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Maping of genes modifying the subspecies-specific roles of the meiotic gene Prdm9
Škaloudová, Eliška ; Trachtulec, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Schierová, Michaela (referee)
The PRDM9 (PR domain containing 9) protein is an epigenetic factor that trimethylates lysine 4 of histone H3 and thereby determines the future meiotic double-strand breaks - sites important for proper segregation of homologous chromosomes. Males of the Mus musculus domesticus (Mmd) origin with homozygous deletion in Prdm9 (Prdm9-/- ) are sterile with a complete arrest in meiotic prophase I, in contrast to the same mutant males of the M. m. musculus (Mmm) subspecies. The aim of this diploma thesis was to identify the genomic loci responsible for the phenotypic difference of these Prdm9-/- males. The major research tool was a population of 182 Mmm x Mmd Prdm9-/- males. The mapping method of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) was based on relating the genotypes of single-nucleotide and microsatellite polymorphisms to the observed phenotypes. At least two QTLs on Chr X were identified. The Mmm alleles of these QTLs reduced fertility of Prdm9-/- males. Both QTLs were confirmed and narrowed down using two types of subconsomic strains. It was not possible to confirm other QTLs, particularly on autosomes. This QTL mapping is the first step towards the identification of genes that modify the resulting phenotype of Prdm9-/- animals. This identification should help designing studies of human infertility that...
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Genes of early meiotic prophase I of spermatogenesis in house mouse
Škaloudová, Eliška ; Trachtulec, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Forman, Martin (referee)
Meiosis is an essential cellular process that is necessary for gamete formation in all sexually reproducing organisms. This work is focused on the description of the genes of early stages of meiotic division in males of a mammalian model, the house mouse. The first part summarizes meiosis focusing on prophase I, which is longer than prophase II. Prophase I is divided into five stages, namely leptotene, zygotene, pachytene, diplotene, and diakinesis. Mouse spermatogenesis and its differences from oogenesis are also briefly described. The second part provides a list of genes encoding proteins required for initiation of meiotic division, pairing and synapses of chromosomes, and initiation of the catalysis of double-strand breaks. Double-strand breaks are repaired by homologous recombination, which may result in so-called crossing-over, the major source of genetic variability. The work deals with the early stage of homologous recombination and components required for this process. Localization of meiotic double-strand breaks in the genome is not random and is under the control of the Prdm9 gene, which seems to take multiple roles, such as the formation of new subspecies of the house mouse. Knowledge of the genes controlling the early stages of meiotic division is a prerequisite to understanding some of...
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Evolution of selected karyotype characters in tetrapulmonate arachnids
Jílková, Klára ; Král, Jiří (advisor) ; Marec, František (referee)
The class Arachnida is not thoroughly explored from the cytogenetic point of view. Previous studies suggest a high diversity of karyotypes and sex determination in arachnids. This study deals with the evolution of sex chomosomes, nucleolar organizer regions (NOR), and telomeric repeats in the tetrapulmonate clade of arachnids, particularly in groups of ancient origin. Sex chromosomes were detected in two orders. Detection of NORs in a large set of species supports the hypothesis that the ancestral karyotype of arachnids contained NOR on one pair of autosomes only. The number of NORs has increased during the evolution of some groups of Pedipalpi. The NORs are located in terminal or subterminal chromosomal regions in most tetrapulmonates. The occurrence of the "insect" telomeric motif was confirmed in majority of tetrapulmonates. Interstitital telomeric repeats were not detected with the exception of one species. Keywords: arachnids, meiosis, sex chromosomes, telomeres, nucleolar organizer, heterochromatin
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Genetics and Genomics of Hybrid Sterility
Bhattacharyya, Tanmoy ; Forejt, Jiří (advisor) ; Pravenec, Michal (referee) ; Macholán, Miloš (referee)
Charles University in Prague Faculty of Science Ph.D. study program: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics and Virology Abstract Genetics and genomics of hybrid sterility Mgr. Tanmoy Bhattacharyya Supervisor: Prof. MUDr. Jiří Forejt, DrSc. Praha 2013 Abstract Male-limited hybrid sterility restricts gene flow between the related species, an important pre- requisite of speciation. The F1 hybrid males of PWD/Ph female (Mus m. musculus subspecies) and C57BL/6J or B6 male (Mus m. domesticus) are azoospermic and sterile (PB6F1), while the hybrids from the reciprocal (B6PF1) cross are semi fertile. A disproportionately large effect of the X chromosome (Chr) on hybrid male sterility is a widespread phenomenon accompanying the origin of new species. In the present study, we mapped two phenotypically distinct hybrid sterility loci Hstx1 and Hstx2 to a common 4.7 Mb region on Chr. X. Analysis of meiotic prophase I of PB6F1 sterile males revealed meiotic block at mid-late pachynema and the TUNEL assay showed apoptosis of arrested spermatocytes. In sterile males over 95% of pachytene spermatocytes showed one or more unsynapsed autosomes visualized by anti SYCP1, HORMAD2 and SYCP3 antibodies. The phosphorylated form of H2AFX histone, normally restricted only to XY chromosome containing sex body decorated unsynapsed...
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Kinázová signalizace v meióze I savčích oocytů
Brzáková, Adéla ; Šolc, Petr (advisor) ; Dráber, Pavel (referee)
PLK1 belongs to the extended family of serine/threonine kinases controlling the cell cycle. It is well known for its role in the control of mitosis and contributes also to the regulation of meiotic division. On a basis of Live Cell Imaging (LCI) experiments we can describe the phenotype of the oocytes with PLK1 inhibited by small molecular inhibitor BI2536. PLK1 inhibition leads to delayed nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) and chromatin condensation (CC) and also causes desynchronization of NEBD and CC; in contrast to control oocytes, PLK1 inhibited oocytes break down their nuclear envelope with chromatin almost fully condensed. Also duration of these two early nuclear events is prolonged in oocytes with inhibited PLK1. In contrast to somatic cells, PLK1 inhibition in mouse oocytes does not prevent assembly of spindle with two distinct poles but affects the final spindle volume. Similar to somatic cells, mouse oocytes with PLK1 inhibited from the beginning of the meiotic maturation stay arrested in metaphase I but in the case of mouse oocytes, this block is not dependent on Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) persisting activity. When mouse oocytes are synchronized on metaphase I/anaphase I transition by proteasome inhibition and then PLK1 kinase activity is inhibited, about 2/3 of the oocytes stay arrested...
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Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation within mouse spermatogenesis
Homolka, David ; Jansa, Petr (advisor) ; Kubelka, Michal (referee) ; Pěknicová, Jana (referee)
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) is an essential epigenetic process, which transcriptionally silences X and Y chromosomes during spermatogenesis. It is accompanied by substantial chromatin remodeling resulting in a formation of so called sex or XY body, which is a characteristic of male pachytene spermatocytes. In spite of MSCI indispensability for male fertility, its biological role and molecular nature still remain rather unclear. However, the described link between chromosomal asynapsis and transcriptional silencing demonstrated that MSCI is tightly associated with the asynapsis of largely non-homologous sex chromosomes and is a specific form of more general mechanism called meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin (MSUC). The essential role of MSCI was demonstrated using mouse models, such as carriers of X- autosome translocations, where anomalous synapsis of sex chromosomes leads to impairment of MSCI and male sterility. Intriguingly, the exclusive spermatogenic arrest is a hallmark of not only X-autosome translocations but even various autosomal rearrangements, including autosomal translocations, inversions, or other structural mutations. Because the rearranged autosomes often intimately associate with the sex body, it...
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Sex in Trypanosomatids
Kvapilová, Kateřina ; Volf, Petr (advisor) ; Čepička, Ivan (referee)
3 Abstrakt Rody Leishmania a Trypanosoma jsou původci vážných lidských onemocnění: leishmaniózy a trypanosomózy. Dlouhá léta nebyly u těchto parazitů nalezeny přesvědčivé důkazy o genetické výměně, a proto byly rody Trypanosoma a Leishmania považovány za klonálně se rozmnožující, a to binárním štěpením jako většina prvoků. Výzkum ztěžovaly i skutečnosti, že pohlavní dimorfismus není patrný a chromosomy nekondenzují, tudíž nejsou viditelné. Nicméně klonální model začaly zpochybňovat pozorování přirozeně se vyskytujících hybridních druhů. Nejdříve byla existence sexu popsána u trypanosom a to prvním přímým důkazem hybridů T. brucei, získaných po společném přenosu rodičů mouchou tsetse. U leishmanii byl důkaz poskytnut na základě dvojitě rezistentních hybridů a sexuální výměna podstupovala stejný meiotický proces jako T. brucei. Byli pozorovaní přirozeně se vyskytující hybridi Nového i Starého světa jak u rodu Viannia, tak i u rodu Leishmania. Otázkou dalších výzkumů bylo, jaký je mechanismus genetické výměny, ale odpověď dodnes není jasná. Klíčová slova: genetická výměna, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, klonalita, meióza, GFP, přenašeč Abstract Genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma are agents of serious human diseases: leishmaniasis and trypanosomózy. For many years these parasites were considered clone-replicating by...
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Karyotype analysis of selected representatives of two pedipalpid orders, Amblypygi and Uropygi
Sember, Alexandr ; Král, Jiří (advisor) ; Ráb, Petr (referee)
Karyotype analysis of selected species from arachnid orders Amblypygi and Uropygi Whip spiders (Amblypygi) and whip scorpions (Uropygi) represent relict arachnid orders which has been found already at Upper Carboniferous strata. Although cytogenetic data from amblypygids and uropygids might be important to reconstruct karyotype evolution of arachnids, cytogenetics of these orders is almost unknown. Presented study is aimed in analysis of karyotype and meiosis in 16 species of Amblypygi and 4 species of Uropygi. Both groups are characterized by considerable range of diploid chromosome numbers (2n = 24 - 86 in Amblypygi and 36 - 66 in Uropygi). Analysed species does not exhibit morfologically differentiated sex chromosomes. Differentiation of sex chromosomes on molecular level was revealed in amblypygid Paraphrynus mexicanus by comparative genome hybridization. Obtained data indicate XY/XX sex chromosome system in this species. Comparison of karyotype data indicates reduction of chromosome numbers during evolution of both orders. In Amblypygi, this reduction was accompanied by increase of number of biarmed chromosomes. This trend is not apparent in Uropygi. Karyotypes of most analysed amblypygids and uropygids are also characterized by low amount of heterochromatin. Most studied species exhibit two pairs...
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Earlier evolutionary dead-ends, now the creators of a reproductive strategy: the origin and reproduction of the all-male water frog lineage Pelophylax esculentus
Doležálková, Marie ; Choleva, Lukáš (advisor) ; Mikulíček, Peter (referee) ; Kratochvíl, Lukáš (referee)
Asexual modes of reproduction are usually based on the principle of copying (cloning) DNA from the female and passing it on to the offspring. For most asexually reproducing vertebrates the progeny develop from an unreduced and often unfertilised egg. This is driven by the mechanisms of parthenogenetic and gynogenetic reproduction. While in the former the clonal germ cell develops spontaneously and separately, in the latter a sexual partner is needed to activate the cleavage of the ovum, although without the fusion of the sperm and egg. Therefore in both cases there is no fertilization and the clonal progeny consist solely of daughters, hence the majority of previous studies have only focused on asexual female lineages. However, on rare occasions asexual clonal males can arise when the right fertilization occurs. Whilst these offspring are usually infertile, fertile diploid asexual males have been discovered in just three genera of hybrid origin in vertebrates. One of these unique cases is the European water frog complex of the genus Pelophylax, whose distribution includes the Czech Republic. In areas around the upper Odra River populations of hybrid males were recently discovered who form stable all-male lineages, similar to those formed by asexual females. The results of this study show that males produce...
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