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Intragenomic conflicts arise when a genetic element favours its own transmission to the detriment of others. Conflicts over sex chromosome transmission are expected to have influenced genome structure, gene regulation, and speciation. In the mouse, the existence of an intragenomic conflict between X- and Y-linked multicopy genes has long been suggested but never demonstrated. The Y-encoded multicopy gene Sly has been shown to have a predominant role in the epigenetic repression of post meiotic sex chromatin (PMSC) and, as such, represses X and Y genes, among which are its X-linked homologs Slx and Slxl1. Here, we produced mice that are deficient for both Sly and Slx/Slxl1 and observed that Slx/Slxl1 has an opposite role to that of Sly, in that it stimulates XY gene expression in spermatids. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency rescues the sperm differentiation defects and near sterility caused by Sly deficiency and vice versa. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency also causes a sex ratio distortion towards the production of male offspring that is corrected by Sly deficiency. All in all, our data show that Slx/Slxl1 and Sly have antagonistic effects during sperm differentiation and are involved in a postmeiotic intragenomic conflict that causes segregation distortion and male sterility. This is undoubtedly what drove the massive gene amplification on the mouse X and Y chromosomes. It may also be at the basis of cases of F1 male hybrid sterility where the balance between Slx/Slxl1 and Sly copy number, and therefore expression, is disrupted. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first demonstration of a competition occurring between X and Y related genes in mammals. It also provides a biological basis for the concept that intragenomic conflict is an important evolutionary force which impacts on gene expression, genome structure, and speciation.

In animals with heteromorphic sex chromosomes, all sex differences originate from the sex chromosomes, which are the only factors that are consistently different in male and female zygotes. In mammals, the imbalance in Y gene expression, specifically the presence vs. absence of Sry, initiates the differentiation of testes in males, setting up lifelong sex differences in the level of gonadal hormones, which in turn cause many sex differences in the phenotype of non-gonadal tissues. The inherent imbalance in the expression of X and Y genes, or in the epigenetic impact of X and Y chromosomes, also has the potential to contribute directly to the sexual differentiation of non-gonadal cells. Here, we review the research strategies to identify the X and Y genes or chromosomal regions that cause direct, sexually differentiating effects on non-gonadal cells. Some mouse models are useful for separating the effects of sex chromosomes from those of gonadal hormones. Once direct “sex chromosome effects” are detected in these models, further studies are required to narrow down the list of candidate X and/or Y genes and then to identify the sexually differentiating genes themselves. Logical approaches to the search for these genes are reviewed here. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13293-016-0115-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

During spermatogenesis, germ cells that fail to synapse their chromosomes or fail to undergo meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) are eliminated via apoptosis during mid-pachytene. Previous work showed that Y-linked genes Zfy1 and Zfy2 act as ‘executioners’ for this checkpoint, and that wrongful expression of either gene during pachytene triggers germ cell death. Here, we show that in mice, Zfy genes are also necessary for efficient MSCI and the sex chromosomes are not correctly silenced in Zfy-deficient spermatocytes. This unexpectedly reveals a triple role for Zfy at the mid-pachytene checkpoint in which Zfy genes first promote MSCI, then monitor its progress (since if MSCI is achieved, Zfy genes will be silenced), and finally execute cells with MSCI failure. This potentially constitutes a negative feedback loop governing this critical checkpoint mechanism.

Slx and Slxl1 are genes present in multiple copies on the mouse X chromosome. Using transgenically-delivered small interfering RNAs to disrupt their function, we show that Slx and Slxl1 are important for normal sperm differentiation and male fertility., The human and mouse sex chromosomes are enriched in multicopy genes required for postmeiotic differentiation of round spermatids into sperm. The gene Sly is present in multiple copies on the mouse Y chromosome and encodes a protein that is required for the epigenetic regulation of postmeiotic sex chromosome expression. The X chromosome carries two multicopy genes related to Sly: Slx and Slxl1. Here we investigate the role of Slx/Slxl1 using transgenically-delivered small interfering RNAs to disrupt their function. We show that Slx and Slxl1 are important for normal sperm differentiation and male fertility. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency leads to delay in spermatid elongation and sperm release. A high proportion of delayed spermatids are eliminated via apoptosis, with a consequent reduced sperm count. The remaining spermatozoa are abnormal with impaired motility and fertilizing abilities. Microarray analyses reveal that Slx/Slxl1 deficiency affects the metabolic processes occurring in the spermatid cytoplasm but does not lead to a global perturbation of sex chromosome expression; this is in contrast with the effect of Sly deficiency which leads to an up-regulation of X and Y chromosome genes. This difference may be due to the fact that SLX/SLXL1 are cytoplasmic while SLY is found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of spermatids.

SummaryDifferences between males and females are normally attributed to developmental and hormonal differences between the sexes. Here, we demonstrate differences between males and females in gene silencing using a heterochromatin-sensitive reporter gene. Using “sex-reversal” mouse models with varying sex chromosome complements, we found that this differential gene silencing was determined by X chromosome complement, rather than sex. Genome-wide transcription profiling showed that the expression of hundreds of autosomal genes was also sensitive to sex chromosome complement. These genome-wide analyses also uncovered a role for Sry in modulating autosomal gene expression in a sex chromosome complement-specific manner. The identification of this additional layer in the establishment of sexual dimorphisms has implications for understanding sexual dimorphisms in physiology and disease.PaperClip

Deletion analysis has established that genes on the Y chromosome are essential for normal sperm production in humans, mice, and Drosophila. In mice, long-arm deletions have an impact on spermiogenesis, with the most extensive deletions resulting in severe sperm head malformations and infertility. Intriguingly, smaller deletions are compatible with fertility but result in a distorted sex ratio in favor of females, and recently it was found that Y long-arm deletions are also associated with a marked upregulation of several X-encoded and Y-encoded spermatid-expressed genes. The mouse Y long arm encodes a number of distinct transcripts, each of which derives from multiple gene copies. Of these multicopy genes, the recently described Sly has been favored as the gene underlying the spermiogenic defects associated with Y long-arm deletions. To assess the candidacy of Sly, the expression of this gene was examined in the testis at the transcript and protein levels. Sly is transcribed after the first meiotic division in secondary spermatocytes and round spermatids and encodes two transcript variants, Sly_v1 and Sly_v2 (proteins referred to as SLY1 and SLY2). We raised an antibody against SLY1 which detected the protein in round and early elongating spermatids, where it is predominantly cytoplasmic. Yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that SLY1 interacts with the acrosomal protein DKKL1, the histone acetyltransferase KAT5 (also known as TIP60), and the microtubule-associated protein APPBP2. Together, these data suggest SLY1 may be involved in multiple processes during spermiogenesis, including the control of gene expression and the development or function of the acrosome.

The mouse Y chromosome long arm (Yq) comprises approximately 70 Mb of repetitive, male-specific DNA together with a short (0.7-Mb) pseudoautosomal region (PAR). The repetitive non-PAR region (NPYq) encodes genes whose deficiency leads to subfertility and infertility, resulting from impaired spermiogenesis. In XSxr(a)Y*(X) mice, the only Y-specific material is provided by the Y chromosome short arm-derived sex reversal factor Sxr(a), which is attached to the X chromosome PAR; these males (NPYq- males) produce sperm with severely malformed heads and are infertile. In the present study, we investigated sperm function in these mice in the context of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Of 261 oocytes injected, 103 reached the 2-cell stage, and 46 developed to liveborn offspring. Using Xist RT-PCR genotyping as well as gamete and somatic cell karyotyping, all six predicted genotypes were identified among ICSI-derived progeny. The sex chromosome constitution of NPYq- males does not allow production of offspring with the same genotype, but one of the expected offspring genotypes is XY*(X)Sxr(a) (NPYq-(2)), which has the same Y gene complement as NPYq-. Analysis of NPYq-(2) males revealed they had normal-sized testes with ongoing spermatogenesis. Like NPYq- males, these males were infertile, and their sperm had malformed heads that nevertheless fertilized eggs via ICSI. In vitro fertilization (IVF), however, was unsuccessful. Overall, we demonstrated that a lack of NPYq-encoded genes does not interfere with the ability of sperm to fertilize oocytes via ICSI but does prevent fertilization via IVF. Thus, NPYq-encoded gene functions are not required after the sperm have entered the oocyte. The present work also led to development of a new mouse model lacking NPYq gene complement that will facilitate future studies of Y-encoded gene function.

During mammalian meiosis, synapsis of paternal and maternal chromosomes and the generation of DNA breaks are needed to allow reshuffling of parental genes. In mammals errors in synapsis are associated with a male-biased meiotic impairment, which has been attributed to a response to persisting DNA double-stranded breaks in the asynapsed chromosome segments. Recently it was discovered that the chromatin of asynapsed chromosome segments is transcriptionally silenced, providing new insights into the connection between asynapsis and meiotic impairment.

To shed light on the biological origins of sex differences in neural tube defects (NTDs), we examined Trp53-null C57BL/6 mouse embryos and neonates at 10.5 and 18.5 days post coitus (dpc) and at birth. We confirmed that female embryos show more NTDs than males. We also examined mice in which the testis-determining gene Sry is deleted from the Y chromosome but inserted onto an autosome as a transgene, producing XX and XY gonadal females and XX and XY gonadal males. At birth, Trp53 nullizygous mice were predominantly XY rather than XX, irrespective of gonadal type, showing that the sex difference in the lethal effect of Trp53 nullizygosity by postnatal day 1 is caused by differences in sex chromosome complement. At 10.5 dpc, the incidence of NTDs in Trp53-null progeny of XY* mice, among which the number of the X chromosomes varies independently of the presence or absence of a Y chromosome, was higher in mice with two copies of the X chromosome than in mice with a single copy. The presence of a Y chromosome had no protective effect, suggesting that sex differences in NTDs are caused by sex differences in the number of X chromosomes.

The mouse multi-copy X-linked gene Xlr-related, meiosis-regulated (Xmr/Slx) has previously been described as encoding a testis-specific nuclear protein expressed during male meiotic prophase, and during which it becomes concentrated in the inactive X and Y chromatin domain. These conclusions were based on Western blot and immunolocalization analysis using an antibody raised against a related lymphocyte protein, XLR; however, our recently published RNA in situ for Xmr revealed that transcripts are predominantly or exclusively postmeiotic, and this is supported by a growing body of microarray data. This led us to reanalyze the expression of Xmr, both at the RNA level by RT-PCR and by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, and at the protein level by using antibodies raised against XMR that do not recognize XLR. In agreement with our previous RNA in situ data, our further transcription analysis showed almost exclusive expression in spermatids, and Western blot and immunostaining with the XMR antibodies showed that the protein is cytoplasmic and restricted to spermatids. Furthermore, the previously used XLR antibody was shown not to cross-react with XMR, and it is suggested that the meiotically expressed nuclear protein recognized by this antibody is another member of the complex Xlr superfamily. As a result of these findings, the gene previously known as Xmr is now officially know as Slx, Sycp3-like, X-linked.

The product of the Scmh1 gene, a mammalian homolog of DrosophilaSex comb on midleg, is a constituent of the mammalian Polycomb repressive complexes 1 (Prc1). We have identified Scmh1 as an indispensable component of the Prc1. During progression through pachytene, Scmh1 was shown to be excluded from the XY body at late pachytene, together with other Prc1 components such as Phc1, Phc2, Rnf110 (Pcgf2), Bmi1 and Cbx2. We have identified the role of Scmh1 in mediating the survival of late pachytene spermatocytes. Apoptotic elimination of Scmh1-/- spermatocytes is accompanied by the preceding failure of several specific chromatin modifications at the XY body, whereas synapsis of homologous autosomes is not affected. It is therefore suggested that Scmh1 is involved in regulating the sequential changes in chromatin modifications at the XY chromatin domain of the pachytene spermatocytes. Restoration of defects in Scmh1-/-spermatocytes by Phc2 mutation indicates that Scmh1 exerts its molecular functions via its interaction with Prc1. Therefore, for the first time, we are able to indicate a functional involvement of Prc1 during the meiotic prophase of male germ cells and a regulatory role of Scmh1 for Prc1,which involves sex chromosomes.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are extremely hazardous lesions for all DNA-bearing organisms and the mechanisms of DSB repair are highly conserved. In the eukaryotic mitotic cell cycle, DSBs are often present following DNA replication while, in meiosis, hundreds of DSBs are generated as a prelude to the reshuffling of the maternally and paternally derived genomes. In both cases, the DSBs are repaired by a process called homologous recombinational repair (HRR), which utilises an intact DNA molecule as the repair template. Mitotic and meiotic HRR are managed by 'checkpoints' that inhibit cell division until DSB repair is complete. Here we attempt to summarise the substantial recent progress in understanding the checkpoint management of HRR in mitosis (focussing mainly on mammals) and then go on to use this information as a framework for understanding the presumed checkpoint management of HRR in mammalian meiosis.

International audience; A previous study indicated that genetic information encoded on the mouse Y chromosome short arm (Yp) is required for efficient completion of the second meiotic division (that generates haploid round spermatids), restructuring of the sperm head, and development of the sperm tail. Using mouse models lacking a Y chromosome but with varying Yp gene complements provided by Yp chromosomal derivatives or transgenes, we recently identified the Y-encoded zinc finger transcription factors Zfy1 and Zfy2 as the Yp genes promoting the second meiotic division. Using the same mouse models we here show that Zfy2 (but not Zfy1) contributes to the restructuring of the sperm head and is required for the development of the sperm tail. The preferential involvement of Zfy2 is consistent with the presence of an additional strong spermatid-specific promotor that has been acquired by this gene. This is further supported by the fact that promotion of sperm morphogenesis is also seen in one of the two markedly Yp gene deficient models in which a Yp deletion has created a Zfy2/1 fusion gene that is driven by the strong Zfy2 spermatid-specific promotor, but encodes a protein almost identical to that encoded by Zfy1. Our results point to there being further genetic information on Yp that also has a role in restructuring the sperm head.

In mouse and man, Y chromosome deletions are frequently associated with spermatogenic defects. XY Tdym1 qdelSry males have an extensive Yq deletion that almost completely abolishes the expression of two gene families, Ssty and Sly, located within the male-specific region of the mouse Y long arm. These males exhibit severe sperm defects and sterility. XY RIII qdel males have a smaller interstitial Yq deletion, removing approximately two thirds of Ssty/Sly gene copies, and display an increased incidence of mild sperm head anomalies with impairment of fertility and an intriguing distortion in the sex ratio of offspring in favor of females. Here we used intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to investigate the functional capacity of sperm from these Yq deletion males. Any selection related to the ability of sperm to fertilize in vitro is removed by ICSI, and we obtained two generations of live offspring from the infertile males. Genotyping of ICSI-derived offspring revealed that the Y Tdym1 qdel deletion does not interfere with production of Y chromosome-bearing gametes, as judged from the frequency of Y chromosome transmission to the offspring. ICSI results for XY RIII qdel males also indicate that there is no deficiency of Y sperm production in this genotype, although the data show an excess of females following in vitro fertilization and natural mating. Our findings suggest that 1) Yq deletions in mice do not bias the primary sex ratio and 2) Y RIII qdel spermatozoa have poorer fertilizing ability than their X-bearing counterparts. Thus, a normal complement of the Ssty and/or Sly gene families on mouse Yq appears necessary for normal sperm function. Summary: ICSI was successfully used to reproduce infertile mice with Yq deletions, and the analysis of sperm function in obtained offspring demonstrated that gene families located within the deletion interval are necessary for normal sperm function.

Sex chromosome complement, by determining whether an ovary or testis develops, exerts indirect hormone-mediated effects on the development of sex-specific traits. However, this does not preclude more direct effects that are independent of gonadal hormones. To look for gonadal hormone-independent effects in sexually dimorphic immune responses, we used mice in which the testis determinant Sry has been moved from the Y chromosome to an autosome, thus allowing the production of mice that differ in sex chromosome complement while having the same gonadal type. This model permits comparison of XX and XY mice with ovaries or testes. These mice were immunized with an autoantigen, and draining lymph node cells were assessed for autoantigen-specific proliferative responses and cytokine production. Surprisingly, we found that the male complement of sex chromosomes (XY) was relatively stimulatory, whereas male sex hormones were inhibitory, for this immune response. This is the first experimental evidence of a compensatory yin-yang effect of sex chromosome complement and sex hormones on a biologic process.

Fundamentally different recombination defects cause apoptosis of mouse spermatocytes at the same stage in development, stage IV of the seminiferous epithelium cycle, equivalent to mid-pachynema in normal males. To understand the cellular response(s) that triggers apoptosis, we examined markers of spermatocyte development in mice with different recombination defects. In Spo11(-)(/)(-) mutants, which lack the double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate recombination, spermatocytes express markers of early to mid-pachynema, forming chromatin domains that contain sex body-associated proteins but that rarely encompass the sex chromosomes. Dmc1(-)(/)(-) spermatocytes, impaired in DSB repair, appear to arrest at or about late zygonema. Epistasis analysis reveals that this earlier arrest is a response to unrepaired DSBs, and cytological analysis implicates the BRCT-containing checkpoint protein TOPBP1. Atm(-)(/)(-) spermatocytes show similarities to Dmc1(-)(/)(-) spermatocytes, suggesting that ATM promotes meiotic DSB repair. Msh5(-)(/)(-) mutants display a set of characteristics distinct from these other mutants. Thus, despite equivalent stages of spermatocyte elimination, different recombination-defective mutants manifest distinct responses, providing insight into surveillance mechanisms in male meiosis.

Imprinted genes are monoallelically expressed in a parent-of-origin-dependent manner and can affect brain and behavioural phenotypes. The X chromosome is enriched for genes affecting neurodevelopment and is donated asymmetrically to male and female progeny. Hence, X-linked imprinted genes could potentially influence sexually dimorphic neurobiology. Consequently, investigations into such loci may provide new insights into the biological basis of behavioural differences between the sexes and into why men and women show different vulnerabilities to certain mental disorders. In this review, we summarise recent advances in our knowledge of X-linked imprinted genes and the brain substrates that they may act upon. In addition, we suggest strategies for identifying novel X-linked imprinted genes and their downstream effects and discuss evolutionary theories regarding the origin and maintenance of X-linked imprinting.

In mammalian spermatogenesis, the X and Y chromosomes are transcriptionally silenced during the pachytene stage of meiotic prophase (meiotic sex chromosome inactivation, MSCI), forming a condensed chromatin domain termed the sex or XY body [1–3]. The nucleosomal core histone H2AX is phosphorylated within the XY chromatin domain just prior to MSCI, and it has been hypothesized that this triggers the chromatin condensation and transcriptional repression [4, 5]. Here, we show that the kinase ATR localizes to XY chromatin at the onset of MSCI and that this localization is disrupted in mice with a mutant form of the tumor suppressor protein BRCA1. In the mutant pachytene cells, ATR is usually present at nonsex chromosomal sites, where it colocalizes with aberrant sites of H2AX phosphorylation; in these cells, there is MSCI failure. In rare pachytene cells, ATR does locate to XY chromatin, H2AX is then phosphorylated, a sex body forms, and MSCI ensues. These observations highlight an important role for BRCA1 in recruiting the kinase ATR to XY chromatin at the onset of MSCI and provide compelling evidence that it is ATR that phosphorylates H2AX and triggers MSCI.

Recent work has indicated altered emotional functioning in Turner's syndrome (TS) subjects (45,XO). We examined the role of X-chromosome deficiency on fear reactivity in X-monosomic mice (39,XO), and found that they exhibited anxiogenic behaviour relative to normal females (40,XX). A molecular candidate for this effect is Steroid sulfatase (Sts) as this is located in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of the X-chromosome and consequently is normally biallelically expressed. In addition, the steroid sulfatase enzyme (STS) is putatively linked to fear reactivity by an effect on GABAA receptors via the action of neurosteroids. Real-time PCR demonstrated that levels of Sts mRNA were reduced by half in the brains of 39,XO mice compared with 40,XX, and that expression levels of a number of GABAA subunits previously shown to be important components of fear processing (Gabra3, Gabra1 and Gabrg2) were also altered. However, 40,XY*X mice, in which the Y*X is a small chromosome comprising of a complete PAR and a small non-PAR segment of the X-chromosome, exhibited the same pattern of fear reactivity behaviour as 39,XO animals, but equivalent expression levels of Sts, Gabra1, Gabra3 and Gabrg2 to 40,XX females. This showed that although Sts may cause alterations in GABAA subunit expression, these changes do not result in increased fear reactivity. This suggests an alternative X-chromosome gene, that escapes inactivation, is responsible for the differences in fear reactivity between 39,XO and 40,XX mice. These findings inform the TS data, and point to novel genetic mechanisms that may be of general significance to the neurobiology of fear.

The mouse Y chromosome carries 10 distinct genes or gene families that have open reading frames suggestive of retained functionality; it has been assumed that many of these function in spermatogenesis. However, we have recently shown that only two Y genes, the testis determinant Sry and the translation initiation factor Eif2s3y, are essential for spermatogenesis to proceed to the round spermatid stage. Thus, any further substantive mouse Y-gene functions in spermatogenesis are likely to be during sperm differentiation. The complex Ssty gene family present on the mouse Y long arm (Yq) has been implicated in sperm development, with partial Yq deletions that reduce Ssty expression resulting in impaired fertilization efficiency. Here we report the identification of a more extensive Yq deletion that abolishes Ssty expression and results in severe sperm defects and sterility. This result establishes that genetic information (Ssty?) essential for normal sperm differentiation and function is present on mouse Yq.

Histone macroH2A1.2 and the murine heterochromatin protein 1, HP1β, have both been implicated in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) and the formation of the XY-body in male meiosis. In order to get a closer insight into the function of histone macroH2A1.2 we have investigated the localisation of macroH2A1.2 in surface spread spermatocytes from normal male mice and in oocytes of XX and XYTdym1 mice. Oocytes of XYTdym1 mice have no XY-body or MSCI despite having an XY chromosome constitution, so the presence or absence of `XY-body' proteins in association with the X and/or Y chromosome of these oocytes enables some discrimination between potential functions of XY-body located proteins. We demonstrate here that macroH2A1.2 localises to the X and Y chromatin of spermatocytes as they condense to form the XY-body but is not associated with the X and Y chromatin of XYTdym1 early pachytene oocytes. MacroH2A1.2 and HP1β co-localise to autosomal pericentromeric heterochromatin in spermatocytes. However, the two proteins show temporally and spatially distinct patterns of association to X and Y chromatin.

Multicopy Y-chromosomal genes in human and mouse have been postulated to play a role in spermatogenesis. The mouse Y long arm (Yq) carries hundreds of supposedly intronless copies of Ssty, for which no protein has hitherto been identified; mice lacking Yq are sterile with grossly abnormal sperm. We have now identified an Ssty-encoded protein (Ssty1) that is expressed in spermatids. The protein is absent from spermatids of mice that lack Yq, but is not reduced in mice with a two-thirds reduction of Ssty copies, implying that most do not produce this protein. Furthermore, no protein was produced by a strongly transcribed intronless Ssty transgene, raising doubts as to the protein-encoding potential of these intronless genes. We have now identified an intron-containing copy that is also present in multiple copies on Yq. One or more intron-containing copies are retained in the Ssty-deficient mice and may be the source of the Ssty1 protein.

In mammals and birds, the sex of the gonads is determined by genes on the sex chromosomes. For example, the mammalian Y-linked gene Sry causes testis differentiation. The testes then secrete testosterone, which acts on the brain (often after conversion to estradiol) to cause masculine patterns of development. If this were the only reason for sex differences in neural development, then XX and XY brain cells would have to be deemed otherwise equivalent. This equivalence is doubtful because of recent experimental results demonstrating that some XX and XY tissues, including the brain, are sexually dimorphic even when they develop in a similar endocrine environment. Although X and Y genes probably influence brain phenotype in a sex-specific manner, much more information is needed to identify the magnitude and character of these effects.

Mice of the XO genotype with a paternally derived X chromosome (XpO) have placental hyperplasia in late pregnancy, although in early pregnancy the ectoplacental cone, a placental precursor, is smaller in XpO mice than in their XX sibs. This early size deficiency of the ectoplacental cone is apparently a consequence of Xp imprinting, because XmO embryos (with a maternally derived X chromosome) are unaffected. In the present study we sought to establish whether XpO placental hyperplasia in late pregnancy is also a consequence of Xp imprinting. Placental weight data were first collected from litters that included XpO or XmO fetuses and XX controls. Comparison of XO placentae with XX placentae showed that XpO and XmO placentae are hyperplastic. This finding suggested that the hyperplasia might be an X dosage effect, and this hypothesis was supported by the finding that XY male fetuses from the same crosses also had larger placentae than their XX sibs. Further analysis of a range of sex-chromosome variant genotypes, including XmYSry-negative females and XXSry transgenic males, showed that mouse fetuses with one X chromosome consistently had larger placentae than littermates with two X chromosomes, independent of their gonadal/androgen status.

During meiotic prophase in male mammals, the X and Y chromosomes condense to form a macrochromatin body, termed the sex, or XY, body, within which X- and Y-linked genes are transcriptionally repressed. The molecular basis and biological function of both sex body formation and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) are unknown. A phosphorylated form of H2AX, a histone H2A variant implicated in DNA repair, accumulates in the sex body in a manner independent of meiotic recombination-associated double-strand breaks. Here we show that the X and Y chromosomes of histone H2AX-deficient spermatocytes fail to condense to form a sex body, do not initiate MSCI, and exhibit severe defects in meiotic pairing. Moreover, other sex body proteins, including macroH2A1.2 and XMR, do not preferentially localize with the sex chromosomes in the absence of H2AX. Thus, H2AX is required for the chromatin remodeling and associated silencing in male meiosis.

The Yd1 deletion in mice removes most of the multi-copy Rbmy gene cluster that is located adjacent to the centromere on the Y short arm (Yp). XYd1 mice develop as females because Sry is inactivated, probably because it is now juxtaposed to centromeric heterochromatin. We have previously produced XYd1Sry transgenic males and found that they have a substantially increased frequency of abnormal sperm. Staining of testis sections with a polyclonal anti-RBMY antibody appeared to show a marked decrease of RBMY protein in the spermatids of XYd1Sry males compared to control males, which led us to suggest that this may be responsible for the increase in sperm anomalies. In the current study we sought to determine whether augmenting Rbmy expression specifically in the spermatids of XYd1Sry males would ameliorate the sperm defects. An expressing Rbmy transgene driven by the spermatid-specific mouse protamine 1 promotor (mP1Rbmy) was therefore introduced into XYd1Sry males. This failed to reduce the frequency of abnormal sperm. In the course of this study, a new RBMY antibody was generated that, in contrast to the original antibody, failed to detect RBMY in spermatid stages by immunostaining. The lack of RBMY was confirmed by western blotting of lysates from purified round spermatids and elongating spermatids. The implications of these results for the proposed role for RBMY in sperm development are discussed.

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a critical serine/threonine phosphatase involved in the control of multiple cellular functions. Distinct regulatory subunits of this holoenzyme govern its intracellular localisation and substrate specificity. The regulatory B subunits target PP2A to the substrate. The B56δ subunit encoded by Pp2r5d is expressed in different tissues including testis. Its genomic structure shows a 3′ end region of 114 bp in reverse orientation complementary to the 3′ region of Mea1. In mouse seminiferous epithelium Mea1 is highly expressed in pachytene spermatocytes through to spermatid cells, while Pp2r5d shows under-expression. The potential co-regulation of both these genes was analysed. However, no potential transcriptional or post-transcriptional interference between them could be fully defined. A previously unreported subunit with testis-specific expression, B56γ-4, was characterised. This new subunit of the B56 family has no genomic structure related to Mea1, and might replace the functions of B56δ if B56δ expression were compromised by high expression of Mea1 during spermatogenesis.

X chromosome inactivation occurs twice during the life cycle of placental mammals. In normal females, one X chromosome in each cell is inactivated early in embryogenesis, while in the male, the X chromosome is inactivated together with the Y chromosome in spermatogenic cells shortly before or during early meiotic prophase. Inactivation of one X chromosome in somatic cells of females serves to equalise X-linked gene dosage between males and females, but the role of male meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is unknown. The inactive X-chromosome of somatic cells and male meiotic cells share similar properties such as late replication and enrichment for histone macroH2A1.2,suggesting a common mechanism of inactivation. This possibility is supported by the fact that Xist RNA that mediates somatic X-inactivation is expressed in the testis of male mice and humans. In the present study we show that both Xist RNA and Tsix RNA, an antisense RNA that controls Xist function in the soma, are expressed in the testis in a germ-cell-dependent manner. However, our finding that MSCI and sex-body formation are unaltered in mice with targeted mutations of Xist that prevent somatic X inactivation suggests that somatic X-inactivation and MSCI occur by fundamentally different mechanisms.

XO Turner women, irrespective of the parental source of the X chromosome, are of short stature, and this is now thought to be largely a consequence of haploinsufficiency for the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) gene SHOX. XpO mice (with a paternal X) are developmentally retarded in fetal life, are underweight at birth, and show reduced weight gain in the first few weeks after birth. XmO mice, on the other hand, are more developmentally advanced than their XX siblings in fetal life; their postnatal growth has not hitherto been assessed. Here we show that XmO mice are not underweight at birth, but they nevertheless show reduced weight gain postnatally. The fact that postnatal growth is affected in XpO and XmO mice, means that this must be due to X dosage deficiency. In order to see if haploinsufficiency for a PAR gene was responsible for this growth deficit (cf SHOX deficiency in Turner women), XmY*X females, in which the Y*X chromosome provides a second copy of the PAR, were compared with XX females. These XmY*X females were also growth-retarded relative to their XX sibs, suggesting that it may be haploinsufficiency for a non-dosage-compensated X gene or genes outside the PAR that is responsible for the postnatal growth deficit in XO mice. The X genes known to escape X inactivation in the mouse have closely similar Y homologues. XmYSry-negative females were therefore compared with XX females to see if the presence of the Sry-negative Y chromosome corrected the growth deficit; this proved to be the case. The postnatal growth deficit of XO mice is therefore probably due to haploinsufficiency for a non-dosage-compensated X gene that has a Y homologue that provides an equivalent function in the somatic tissues of males.

There is accumulating evidence that meiosis, like mitosis, is monitored by a number of checkpoints. In mammals, the presence of asynapsed chromosomes at pachytene triggers a checkpoint (the pachytene or synapsis checkpoint) that removes cells via a p53-independent apoptotic pathway. In the special case of the sex bivalent in males, it is pseudoautosomal region (PAR) asynapsis that triggers the checkpoint. In male mice with three sex chromosomes (XYY or XYY(*X)) some pachytene spermatocytes achieve full (trivalent) PAR synapsis, but in many cells one sex chromosome remains as a univalent, thus triggering the checkpoint. Sperm counts in these males have been shown to be positively correlated with trivalent frequencies. In the present study sperm production and levels of sex chromosome synapsis were studied in mice with four sex chromosomes (XYYY(*X)) and XYY(*X)Y(*X)). These mice proved to be more severely affected than XYY or XYY(*X) mice. Nevertheless, pachytene synaptonemal complex analysis revealed that full PAR synapsis was achieved through the formation of radial quadrivalents or through the formation of two sex bivalents in 21%-49% of cells analysed. Given these levels of full PAR synapsis, the sperm counts were consistently lower than would have been predicted from the relationship between levels of PAR synapsis and sperm counts in mice with three sex chromosomes. It has been suggested that the inactivation of the asynapsed non-PAR X and Y axes of the XY bivalent of normal males (MSCI), which occurs during meiotic prophase, may be driven by Xist transcripts originating from the X. If this is the case, the non-PAR Y axes of YY and YY(*X) bivalents would fail to undergo MSCI. This could be cell lethal, either because of 'inappropriate' Y gene expression, or because the non-PAR Y axis may now trigger the synapsis checkpoint.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, meiotic recombination is initiated by Spo11-dependent double-strand breaks (DSBs), a process that precedes homologous synapsis. Here we use an antibody specific for a phosphorylated histone (gamma-H2AX, which marks the sites of DSBs) to investigate the timing, distribution and Spo11-dependence of meiotic DSBs in the mouse. We show that, as in yeast, recombination in the mouse is initiated by Spo11-dependent DSBs that form during leptotene. Loss of gamma-H2AX staining (which in irradiated somatic cells is temporally linked with DSB repair) is temporally and spatially correlated with synapsis, even when this synapsis is 'non-homologous'.

It has previously been reported that 19% of the daughters of males carrying the X-linked mutation patchy fur (Paf) are XO with a maternally derived X chromosome. We now report that hemizygous Paf males that also carry the variant Y chromosome Y*, show a much increased XO production (∼40% of daughters). We hypothesize that the Paf mutation is associated with an inversion spanning the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) boundary, and that this leads to preferential crossing over between the resulting inverted region of PAR and an equivalent inverted PAR region within the compound Y* PAR. This would lead to the production of dicentric X and acentric Y products and consequent sex chromosome loss. This interpretation is supported by analysis of the sex chromosome complements at the second meiotic metaphase, which revealed a high incidence of dicentrics. Another curious feature of the Paf mutation is that mice that are homozygous Paf have more hair than mice that are hemizygous Paf. This can be explained if the Paf mutation is a hypomorphic mutation that escapes X inactivation because, unlike the wild type allele, it is now located within the PAR.

The existing XYY meiotic data for mice present a very heterogeneous picture with respect to the relative frequencies of different sex chromosome associations, both at pachytene and diakinesis/metaphase I. Furthermore, where both pachytene and diakinesis/MI data are available for the same males, the frequencies of the different configurations at the two stages are very different. In the present paper we utilise “XYY” and “XY/XYY” mosaic mice with cytologically distinguishable Y chromosomes to investigate the factors responsible for this heterogeneity between different males and between the two meiotic stages. It is concluded (1) that the initial pattern of synapsis is driven by the relatedness of the three pseudoautosomal regions (PARs); (2) that the order and extent of PAR synapsis within radial trivalents are also affected by PAR relatedness and that this leads to chiasmata being preferentially formed between closely related PARs; (3) that trivalents with a single chiasma resolve into a bivalent + univalent by the diakinesis stage; (4) that although many spermatocytes with asynapsed sex chromosomes are eliminated between pachytene and diakinesis, those that survive this phase of elimination progress to the first meiotic metaphase (MI) and accumulate in large numbers, leading to an over-representation of those with univalents as compared to radial trivalents; and (5) that the arrested MI cells are eventually eliminated, so that very few “XYY” cells contribute products to MII.

There is extensive evidence for the existence of a meiotic checkpoint that acts to eliminate spermatocytes that fail to achieve full sex chromosome synapsis at the pachytene stage of the first meiotic prophase. XYY mice are nearly always sterile, with clear signs of meiotic impairment, and sex chromosome asynapsis has been proposed to underlie this impairment. However, a study of XYY*X mice (mice having three sex chromosomes but only a single dose of Y genes) revealed that these mice are fertile, and thus implicated Y gene dosage as a major factor in the sterility of XYY mice. To address this question further, sex chromosome synapsis and spermatogenic proficiency were compared between XYY*X and XYY mice generated in the same litters. This established that differences in spermatogenic proficiency within and between the two genotypes correlated with the frequency of radial trivalent formation (full sex chromosome synapsis); XYY*X males, as a group, had double the radial trivalent frequency of XYY males. This observation provides strong support for the view that sex chromosome asynapsis (or some consequence thereof), rather than Y gene dosage, is the major factor leading to the meiotic impairment of XYY mice.

For several decades, the mammalian Y chromosome was considered a genetic “desert,” with the testis determinant being the sole survivor of the attrition that followed the chromosome's inception. Aside from the addition of a genetic factor required for spermatogenesis to the human Y chromosome in 1976, this view held sway until the mid-1980s. The ensuing molecular genetic analysis, culminating in the recent paper in Science by Lahn and Page,1 has identified more than 20 genes or gene families on the human Y. This has led to a reappraisal of the evolution and functions of this unique chromosome. BioEssays20:363–366, 1998. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons Inc.

As long ago as 1931 Fisher outlined the reasons for the accumulation of male 'benefit genes' (e.g. male fertility factors) on the Y chromosome, but it was over four decades later that a study of men with partial Y chromosome deletions revealed that a factor essential for male fertility was present on the human Y. Today, the Y deletion interval containing this 'Azoospermia Factor' (AZF) has been subdivided into three subintervals associated with different degrees of spermatogenic impairment. Furthermore, three deletion intervals have been identified on the mouse Y that impact on the spermatogenic process. This review examines these deletion intervals in mouse and man and summarises progress towards identifying candidate genes for their respective spermatogenic functions.

Evidence is accumulating that meiosis is subject to 'checkpoints' that monitor the quality of this complex process. In yeast, unresolved double strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA are thought to trigger a 'recombination checkpoint' that leads to pachytene arrest. In higher eukaryotes, there is evidence for a checkpoint that monitors chromosome synapsis and in mammals the most compelling evidence relates to the sex chromosomes. In normal male mice, there is synapsis between the X and Y pseudoautosomal regions; in XSxr(a)O mice, with a single asynaptic sex chromosome, there is arrest at the first meiotic metaphase, the arrested cells being eliminated by apoptosis (our unpublished data). Satisfying the requirement for pseudoautosomal synapsis by providing a pairing partner for the XSxr(a) chromosome avoids this arrest. We have considered that this 'synapsis checkpoint' may be a modification of the yeast 'recombination checkpoint' with unresolved DSBs (a corollary of asynapsis) providing the trigger for apoptosis. DSBs induced by irradiation are known to trigger apoptosis in a number of cell types via a p53-dependent pathway, and we now show that irradiation-induced spermatogonial apoptosis is also p53-dependent. In contrast, the apoptotic elimination of spermatocytes with synaptic errors proved to be p53-independent.

DAX1, which encodes an unusual member of the nuclear hormone-receptor superfamily, is a gene that may be responsible for a sex-reversal syndrome in humans, referred to as dosage-sensitive sex reversal, in which XY individuals carrying duplications of Xp21, part of the small arm of the X chromosome, develop as females. XY mice carrying extra copies of mouse Dax1 as a transgene show delayed testis development when the gene is expressed at high levels, but do not normally show sex reversal. Complete sex reversal occurs, however, when the transgene is tested against weak alleles of the sex-determining Y-chromosome gene Sry. These results show that DAX1 is largely, if not solely, responsible for dosage-sensitive sex reversal and provide a model for early events in mammalian sex determination, when precise levels and timing of gene expression are critical.

Outbred XY(Sry-) female mice that lack Sry due to the 11 kb deletion Sry(dl1Rlb) have very limited fertility. However, five lines of outbred XY(d) females with Y chromosome deletions Y(Del(Y)1Ct)-Y(Del(Y)5Ct) that deplete the Rbmy gene cluster and repress Sry transcription were found to be of good fertility. Here we tested our expectation that the difference in fertility between XO, XY(d-1) and XY(Sry-) females would be reflected in different degrees of oocyte depletion, but this was not the case. Transgenic addition of Yp genes to XO females implicated Zfy2 as being responsible for the deleterious Y chromosomal effect on fertility. Zfy2 transcript levels were reduced in ovaries of XY(d-1) compared with XY(Sry-) females in keeping with their differing fertility. In seeking the biological basis of the impaired fertility we found that XY(Sry-), XY(d-1) and XO,Zfy2 females produce equivalent numbers of 2-cell embryos. However, in XY(Sry-) and XO,Zfy2 females the majority of embryos arrested with 2-4 cells and almost no blastocysts were produced; by contrast, XY(d-1) females produced substantially more blastocysts but fewer than XO controls. As previously documented for C57BL/6 inbred XY females, outbred XY(Sry-) and XO,Zfy2 females showed frequent failure of the second meiotic division, although this did not prevent the first cleavage. Oocyte transcriptome analysis revealed major transcriptional changes resulting from the Zfy2 transgene addition. We conclude that Zfy2-induced transcriptional changes in oocytes are sufficient to explain the more severe fertility impairment of XY as compared with XO females.

International audience; Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is secreted by immature testicular Sertoli cells. Clinical studies have demonstrated a negative correlation between serum AMH and testosterone in puberty but not in the neonatal period. We investigated AMH regulation using mouse models mimicking physiopathological situations observed in humans. In normal mice, intratesticular, not serum, testosterone repressed AMH synthesis, explaining why AMH is downregulated in early puberty when serum testosterone is still low. In neonatal mice, AMH was not inhibited by intratesticular testosterone, due to the lack of expression of the androgen receptor in Sertoli cells. We had shown previously that androgen-insensitive patients exhibit elevated AMH in coincidence with gonadotropin activation. In immature normal and in androgen-insensitive Tfm mice, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) administration resulted in elevation of AMH levels, indicating that AMH secretion is stimulated by FSH in the absence of the negative effect of androgens. The role of meiosis on AMH expression was investigated in Tfm and in pubertal XXSxrb mice, in which germ cells degenerate before meiosis. We show that meiotic entry acts in synergy with androgens to inhibit AMH. We conclude that AMH represents a useful marker of androgen and FSH action within the testis, as well as of the onset of meiosis.

We earlier described three lines of sex-reversed XY female mice deleted for sequences believed close to the testes-determining gene (Sry) on the Y chromosome short arm (Yp). The original sex-reversed females appeared among the offspring of XY males that carried the Yp duplication Sxr on their X chromosome. Earlier cytogenetic observations had suggested that the deletions resulted from asymmetrical meiotic recombination between the Y and the homologous Sxr region, but no direct evidence for this hypothesis was available. We have now analyzed the offspring of XSxr/Y males carrying an evolutionarily divergent Mus musculus domesticus Y chromosome, which permits detection and characterization of such recombination events. This analysis has enabled the derivation of a recombination map of Yp and Sxr, also demonstrating the orientation of Yp with respect to the Y centromere. The mapping data have established that Rbm, the murine homologue of a gene family cloned from the human Y chromosome, lies between Sry and the centromere. Analysis of two additional XY female lines shows that asymmetrical Yp-Sxr recombination leading to XY female sex reversal results in deletion of Rbm sequences. The deletions bring Sry closer to Y centromere, consistent with the hypothesis that position-effect inactivation of Sry is the basis for the sex reversal.

Mammalian ZFY genes are located on the Y chromosome, and code putative transcription factors with 12–13 zinc fingers preceded by a large acidic (activating) domain. In mice, there are two genes, Zfy1 and Zfy2, which are expressed mainly in the testis. Their transcription increases in germ cells as they enter meiosis, both are silenced by meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) during pachytene, and Zfy2 is strongly reactivated later in spermatids. Recently, we have shown that mouse Zfy2, but not Zfy1, is involved in triggering the apoptotic elimination of specific types of sex chromosomally aberrant spermatocytes. In humans, there is a single widely transcribed ZFY gene, and there is no evidence for a specific role in the testis. Here, we characterize ZFY transcription during spermatogenesis in mice and humans. In mice, we define a variety of Zfy transcripts, among which is a Zfy2 transcript that predominates in spermatids, and a Zfy1 transcript, lacking an exon encoding approximately half of the acidic domain, which predominates prior to MSCI. In humans, we have identified a major testis-specific ZFY transcript that encodes a protein with the same short acidic domain. This represents the first evidence that ZFY has a conserved function during human spermatogenesis. We further show that, in contrast to the full acidic domain, the short domain does not activate transcription in yeast, and we hypothesize that this explains the functional difference observed between Zfy1 and Zfy2 during mouse meiosis.

We recently used three XO male mouse models with varying Y short-arm (Yp) gene complements, analysed at 30 dayspost partum, to demonstrate a Yp gene requirement for the apoptotic elimination of spermatocytes with a univalent X chromosome at the first meiotic metaphase. The three mouse models were i) XSxraO in which the Yp-derived Tp(Y)1CtSxr-asex reversal factor provides an almost complete Yp gene complement, ii) XSxrbO,Eif2s3ymales in which Tp(Y)1CtSxr-bhas a deletion completely or partially removing eight Yp genes – the Yp geneEif2s3yhas been added as a transgene to support spermatogonial proliferation, and iii) XOSry,Eif2s3ymales in which theSrytransgene directs gonad development along the male pathway. In this study, we have used the same mouse models analysed at 6 weeks of age to investigate potential Yp gene involvement in spermiogenesis. We found that all three mouse models produce haploid and diploid spermatids and that the diploid spermatids showed frequent duplication of the developing acrosomal cap during the early stages. However, only in XSxraO males did spermiogenesis continue to completion. Most strikingly, in XOSry,Eif2s3ymales, spermatid development arrested at round spermatid step 7 so that no sperm head restructuring or tail development was observed. In contrast, in XSxrbO,Eif2s3ymales, spermatids with substantial sperm head and tail morphogenesis could be easily found, although this was delayed compared with XSxraO. We conclude thatSxra(and therefore Yp) includes genetic information essential for sperm morphogenesis and that this is partially retained inSxrb.

It has previously been shown that XO mouse fetuses with a paternally derived X chromosome (Xp) are developmentally retarded and consequently smaller than their XX sibs, and that XX fetuses are retarded when compared with their XY sibs. The genetic basis for these early XO-XX and XX-XY differences has not been determined. Here we show that 10.5 day post coitum XO mouse fetuses with a maternal X chromosome, rather than being smaller than their XX sibs, are significantly larger and equivalent in size to their XY sibs. Thus the retardation of XpO fetuses must be due to an effect of their paternally derived X chromosome. The finding that XmO fetuses are larger than XX fetuses and equivalent in size to XY fetuses suggests that the XX-XY difference present at 10.5 days post coitum is largely due to the difference in X chromosome constitution rather than to a Y chromosome effect.

In this paper we have compared the breeding performance of Tdy-negative XY, XXY and XYY females to assess the relative importance of the lack of a second X chromosome compared with the presence of a Y chromosome, in reducing fertility. The XY females were of poor fertility, although five of twelve produced at least one offspring. The XXY females had larger, more frequent litters, and a longer reproductive lifespan, implicating the lack of a second X as the major cause of the poor fertility of XY females. Nevertheless, XYY females appeared to be more seriously affected than the XY females, suggesting that the presence of the Y may be a contributory factor. Pachytene analysis demonstrated that the Y is a very inefficient pairing partner for the X during female meiosis. In XY females only 11% of pachytene cells had the X and Y paired; in XXY females the two X chromosomes paired and the Y was almost always a univalent, while in XYY females the X paired with a Y in only 15% of pachytene cells. The presence of unpaired sex chromosomes has previously been implicated as a cause of oocyte loss during pachytene, and the proportion of cells with unsynapsed sex chromosomes decreased as pachytene proceeded, suggesting that they were progressively eliminated. Significantly, protection against elimination was afforded not only by synapsis between sex chromosomes, but also by self-synapsis if a sex chromosome remained as a univalent. It is concluded that sex chromosome univalence leading to pachytene oocyte failure is responsible for the postnatal oocyte deficiency seen in XY females. A separate study has shown that XXY females have a similar level of oocyte deficiency. It is suggested that the presence of a second X chromosome improves the fertility of XXY females, compared with XY females, by improving oocyte quality and by eliminating the production of lethal XY and OY zygotes. The genotype frequencies for the offspring of XY and XYY females differed from those predicted from the pachytene data. The XY females showed a marked deficiency of XO offspring compared with XXY and XYY aneuploid offspring, whereas the XXY females had fewer than expected XXY and XYY aneuploid offspring.

SummaryThe mammalian X and Y chromosomes share little homology and are largely unsynapsed during normal meiosis. This asynapsis triggers inactivation of X- and Y-linked genes, or meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) [1]. Whether MSCI is essential for male meiosis is unclear. Pachytene arrest and apoptosis is observed in mouse mutants in which MSCI fails, e.g., Brca1−/−, H2afx−/−, Sycp1−/−, and Msh5−/− [2, 3]. However, these also harbor defects in synapsis and/or recombination and as such may activate a putative pachytene checkpoint [4]. Here we present evidence that MSCI failure is sufficient to cause pachytene arrest. XYY males exhibit Y-Y synapsis and Y chromosomal escape from MSCI without accompanying synapsis/recombination defects [5]. We find that XYY males, like synapsis/recombination mutants, display pachytene arrest and that this can be circumvented by preventing Y-Y synapsis and associated Y gene expression. Pachytene expression of individual Y genes inserted as transgenes on autosomes shows that expression of the Zfy1/2 paralogs in XY males is sufficient to phenocopy the pachytene arrest phenotype; insertion of Zfy1/2 on the X chromosome where they are subject to MSCI prevents this response. Our findings show that MSCI is essential for male meiosis and, as such, provide insight into the differential severity of meiotic mutations' effects on male and female meiosis.

Background Mice with severe non-PAR Y chromosome long arm (NPYq) deficiencies are infertile in vivo and in vitro. We have previously shown that sperm from these males, although having grossly malformed heads, were able to fertilize oocytes via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and yield live offspring. However, in continuing ICSI trials we noted a reduced efficiency when cryopreserved sperm were used and with epididymal sperm as compared to testicular sperm. In the present study we tested if NPYq deficiency is associated with sperm DNA damage - a known cause of poor ICSI success. Results We observed that epididymal sperm from mice with severe NPYq deficiency (that is, deletion of nine-tenths or the entire NPYq gene complement) are impaired in oocyte activation ability following ICSI and there is an increased incidence of oocyte arrest and paternal chromosome breaks. Comet assays revealed increased DNA damage in both epididymal and testicular sperm from these mice, with epididymal sperm more severely affected. In all mice the level of DNA damage was increased by freezing. Epididymal sperm from mice with severe NPYq deficiencies also suffered from impaired membrane integrity and abnormal chromatin condensation and suboptimal chromatin protamination. It is therefore likely that the increased DNA damage associated with NPYq deficiency is a consequence of disturbed chromatin remodeling. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence of DNA damage in sperm from mice with NPYq deficiencies and indicates that NPYq-encoded gene/s may play a role in processes regulating chromatin remodeling and thus in maintaining DNA integrity in sperm.

Small-interfering RNAs have been used to disrupt the function of the more than 100 copies of the Sly gene on the mouse Y chromosome, leading to defective sex chromosome repression during spermatid differentiation and, as a consequence, sperm malformations and near-sterility., Studies of mice with Y chromosome long arm deficiencies suggest that the male-specific region (MSYq) encodes information required for sperm differentiation and postmeiotic sex chromatin repression (PSCR). Several genes have been identified on MSYq, but because they are present in more than 40 copies each, their functions cannot be investigated using traditional gene targeting. Here, we generate transgenic mice producing small interfering RNAs that specifically target the transcripts of the MSYq-encoded multicopy gene Sly (Sycp3-like Y-linked). Microarray analyses performed on these Sly-deficient males and on MSYq-deficient males show a remarkable up-regulation of sex chromosome genes in spermatids. SLY protein colocalizes with the X and Y chromatin in spermatids of normal males, and Sly deficiency leads to defective repressive marks on the sex chromatin, such as reduced levels of the heterochromatin protein CBX1 and of histone H3 methylated at lysine 9. Sly-deficient mice, just like MSYq-deficient mice, have severe impairment of sperm differentiation and are near sterile. We propose that their spermiogenesis phenotype is a consequence of the change in spermatid gene expression following Sly deficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first successful targeted disruption of the function of a multicopy gene (or of any Y gene). It shows that SLY has a predominant role in PSCR, either via direct interaction with the spermatid sex chromatin or via interaction with sex chromatin protein partners. Sly deficiency is the major underlying cause of the spectrum of anomalies identified 17 y ago in MSYq-deficient males. Our results also suggest that the expansion of sex-linked spermatid-expressed genes in mouse is a consequence of the enhancement of PSCR that accompanies Sly amplification., Author Summary During meiosis in the male mouse, the X and Y chromosomes are transcriptionally silenced, and retain a significant degree of repression after meiosis. Postmeiotically, X and Y chromosome–encoded genes are consequently expressed at a low level, with the exception of genes present in many copies, which can achieve a higher level of expression. Gene amplification is a notable feature of the X and Y chromosomes, and it has been proposed that this serves to compensate for the postmeiotic repression. The long arm of the mouse Y chromosome (MSYq) has multicopy genes organized in clusters over several megabases. On the basis of analysis of mice carrying MSYq deletions, we proposed that MSYq encodes genetic information that is crucial for postmeiotic repression of the sex chromosomes and for sperm differentiation. The gene(s) responsible for these functions were, however, unknown. In this study, using transgenically delivered small interfering RNA, we disrupted the function of Sly, a gene that is present in more than 100 copies on MSYq. Sly-deficient males have major sperm differentiation problems together with a remarkable postmeiotic derepression of genes encoded on the X and Y chromosomes. Furthermore, the epigenetic modifications normally associated with sex chromosome repression are altered. Our data thus show that the SLY protein is required to mediate postmeiotic repression of the X and Y chromosomes. It is likely that the sperm differentiation problems in Sly-deficient males are largely a consequence of the derepression of the sex chromosomes in spermatids. We propose that the postmeiotic repressive effect of Sly on genes encoded on the X and Y chromosomes drove their massive amplification in the mouse.