methylation, suppression of the type A LINE-1 gene, and a partial rescue of the impaired spermatogenesis of MILI-null mice. In addition, ZF-MIWI2 was associated with the proteins involved in DNA methylation. These data indicate that MIWI2 functions as an effector of de novo DNA methylation of the retrotransposon