METTL21A, a Non-Histone Methyltransferase, Is Dispensable for Spermatogenesis and Male Fertility in Mice

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Xiaoli Wang¹  Xixiang Ma¹  Shuiqiao Yuan¹  Jinmei Li¹  Shenglei Feng¹ 

[1] Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China;

关键词: mettl21a;    methyltransferases;    spermatogenesis;    fertility;    meiosis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms23041942

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Protein methyltransferases play various physiological and pathological roles through methylating histone and non-histone targets. Many histone methyltransferases have been reported to regulate the development of spermatogenic cells. However, the specific function of non-histone methyltransferases during spermatogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we found that METTL21A, a non-histone methyltransferase, is highly expressed in mouse testes. In order to elucidate the role of METTL21A in spermatogenesis, we generated a Mettl21a global knockout mouse model using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Unexpectedly, our results showed that knockout males are fertile without apparent defects in the processes of male germ cell development, including spermatogonial differentiation, meiosis, and sperm maturation. Furthermore, the ablation of METTL21A does not affect the expression and localization of its known targeting proteins in testes. Together, our data demonstrated that METTL21A is not essential for mouse spermatogenesis and male fertility.

【 授权许可】

Unknown