• PMID: 31453335
• Gene Name: ZCWPW1
• Condition: Associated with germ cell meiosis
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility

The histone modification reader ZCWPW1 is required for meiosis prophase I in male but not in female mice

Li M, Huang T, Li MJ, Zhang CX, Yu XC, Yin YY, Liu C, Wang X, Feng HW, Zhang T, Liu MF, Han CS, Lu G, Li W, Ma JL, Chen ZJ, Liu HB, Liu K.

Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that creates haploid germ cells and ensures their genetic diversity through homologous recombination. We show that the H3K4me3 reader ZCWPW1 is specifically required for meiosis prophase I progression in male but not in female germ cells in mice. Loss of Zcwpw1 in male mice caused a complete failure of synapsis, resulting in meiotic arrest at the zygotene to pachytene stage, accompanied by incomplete DNA double-strand break repair and lack of crossover formation, leading to male infertility. In oocytes, deletion of Zcwpw1 only somewhat slowed down meiosis prophase I progression; Zcwpw1(-/-) oocytes were able to complete meiosis, and Zcwpw1(-/-) female mice had normal fertility until mid-adulthood. We conclude that the H3K4me3 reader ZCWPW1 is indispensable for meiosis synapsis in males but is dispensable for females. Our results suggest that ZCWPW1 may represent a previously unknown, sex-dependent epigenetic regulator of germ cell meiosis in mammals. FAU - Li, Miao AU - Li M AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-8626-7413 AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Huang, Tao AU - Huang T AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-7086-570X AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Li, Meng-Jing AU - Li MJ AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Zhang, Chuan-Xin AU - Zhang CX AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5362-1079 AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Yu, Xiao-Chen AU - Yu XC AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Yin, Ying-Ying AU - Yin YY AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Liu, Chao AU - Liu C AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. AD - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. FAU - Wang, Xin AU - Wang X AD - State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. FAU - Feng, Hai-Wei AU - Feng HW AD - Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Haiyuan First Road 1, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518053 China. AD - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. FAU - Zhang, Tuo AU - Zhang T AD - State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. FAU - Liu, Mo-Fang AU - Liu MF AD - State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. FAU - Han, Chun-Sheng AU - Han CS AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. AD - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. FAU - Lu, Gang AU - Lu G AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5921-1839 AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China. FAU - Li, Wei AU - Li W AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-6235-0749 AD - State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. AD - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. FAU - Ma, Jin-Long AU - Ma JL AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. FAU - Chen, Zi-Jiang AU - Chen ZJ AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6637-6631 AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200031, China. FAU - Liu, Hong-Bin AU - Liu HB AD - Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - The Key Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China. AD - National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China.