Histone H4 Modification During Mouse Spermatogenesis |
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Authors: | Yoshiki SHIRAKATA Yuuki HIRADATE Hiroki INOUE Eimei SATO Kentaro TANEMURA |
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Institution: | 1)Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 981-8555, Japan;2)National Livestock Breeding Center, Fukushima 961-8511, Japan |
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Abstract: | The core histone is composed of four proteins (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4). Investigation of the modification patterns of histones
is critical to understanding their roles in biological processes. Although histone modification is observed in multiple cells
and tissues, little is known about its function in spermatogenesis. We focused on the modification patterns of histone H4
during murine spermatogenesis. We demonstrated that the individual N-terminal sites of H4 show different modification
patterns during the differentiation of male germ cells. The methylation pattern varied depending on the residues that were
mono-, di-, or tri-methylated. All the H4 modifications were high during the meiotic prophase, suggesting that histone H4
modification plays an important role during this stage of spermatogenesis. Elongating spermatids showed increased acetylation
of histone H4, which may be associated with a histone-to-protamine substitution. Our results provide further insight into the
specific relationship between histone H4 modification and gene expression during spermatogenesis, which could help to
elucidate the epigenetic disorders underlying male infertility. |
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Keywords: | Acetylation Histone H4 Immunohistochemistry Mouse Spermatogenesis |
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