Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42399815›Full record

ArticleCellular & molecular biology letters2026

O-GlcNAc transferase governs spermatogenic mitotic-to-meiotic transition and progression by coordinating transcription and alternative splicing programs.

Zhiming Ding, Caiyun Wu, Min Li, Kaiqin Hu, Xuanxi Li, Zhen Chen, Kuokuo Li, Huiru Cheng, Qunshan Shen, Yunxia Cao and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular & molecular biology letters, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Zhiming Ding *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Caiyun Wu *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Min Li *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Kaiqin Hu *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Xuanxi LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Zhen ChenNew Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
Kuokuo LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Huiru ChengDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Qunshan ShenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China. drshen@ahmu.edu.cn.
Yunxia CaoDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China. caoyunxia5972@ahmu.edu.cn.
Huifen XiangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China. xianghuifen@fy.ahmu.edu.cn.
Rui GuoDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China. guorui@ahmu.edu.cn.

Funding

the Basic and Clinical Cooperative Research Promotion Program of Anhui Medical University 2021xkjT030the Key Discipline Construction Fund of the Leading Hospital Project at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University 060201001the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82201834the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82301862the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province 2208085QH233the University Natural Foundation of Anhui Educational Committee 2022AH010072
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundO-GlcNAcylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) uniquely catalyzed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), which has been linked to tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration. However, its roles in mammalian spermatogenesis remain unexplored. This study aims to elucidate the functional mechanisms of OGT in spermatogenesis and male fertility.

methodsWe employed immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) to identify candidate O-GlcNAcylated substrates of OGT in juvenile mouse testes. To explore the physiological roles of OGT and O-GlcNAcylation, we constructed a mouse model with postnatal germ cell-specific deletion of Ogt via Stra8-Cre. In addition, we performed integrated bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing analyses to investigate the potential mechanisms by which OGT and O-GlcNAcylation deficiency impairs spermatogenesis.

resultsThe results showed stage-specific OGT enrichment and O-GlcNAcylation in mouse testicular spermatogonia and early spermatocytes. Furthermore, OGT was found to interact with and O-GlcNAcylate transcription factors (e.g., HCFC1) as well as splicing regulators (e.g., SRSF1 and SF3B3) in mouse testes. Postnatal germ cell-specific Ogt deletion impaired spermatogonial differentiation, disrupted meiotic initiation and progression, and induced apoptosis, ultimately leading to male infertility. Mechanistically, Bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed that OGT deficiency dysregulated transcriptional and alternative splicing programs, affecting genes critical for the mitotic-meiotic transition (e.g., Ythdc2 and Rbm46) and meiotic progression (e.g., Stra8, Stag3, and Syce2) in the testes. Single-cell RNA sequencing further uncovered aberrant retention of mitotic transcripts (e.g., Ccna2 and Ccnb1) in spermatocytes and impaired mRNA metabolism during spermatogonial differentiation. In addition, OGT deficiency caused cytoplasmic mislocalization and reduced expression of core transcription factors and splicing regulators in spermatocytes.

conclusionsThese findings establish that OGT and its mediated O-GlcNAcylation coordinate essential gene expression and mRNA metabolism during mitotic-to-meiotic transition and meiotic progression. Moreover, our study provides mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of male infertility associated with O-GlcNAcylation dysregulation.

Indexed as

Alternative SplicingMeiosisMitosisN-AcetylglucosaminyltransferasesSpermatogenesisTranscription, GeneticAnimalsMaleMiceSpermatocytesSpermatogoniaTestisN-AcetylglucosaminyltransferasesO-GlcNAc transferaseOgt protein, mouseFertilityMale germ cellsMeiotic initiationO-GlcNAcylationOGTscRNA-seq

Identifiers

PMID42399815
PMCPMC13625397

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