Gestational and lactational exposure to gossypol alters the testis transcriptome

Author(s)

Louvandini, Helder ^{[1, 2]} ; Correa, Patricia S. ^{[1, 3, 2]} ; Amorin, Rocio ^[1] ; Liu, Lihe ^[1] ; Ieda, Egon H. ^[2] ; Jimenez, Carolina R. ^[2] ; Tsai, Siu M. ^[3] ; McManus, Concepta M. ^[4] ; Penagaricano, Francisco ^{[1, 5]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Florida, Dept Anim Sci, Gainesville, FL 32611 - USA

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Anim Nutr, Ctr Nucl Energy Agr, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Mol & Cell Biol, Ctr Nucl Energy Agr, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Brasilia, Inst Biol, BR-70910900 Brasilia, DF - Brazil

^[5] Univ Florida, Genet Inst, Gainesville, FL 32611 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BMC Genomics; v. 21, n. 1 JAN 17 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background Reproductive capacity can be altered by challenges experienced during critical periods of development, including fetal development and early neonatal life. Gossypol is a polyphenolic compound, commonly found in cotton seeds, that impairs male reproduction. Here, we investigated whether the exposure to gossypol in utero and during lactation alters male reproductive function in sheep. From conception until 60 days postpartum, ewes were randomly assigned to a control diet or a gossypol-rich diet based on cottonseed. Lamb testicles were removed at 60 days of age and subjected to RNA-sequencing. Results Lambs derived from the maternal cottonseed diet showed significantly lower growth and lower testis weight as a proportion of the total body weight, and reduced testosterone levels. In addition, the testis transcriptome was significantly altered by the maternal cottonseed diet. Most of the altered genes are directly implicated in testis development and sperm biology, cell communication, iron ion metabolism, calcium homeostasis and signaling, among other functions. Interestingly, network analysis revealed that exposure to gossypol significantly disturbed coexpression patterns among spermatogenesis-related genes, suggesting a disruption in coregulation mechanisms. Conclusions Our findings provide evidence that maternal exposure to gossypol alters male reproductive function in the offspring, with potential lasting or lifelong negative consequences. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/09660-1 - Transcriptome, multielement analysis by neutron activation and x-ray microfluorescence and their distribution maps on lambs testicles from ewe fed cottonseed
• Grantee: Helder Louvandini
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/06191-6 - Transcriptome on lambs testicles from ewe fed cottonseed
• Grantee: Helder Louvandini
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• FAPESP's process: 18/07947-7 - Antimicrobial resistance in Brazilian cattle systems
• Grantee: Carolina Rodriguez Jimenez
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral