A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

FYCO1 and autophagy control the integrity of the haploid male germ cell-specific RNP granules




AuthorsDa Ros M, Lehtiniemi T, Olotu O, Fischer D, Zhang FP, Vihinen H, Jokitalo E, Sironen A, Toppari J, Kotaja N.

Publication year2017

JournalAutophagy

Volume13

Issue2

First page 302

Last page321

Number of pages20

ISSN1554-8627

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2016.1261319


Abstract

Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules play a major role in compartmentalizing cytoplasmic RNA regulation. Haploid round spermatids that have exceptionally diverse transcriptomes are characterized by a unique germ cell-specific RNP granule, the chromatoid body (CB). The CB shares many characteristics with somatic RNP granules but also has germline-specific features. The CB appears to be a central structure in PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA)-targeted RNA regulation. Here, we identified a novel CB component, FYCO1, which is involved in the intracellular transport of autophagic vesicles in somatic cells. We demonstrated that the CB is associated with autophagic activity. Induction of autophagy leads to the recruitment of lysosomal vesicles onto the CB in a FYCO1-dependent manner as demonstrated by the analysis of a germ cell-specific Fyco1 conditional knockout mouse model. Furthermore, in the absence of FYCO1, the integrity of the CB was affected and the CB was fragmented. Our results suggest that RNP granule homeostasis is regulated by FYCO1-mediated autophagy



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