Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (7): 2886-2897.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2023.07.020

• ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Abnormal Expression of FGFs/FGFRs and Their Mediated Signaling Pathway Genes Affect the Proliferative Activity of Undifferentiated Spermatogonia in Cattleyak

ZHANG Peng1, WANG Mingxiu1, JING Kemin1, PENG Wei2, TIAN Yuan1, LI Yuqian1, FU Changqi2, SHU Shi2, ZHONG Jincheng1*, CAI Xin1*   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization of Sichuan Province and Ministry of Education, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China;
    2. Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
  • Received:2022-09-16 Online:2023-07-23 Published:2023-07-21

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the differential expression of FGFs (fibrolast growth factor)/FGFRs (fibrolast growth factor receptors) and genes in their mediated Ras and MAPK signaling pathways in undifferentiated spermatogonia of yak and cattleyak, in order to explore the causes of spermatogenesis arrest in cattleyak. In this study, testicular tissues of 3 healthy male Maiwa yaks and 3 F1 generation cattleyak aged 24 months were collected and divided into two sample groups, yak and cattleyak, with 3 replicates in each group. HE staining was used to detect the difference of spermatogenesis between yak and cattleyak. The difference of proliferation ability of undifferentiated spermatogonia of yak and cattleyak was detected by population doubling times, CCK-8 and EDU staining. The differential expressions of 6 FGF family members, 3 FGFRs, FGFs/FGFRs-mediated Ras and MAPK signaling pathway genes in undifferentiated spermatogonia of yak and cattleyak were detected by RT-qPCR. Compared with yak, cattleyak had abnormal seminiferous tubule development, single germ cell type, and the proliferation capacity of undifferentiated spermatogonia was significantly lower than that of yak (P<0.05). The expression of FGF2, FGF4, FGF5, FGF8, FGF9 and FGF21 in the testis of cattle-yak and the FGF receptors FGFR1, FGFR2 and FGFR3 in the undifferentiated spermatogonia of cattleyak were significantly lower than those of yak (P<0.01). In FGFs/FGFRs-mediated Ras signaling pathway genes, except for HRas and ARaf, the remaining genes (Raf1, BRaf, MEK1 and ERK) were all expressed at lower levels in cattleyak undifferentiated spermatogonia (P<0.01). p38, MEKK3, MEKK6 and ASK1 in the FGFs/FGFRs-mediated MAPK signaling pathway genes were lower expressed in the undifferentiated spermatogonia of cattleyak (P<0.01). Among the genes related to cell proliferation and regulated by the Ras pathway, only SHISA6, ID4 were highly expressed in cattleyak undifferentiated spermatogonia (P<0.01), while the remaining genes (TAF4B, ETV4, GFRα1 and Ret) were highly expressed in yak undifferentiated spermatogonia (P<0.01). Among the genes related to cell proliferation and co-regulated by the Ras and MAPK pathways, ETV5 and BCL6B were both highly expressed in undifferentiated spermatogonia of yak (P<0.01). Among the genes related to cell differentiation and regulated by the Ras pathway, except for PIWIL4, SOX3, NGN3 and stra8 were all highly expressed in yak undifferentiated spermatogonia (P<0.01). Therefore, the abnormal expression of FGFs/FGFRs and their mediated Ras and MAPK pathway genes in cattleyak reduces the proliferative activity of the undifferentiated spermatogonia, and leads to the insufficient number of undifferentiated spermatogonia entering the differentiation stage. This may be one of the important reasons for the stagnation of the reproduction of the cattleyak.

Key words: fibroblast growth factor, undifferentiated spermatogonia, signaling pathway, cell proliferation, cattleyak, yak

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