Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
10:26
Profiling Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like Dependent Post-translational Modifications and Identification of Significant Alterations
Published on: November 7, 2019
Altered testicular gene expression patterns in mice lacking the polyubiquitin gene Ubb
Shamim A Sinnar1, Christopher L Small, Ryan M Evanoff
1Bio-X Program, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Molecular Reproduction and Development
|May 5, 2011
Summary
Disrupting the Ubb gene causes infertility in mice due to widespread gene misregulation. This study reveals global effects on fertility, metabolism, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in Ubb(-/-) mice.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Ubiquitin (Ub) is crucial for eukaryotic cellular functions, including germ cell development.
- Previous studies linked Ubb gene disruption to male and female infertility, with germ cell arrest at meiotic prophase I.
- The precise mechanism by which reduced Ub levels cause sterility in Ubb(-/-) mice remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying infertility in Ubb(-/-) mice.
- To analyze global gene expression changes in the testes of Ubb(-/-) mice.
- To explore the relationship between reduced Ub levels, histone 2A (H2A) ubiquitylation, and altered gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis of the murine testicular transcriptome.
- Comparison of gene expression patterns between Ubb(-/-) and wild-type mice.
Main Results:
- Ubb(-/-) mice exhibit dramatically altered testicular gene expression patterns.
- Significant misregulation of genes involved in fertility, metabolism, transcription, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS).
- Gene expression alterations suggest a global impact of Ubb gene loss, not a single-gene defect phenotype.
Conclusions:
- Loss of the Ubb gene leads to broad alterations in gene expression in mouse testes.
- These widespread gene expression changes likely contribute to the observed fertility and metabolic defects in Ubb(-/-) mice.
- The findings suggest a more global role for the Ubb gene in maintaining cellular homeostasis and reproductive function.
Related Concept Videos
01:16In-vitro Mutagenesis
To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
02:41Lethal Alleles
Agouti: A Lethal Allele
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...