Browsing by Author "Pelosi, Emanuele"

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    12554 Human Sex Determination: SRY Length Regulates Its Cellular Stability And Hence The Robustness Of Testis Differentiation
    (Oxford University Press, 2024-10-05) Chen, Yen-Shan; Thomson, Ella; Pelosi, Emanuele; Weiss, Michael A.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    The abundance of transcription factors (TFs) mediated by the rates of degradation are subjected to be a robust to an appropriate level. This regulation via the proteasome is largely controlled by the stability of individual proteins and then could determine the direction of a gene-regulatory network. Insight is obtained through studies of bistable genetic circuits mediated by initiating transcription factors. A model is provided by SRY, a Y-encoded TF that initiates testicular differentiation. Known functions in human SRY (204 residues) majorly cluster in its high mobility group (HMG) box whereas the functions of the N- and C-terminal non-box segments are not well characterized. Here, we have used cell-based and mouse transgenic studies to measure the transcriptional threshold of SRY regulating the balance between development and dysgenesis. Our findings demonstrate a threshold length in the C-terminal domain of human SRY that determines the protein’s proteosome-enforced half-life. In a pre-Sertoli cell model, truncation of SRY resulted in the reduction of intracellular concentration and twofold attenuation of the male-specific GRN. Expression of the 1-164 fragment of human SRY in CRISPR-Cas9-edited XX mice failed to drive male differentiation whereas the 1-200 of SRY initiated male GRN development. This study provides insight into the robustness of human SRY and illustrates a powerful strategy to link biochemical properties in cultured cells and in vivo developmental outcomes. Our study reveals a checkpoint in a key TF initiating a sex-specific GRN, functioning as an experimental “control knob” in development. Our approach probes molecular determinants of cell fate and so promises to extend structure-function studies of SRY to the flanking and relatively obscure non-box domains. This result implies the balance between robustness and evolvability in metazoan is a game of numbers of initial transcription factor in the networks.
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    Generation and mutational analysis of a transgenic mouse model of human SRY
    (Wiley, 2022-03) Thomson, Ella; Zhao, Liang; Chen, Yen-Shan; Longmuss, Enya; Ng, Ee Ting; Sreenivasan, Rajini; Croft, Brittany; Song, Xin; Sinclair, Andrew; Weiss, Michael; Pelosi, Emanuele; Koopman, Peter; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    SRY is the Y-chromosomal gene that determines male sex development in humans and most other mammals. After three decades of study, we still lack a detailed understanding of which domains of the SRY protein are required to engage the pathway of gene activity leading to testis development. Some insight has been gained from the study of genetic variations underlying differences/disorders of sex determination (DSD), but the lack of a system of experimentally generating SRY mutations and studying their consequences in vivo has limited progress in the field. To address this issue, we generated a mouse model carrying a human SRY transgene able to drive testis determination in XX mice. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we generated novel genetic modifications in each of SRY's three domains (N-terminal, HMG box, and C-terminal) and performed a detailed analysis of their molecular and cellular effects on embryonic testis development. Our results provide new functional insights unique to human SRY and present a versatile and powerful system in which to functionally analyze variations of SRY including known and novel pathogenic variants found in DSD.
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    Müllerian anomalies and endometriosis: associations and phenotypic variations
    (Springer Nature, 2024-12-19) Bhamidipaty-Pelosi, Surya; Kyei-Barffour, Isaac; Volpert, Marianna; O’Neill, Nora; Grimshaw, Alyssa; Eriksson, Lars; Vash-Margita, Alla; Pelosi, Emanuele; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Müllerian anomalies are congenital conditions characterized by the incomplete development of the female reproductive tract. Women affected by Müllerian anomalies often display additional malformations of the renal, skeletal, and cardiovascular system, and are at a higher risk for infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Several Müllerian anomalies have been reported in association with endometriosis, but it is unclear if all classes or anatomical variations are associated with the disease. Most importantly, both Müllerian anomalies and endometriosis can manifest with a wide degree of variability, adding further complexity to their poorly defined relationship. Retrograde menstruation occurring in obstructive Müllerian anomalies is a well-accepted mechanism for the development of endometriosis. However, endometriosis can occur following surgical correction of the anomaly or in the absence of obstruction. This suggests that other mechanisms may be involved, although the specific pathogenesis remains elusive. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of clinical research on endometriosis in Müllerian anomalies. This review also highlights research and knowledge gaps, informing the development of future experimental designs to address current limitations including heterogeneity of phenotypes, variable comorbidities, and lack of genetic information.