Download Tsui, S, Dai, T, Warren, ST and Yen, P: Association of the mouse infertility factor DAZL1 with actively translating polyribosomes. Biology of Reproduction 62:1655-1660 (2000).

BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 62, 1655–1660 (2000)
Association of the Mouse Infertility Factor DAZL1 with Actively Translating
Polyribosomes1
Shanli Tsui,3 Tiane Dai,3 Stephen T. Warren,4 Eduardo C. Salido,5 and Pauline H. Yen2,3
Department of Pediatrics,3 Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California 90509
Howard Hughes Medical Institute,4 Departments of Biochemistry, Pediatrics and Genetics, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Unidad de Investigacion,5 Hospital Universitario de Canarias and Department of Pathology, Universidad de La Laguna,
E-38071 Tenerife, Spain
ABSTRACT
The DAZ (Deleted in AZoospermia) gene family was isolated
from a region of the human Y chromosome long arm that is
deleted in about 10% of infertile men with idiopathic azoospermia. DAZ and an autosomal DAZ-like gene, DAZL1, are expressed in germ cells only. They encode proteins with an RNA
recognition motif and with either a single copy (in DAZL1) or
multiple copies (in DAZ) of a DAZ repeat. A role for DAZL1 and
DAZ in spermatogenesis is supported by their homology to a
Drosophila male infertility protein Boule and by sterility of
Dazl1 knock-out mice. The biological function of these proteins
remains unknown. We found that DAZL1 and DAZ bound similarly to various RNA homopolymers in vitro. We also used an
antibody against the human DAZL1 to determine the subcellular
localization of DAZL1 in mouse testis. The sedimentation profiles of DAZL1 in sucrose gradients indicate that DAZL1 is associated with polyribosomes, and further capture of DAZL1 on
oligo(dT) beads demonstrates that the association is mediated
through the binding of DAZL1 to poly(A) RNA. Our results suggest that DAZL1 is involved in germ-cell specific regulation of
mRNA translation.
INTRODUCTION
A requirement of the Y chromosome long arm (Yq) for
normal spermatogenesis was recognized more than two decades ago when six infertile men were found to have Yq
deletions [1]. More recent molecular screening has detected
Yq microdeletions in 10–15% of males with idiopathic azoospermia [2–4]. The DAZ (Deleted in AZoospermia) gene
family was isolated from one of the deleted regions [5].
There are seven DAZ genes clustered within a 1-Mbp region in interval 6 of Yq [6]. DAZ homologues are present
on the Y chromosomes of only great apes and old-world
monkeys [7], yet all mammals contain a single-copy DAZlike gene, DAZL1, on their autosomes [7–12]. DAZ and
DAZL1 encode proteins with an RNA recognition motif
(RRM) and varying numbers of copies of a DAZ repeat.
DAZ has 8–24 copies of the repeat, and DAZL1 has a
single copy [5, 13]. DAZ and DAZL1 have 85% sequence
similarity over most of their lengths, including the RRM
This work was supported by NIH grants HD28009 and HD36347
(P.H.Y.). S.T.W. is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
2
Correspondence: Pauline Yen, Division of Medical Genetics, HarborUCLA Medical Center, 1124 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA 90502-2064.
FAX: 310 328 9921; e-mail: [email protected]
1
Received: 13 October 1999.
First decision: 5 November 1999.
Accepted: 7 January 2000.
Q 2000 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.
ISSN: 0006-3363. http://www.biolreprod.org
domain and the DAZ repeats, but they have different Cterminal sequences due to a frame shift downstream of the
DAZ repeat region. It was proposed that the DAZ genes
originated from translocation of an ancestral DAZL1 gene
to the Y chromosome, followed by amplification and pruning [10].
A role for DAZ and DAZL1 in spermatogenesis is supported by their exclusive expression in germ cells, their
homology to a Drosophila male infertility gene, boule [14],
and the sterility of Dazl1 knock-out mice [15]. Male flies
with the boule mutation have morphologically normal primary spermatocytes, which fail to enter into meiotic division, suggesting that boule is required for the G2/M transition. Dazl1 knock-out mice are sterile in both sexes, and
male mice exhibit a spermatogenic defect significantly different from that of boule flies [15]. The seminiferous tubules contain only a few premeiotic spermatogonia that
rarely progress into meiosis, suggesting that Dazl1 is required for both the development and the maintenance of
the germ cells. The spermatogenic defects of boule flies and
Dazl1 knock-out mice were partially rescued by a Xenopus
Xdazl gene [16] and a human DAZ gene [17], respectively,
indicating conservation of the function of DAZ and Dazl1.
The biological function of DAZ and DAZL1 is unknown.
Immunostaining of mouse testicular sections detected
DAZL1 abundantly in the cytoplasm of pachytene spermatocytes and to a lesser degree in the cytoplasm of typeB spermatogonia and preleptotene and zygotene spermatocytes [15]. The whereabouts of the human DAZ protein is
less certain. It has been localized either to late spermatids
and sperm tails [18] or to spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes [19]. In order to gain insights into their function,
we studied the ability of DAZ and DAZL1 to bind RNA
molecules in vitro and determined the subcellular localization of DAZL1 in mouse testis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Generation of Anti-DAZL1 Antibody
A 229-base pair Sau3AI fragment encoding the last 76
amino acid residues of DAZL1 was isolated from a human
DAZL1 cDNA clone f2 [11] and cloned into the BamHI site
of an expression vector pET32b (Novagen, Madison, WI).
The construct was introduced into Escherichia coli to direct
the synthesis of a fusion protein between thioredoxin and
DAZL1, which was purified on His-Bind metal chelation
resins according to the manufacturer’s manual, and injected
into rabbits to generate antibody.
In Vitro RNA Binding Assay
S35-Labeled proteins were synthesized in vitro using the
TNT Coupled Reticulocyte Lysate System (Promega, Mad-
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TSUI ET AL.
ison, WI). In vitro binding of the labeled proteins to RNA
homopolymers was carried out according to Siomi et al.
[20]. Briefly, equal amounts of S35-labeled proteins were
added to 250 ml of a 10% suspension of RNA homopolymers immobilized on agarose beads in a binding buffer containing 10 mM Tris pH 7.4, 2.5 mM MgCl2, 0.5% Triton
X-100, 2 mg/ml heparin, and 0.1 M NaCl unless otherwise
stated. After rocking at 48C for 10 min, the beads were
washed 5 times with 1 ml of ice-cold binding buffer. Bound
proteins were eluted by heating in 50 ml of double-strength
Laemmli sample buffer at 1008C for 5 min. After cooling
on ice immediately afterward, the beads were spun down,
and analysis of the supernatants on 10% SDS-PAGE gels
was followed by autoradiography. Poly U, poly C, and poly
G were purchased from Sigma (St. Louis, MO), and poly
A was purchased from Pharmacia (Piscataway, NJ).
Generation of Deletion Constructs of DAZ and DAZL1
Deletion constructs of DAZL1 and DAZ were generated
from cDNA clones DAZL1-f2 [11] and DAZ-e11 [13], respectively. Deletions were created either by using existing
restriction sites within the coding regions or by polymerase
chain reaction amplification of two regions followed by ligation. Correct joining at the junctions was verified by
DNA sequencing. DAZL1-f2 encodes a protein of 295 residues, with the RRM domain spanning residues 32 to 115
and the DAZ repeat spanning 167 to 190. Deletion constructs DAZL-R1, DAZL-Z1, DAZL-C1, and DAZL-RZ1
encode proteins lacking residues 57–110, 169–192, 203–
295, and 57–110 plus 169–192, respectively. DAZ-e11 encodes a protein of 414 amino acid residues with 9 DAZ
repeats. The RRM domain spans residues 32 to 115, and
the DAZ repeat region spans 167 to 382. Deletion constructs DAZ-R1, DAZ-R2, DAZ-Z1, DAZ-Z2, and DAZRZ1 encode proteins lacking residues 57–110, 39–110,
206–373, 155–382, and 39–110 plus 206–373, respectively.
Trx-RRM and Trx-DAZ were constructed by cloning restriction fragments of DAZ cDNA that contained the RRM
domain and the DAZ repeats, respectively, in frame into
the pET-32 vectors (Novagen). They encode fusion proteins
between thioredoxin and DAZ fragments.
Detection of DAZL1 in Mouse Tissue Extracts
Tissues were removed from 2- to 3-mo-old mice immediately after they were killed. About 0.2 g of tissues
were homogenized in 1 ml of an extraction buffer (EB)
containing 20 mM Tris pH 7.5, 100 mM KCl, 5 mM
MgCl2, 0.3% Igepal CA-630 (Sigma), 40 U/ml ribonuclease
inhibitor, 1 mM PMSF, and 1 mg/ml each of aprotinin and
leupeptin, in a Wheaton Potter-Elvehjem tissue grinder
[21]. Homogenates were centrifuged at 1000 3 g for 10
min to remove cell debris and nuclei. The supernatants
were centrifuged again at 10 000 3 g for 10 min to generate
a pellet containing largely mitochondria, and a postmitochondrial supernatant (PMS). The pellet was resuspended
in EB to a final volume equal to that of PMS. Analysis of
aliquots on 10% SDS-PAGE gels was followed by Western
blotting with anti-DAZL1 antibody [22].
Inhibition of Western Detection of DAZL1
Unlabeled DAZL1 was synthesized in vitro using the
TNT Coupled Reticulocyte Lysate System (Promega). T3
and T7 RNA polymerase transcribed the Dazl1 cDNA
clone in the sense and antisense directions, respectively.
Varying amounts of the in vitro synthesis mixtures were
incubated with 2 ml of anti-DAZL1 antiserum in a total
volume of 200 ml of TBS-T buffer (50 mM Tris pH 7.4,
150 mM NaCl, 0.1% Tween-20) on ice for 1 h. The solutions were diluted to 4 ml with 10% milk in TBS-T before
incubation with Western blot membranes containing equal
amounts of liver and testis extracts.
Sucrose Gradient Analysis of Mouse Testicular Extracts
Mouse testicles were homogenized in either standard EB
or modified EB in which 5 mM MgCl2 was replaced with
30 mM EDTA pH 7.5, or KCl was added to a final concentration of 0.5 M. After centrifugation at 10 000 3 g for
10 min, 0.5 ml of PMS was layered on top of 15–45% or
5–30% sucrose gradients in 20 mM Tris pH 7.5, 0.1 M KCl,
and the same concentration of MgCl2, EDTA, or KCl as in
the extracts. After centrifugation in a Beckman SW41 rotor
(Beckman Instruments, Palo Alto, CA) at 39 000 rpm for
2 h at 48C, 0.5-ml fractions were collected from the bottom,
and the OD254 was determined. Aliquots of every other
fraction were analyzed on 10% SDS-PAGE gels and then
by Western blotting with antibodies against DAZL1 and the
fragile X mental retardation protein FMRP, and a human
autoantibody against ribosomal P antigens (ImmunoVision,
Springdale, AR). For ribonuclease (RNase) treatment, RNase A was added to the PMS in standard EB to a final
concentration of 300 mg/ml. After incubation at room temperature for 5 min, the solution was analyzed by sucrose
gradient centrifugation as above.
Capture of DAZL1-Associated Messenger
Ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) Particles on Oligo(dT) Beads
Mouse testicular PMS was subjected to mRNP capture
using the Oligotex mRNA purification kit (Qiagen, Santa
Clarita, CA) according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Briefly, 0.25 ml of PMS was mixed with 0.25 ml of doublestrength buffer OBB (20 mM Tris pH 7.5, 1 M NaCl, 2
mM EDTA, and 0.2% SDS) and 20 ml of Oligotex beads.
After rocking at room temperature for 10 min, the beads
were spun down and washed twice with 0.5 ml of wash
buffer OW2 (10 mM Tris pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, and 1
mM EDTA). Bound proteins were eluted by heating in 30
ml of double-strength Laemmli sample buffer at 1008C for
5 min. Aliquots of the load, the wash, and the bound fractions were analyzed by Western blotting with antibodies
against DAZL1 and FMRP. Pretreatment of PMS with
EDTA (30 mM, 378C, 15 min), RNase (1.2 mg/ml, 378C,
10 min), or NaOH (0.2 N, 378C, 10 min, then neutralized
to pH 8.0 with 1 N HCl) before capture was carried out
according to Feng et al. [21].
RESULTS
Binding of DAZ and DAZL1 to RNA Molecules
The abilities of DAZ and DAZL1 to bind RNA molecules were studied using an assay in which in vitro-synthesized 35S-labeled proteins were incubated with RNA homopolymers immobilized on agarose beads, and the bound
proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. As shown in Figure
1a, human DAZ and DAZL1, as well as mouse DAZL1,
bound preferentially to poly U and poly G, similar to the
Xenopus DAZL1 homologue, Xdazl, and FMRP [16, 21].
On the other hand, the protein product of an anonymous
human cDNA clone KIAA0058 [23] and the firefly luciferase, which contain no RNA binding motifs, failed to bind
ASSOCIATION OF DAZL1 WITH POLYRIBOSOMES
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FIG. 1. In vitro binding of DAZ and DAZL1 to RNA homopolymers. a)
Equal amounts of S35-labeled proteins were incubated with equal bed
volumes of RNA homopolymers immobilized on agarose beads in the
presence of 0.1 M NaCl. Bound proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE
followed by autoradiography. The lanes are A, poly A; U, poly U; C, poly
C; and G, poly G. b) The binding assay was carried out at the indicated
salt concentration (Molar). The T lane contains an amount equivalent to
50% of the material used in the binding assay. DAZL, DAZL1.
to any of the RNA homopolymers (data not shown). In the
presence of increasing amounts of salt, the binding of DAZ
and DAZL1 to poly U persisted, whereas the binding to
poly G diminished, suggesting that DAZ and DAZL1 bind
more strongly to poly U (Fig. 1b). These results verified
the RNA-binding properties of DAZ and DAZL1. However,
the biological significance of the preferential binding observed in the in vitro assays has yet to be demonstrated.
To delineate the regions required for RNA binding, a
series of constructs with deletions in the RRM domain, the
DAZ repeat region, or the C-terminal portion were generated (Fig. 2). These constructs were transcribed and translated in vitro, and the abilities of the resultant truncated
proteins to bind poly U and poly G in the presence of 0.25
M NaCl were studied (Fig. 2). For DAZL1, deletion of
RRM abolished its RNA-binding ability, whereas deletion
of the single DAZ repeat affected the binding to poly G
but not poly U, and that of the C-terminal portion showed
little effect. It appears, therefore, that DAZL1 binds to RNA
mainly through the RRM domain. The results for DAZ are
less clear-cut. Deletion of RRM in either DAZ-R1 or DAZR2 diminished, but did not abolish, the RNA-binding ability. Similarly, deletion of seven of the nine DAZ repeats
(in DAZ-Z1) or the C-terminal portion including the entire
DAZ repeat region (in Z2) diminished but did not abolish
the binding. The results suggest that the binding of DAZ
to RNA does not depend solely on the RRM domain. To
test whether the RRM domain and the C-terminal portion
of DAZ can bind RNA homopolymers independently, fusion proteins were generated in which either the RRM domain or the C-terminal portion of DAZ was fused to the
thioredoxin protein [24]. Both fusion proteins bound to the
RNA polymers, though at different strengths.
FIG. 2. Mapping regions within DAZL1 and DAZ that are required for
RNA binding. The structures of DAZL1 and DAZ and the regions retained
in the truncated proteins are shown, with the RNA recognition motif
(RRM) and the DAZ repeat region indicated. See Materials and Methods
for the amino acid residues deleted in the proteins. Binding of proteins
to poly U (U) and poly G (G) in the presence of 0.25 M NaCl are shown
to the right. The T lane contains an amount equivalent to 50% of the
material used in the binding reaction.
amounts of in vitro-synthesized DAZL1 reduced the signal
of the putative DAZL1 but not of other minor bands, further
supporting the authenticity of the protein (Fig. 3b).
Detection of DAZL1 in Mouse Testicular Fractions
The anti-DAZL1 antiserum was used to trace DAZL1
during fractionation of mouse testicular extracts. When the
Generation of Anti-DAZL1 Antibodies
A polyclonal antiserum was generated against the last 76
amino acid residues of the human DAZL1 protein, which
is 86% identical to the corresponding region of mouse
DAZL1 [11]. On Western blots, the anti-DAZL1 antiserum
detected a major band in mouse testicular extracts that comigrated with in vitro-synthesized DAZL1 and that was
absent in the liver and the brain (Fig. 3a). The apparent
molecular size of the putative DAZL1 was larger than the
33 kDa predicted from the cDNA sequence. A discrepancy
between predicted molecular size and mobility in the SDSPAGE gel was also reported for the Drosophila Boule protein [25]. Preincubation of the antiserum with increasing
FIG. 3. Identification of DAZL1 in mouse tissue extracts. a) Detection of
DAZL1 by Western blotting with anti-DAZL1 antibody. Extracts of mouse
liver, brain, and testis, and in vitro-synthesized DAZL1 were fractionated
by SDS-PAGE and Western blotted with anti-DAZL1 antiserum. The arrowhead points to the putative DAZL1 protein. b) Inhibition of immunodetection of DAZL1 by in vitro-synthesized DAZL1. Anti-DAZL1 antiserum
was preincubated with the indicated volume of TNT protein synthesis reaction before incubation with membranes containing equal amounts of
mouse liver (L) and testis (T) extracts. T3 and T7 RNA polymerases transcribed the Dazl1 cDNA clone in the sense and antisense directions,
respectively.
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TSUI ET AL.
FIG. 5. Association of DAZL1 with poly(A) mRNA. a) Poly(A) containing
RNP particles in mouse PMS were captured on oligo(dT) beads, and the
presence of DAZL1 and FMRP in the captured RNP particles was analyzed by 10% SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting. L, An amount
equivalent to 8% of the initial load to the beads; W, the wash; and B, the
bound fraction. b) Mouse testis PMS was pretreated with EDTA, RNase,
or NaOH before oligo(dT) capture, and the presence of DAZL1 in the
captured fraction was analyzed.
polysomes into monosomes and caused a significant reduction in the sedimentation of DAZL1 (Fig. 4d). The sedimentation profiles of DAZL1 under the various conditions
indicate that most DAZL1 in mouse testes is associated
with polysomes.
Capture of DAZL1-Associated mRNP
FIG. 4. Sucrose gradient analyses of DAZL1 in mouse testes. Mouse
testis PMS in the presence of 5 mM MgCl2 (a), 30 mM EDTA (b, e), or 0.5
M KCl (c), or after RNase A treatment (d), were fractionated by centrifugation through 15–45% sucrose gradients (except 5–30% in e). Aliquots
of the fractions were analyzed on 10% SDS-PAGE gels and then Western
blotted with antibodies against DAZL1, FMRP, and a human autoantibody
against ribosomal P antigens (P-Ag).
extracts were separated into nuclear, mitochondrial, and
postmitochondrial fractions by differential centrifugation,
over 75% of DAZL1 was detected in the PMS fraction
(data not shown). Further fractionation of PMS on 15–45%
sucrose gradients showed that most DAZL1 comigrated
with the polysomes (Fig. 4a), similar to FMRP, which was
shown previously to be associated with polysomes [21].
Other proteins that cross-reacted with the antiserum stayed
at the top of the gradients (data not shown). Inclusion of
30 mM EDTA in the testicular extracts dissociated polysomes into 60S and 40S subunits, and caused a shift of
DAZL1 to the top fractions of the gradients (Fig. 4b). On
a 5–30% sucrose gradient, the DAZL1 protein in the
EDTA-treated extracts showed a more heterogeneous distribution than that of FMRP (Fig. 4e). Addition of 0.5 M
KCl, which is known to remove translation factors and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, but not most intrinsic ribosomal
proteins [26], dissociated most of DAZL1 from the polysomes (Fig. 4c). RNase A treatment of PMS separated the
To investigate whether DAZL1 is associated with polysomes through its binding to mRNA molecules, poly(A)
containing mRNP particles in PMS were captured on oligo(dT) beads, and the presence of DAZL1 in the captured
mRNP fractions was analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by
Western blotting. DAZL1, but not other cytoplasmic proteins that cross-reacted with anti-DAZL1, was captured on
oligo(dT) beads (Fig. 5a). FMRP was also captured on oligo(dT) beads, as previously reported [21, 27]. Capture of
DAZL1 on oligo(dT) was not affected by 30 mM EDTA
but was reduced by preincubation with RNase and abolished by NaOH treatment, further supporting the binding
of DAZL1 to poly(A) RNA (Fig. 5b).
DISCUSSION
We present evidence for the association of DAZL1 with
actively translating polyribosomes in testes. Our results
suggest a role for DAZL1 in translational regulation of a
subset of mRNAs in germ cells. Germ cell-specific translational regulation is well documented for transition proteins and protamines [28]. Their mRNAs are synthesized in
round spermatids and stored as cytoplasmic mRNP particles
for up to a week before being translated in elongated spermatids. Premature translation of Prm-1 mRNA in transgenic mice leads to dominant male sterility [29]. Translational
repression of protamine mRNAs requires sequences within
the 39 untranslated region, and several RNA-binding proteins that bind to the region have been isolated [30–32].
Among them PRBP (Prm-1 RNA-binding protein, encoded
by the Tarbp2 gene) and TB-RBP (testis brain RNA-binding protein) were shown to repress protamine mRNA translation in vitro [30, 31], and TB-RBP was found to be associated with translationally dormant free mRNP particles
[33]. However, a recent study on the expression of protamines in the testes of Tarbp2 knock-out mice indicated
ASSOCIATION OF DAZL1 WITH POLYRIBOSOMES
unexpectedly that PRBP is required for proper translational
activation, but not repression, of protamine mRNA [34].
How PRBP activates the translation of protamine mRNA
and whether it is associated with polyribosomes remain to
be determined.
While this report was in preparation, Maines and Wasserman [35] reported that the Drosophila homologue of
DAZL1—Boule—controlled the translation of Twine, a
meiotic Cdc25-type phosphatase. They found that in boule
mutants the translation, but not the transcription, of twine
was significantly reduced, and that heterologous expression
of Twine partially rescued the spermatogenic defect of boule mutants. Their results not only support our proposition
that DAZL1 plays a role in translational regulation but also
suggest Cdc25 transcripts as possible targets of DAZL1.
Cdc25 phosphatases activate cyclin-dependent kinases and
play an important role in cell cycle regulation. Three mammalian Cdc25 genes have been identified. Both Cdc25A and
Cdc25C are expressed predominantly in the testis and could
be the targets of DAZL1 [36, 37]. However, DAZL1 is likely to have additional targets besides Cdc25, as suggested
by the incomplete rescue of the boule phenotype by Twine.
DAZL1 may facilitate the translation of its target genes by
sequestering their transcripts to polysomes, by enhancing
their translational rate, or by protecting the transcripts from
degradation.
Whether DAZ is also involved in mRNA translation remains to be determined. It has been proposed that DAZ
plays little, or a limited, role in spermatogenesis, on the
basis of evolutionary considerations [38]. The ability of a
human DAZ transgene to rescue the spermatogenic defect
of Dazl1 knock-out mice [17] argues against such a proposal and suggests that DAZ serves a function similar to
that of DAZL1. Structurally, DAZ and DAZL1 share high
sequence identity except for the C-terminal segments. The
RNA-binding characteristics of DAZ and DAZL1 are very
similar. Whether DAZ is also associated with polysomes
remains to be determined. Because DAZ is present in great
apes and Old World monkeys only, its subcellular localization awaits the availability of testicular tissues from these
higher mammals. If DAZ and DAZL1 are shown to serve a
similar function, future studies could address the therapeutic potential of DAZL1 over-expression in infertile males
with DAZ deletion.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank H. Cooke for the Dazl1 cDNA clone and R. Swerdloff’s
group for helpful discussion.
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