miR-26a is Involved in Glycometabolism and Affects Boar Sperm Viability by Targeting <i>PDHX</i>

Wencan Wang; Kai Liang; Yu Chang; Mingxia Ran; Yan Zhang; Malik Ahsan Ali; Dinghui Dai; Izhar Hyder Qazi; Ming Zhang; Guangbin Zhou; Jiandong Yang; Christiana Angel; Changjun Zeng

doi:10.3390/cells9010146

Cells (Jan 2020)

miR-26a is Involved in Glycometabolism and Affects Boar Sperm Viability by Targeting <i>PDHX</i>

Wencan Wang,
Kai Liang,
Yu Chang,
Mingxia Ran,
Yan Zhang,
Malik Ahsan Ali,
Dinghui Dai,
Izhar Hyder Qazi,
Ming Zhang,
Guangbin Zhou,
Jiandong Yang,
Christiana Angel,
Changjun Zeng

Affiliations

Wencan Wang: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Kai Liang: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Yu Chang: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Mingxia Ran: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Yan Zhang: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Malik Ahsan Ali: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Dinghui Dai: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Izhar Hyder Qazi: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Ming Zhang: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Guangbin Zhou: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Jiandong Yang: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Christiana Angel: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Changjun Zeng: College of Animal Sciences and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9010146
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 1
p. 146

Abstract

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miR-26a is associated with sperm metabolism and can affect sperm motility and apoptosis. However, how miR-26a affects sperm motility remains largely unknown. Our previous study indicated that the PDHX gene is predicted to be a potential target of miR-26a, which is responsible for pyruvate oxidative decarboxylation which is considered as a key step for connecting glycolysis with oxidative phosphorylation. In this study, we first reported a potential relationship between miR-26a and PDHX and their expressions in fresh, frozen-thawed, and epididymal boar sperm. Then, sperm viability and survival were determined after transfection of miR-26a. mRNA and protein expression level of PDHX in the liquid-preserved boar sperm after transfection were also determined by RT-qPCR and Western Blot (WB). Our results showed that expression level of PDHX was significantly increased during sperm transit from epididymal caput to corpus and cauda. Similarly, expression of PDHX was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in fresh sperm as compared to epididymal cauda and frozen-thawed sperm. However, the expression of miR-26a in epididymal corpus sperm was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of caput and cauda sperm. Furthermore, after transfection of boar sperm with miR-26a mimic and inhibitor under liquid storage, the lowest and highest sperm viability was observed in miR-26a mimic and inhibitor treatment (P < 0.05), respectively. The protein levels of PDHX, after 24 and 48 h of transfection of miR-26a mimics and inhibitor, were notably decreased and increased (P < 0.05), respectively, as compared to negative control (NC) group. In conclusion, the novel and enticing findings of our study provide a reasonable evidence that miR-26a via PDHX, a link between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, could regulate the glycometabolic pathway which eventually affect boar sperm viability and survival.

Published in Cells

ISSN: 2073-4409 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General): Cytology
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cells

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