Chromatin remodeler CHD4 establishes chromatin states required for ovarian reserve formation, maintenance, and germ cell survival [RNA-seq]

To understand the functional role of CHD4, a member of the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex, in establishing chromatin states in the formation and maintenance of ovarian reserve and the maintenance of female and male germ cells, we eliminated CHD4 function in germ cells using Ddx4-Cre and Gdf9-iCre to generate CHD4 conditional knockout (Chd4 DcKO and GcKO) mice. We discover that CHD4 defines the chromatin state that ensures germ cell survival, thereby enabling the long-term maintenance of female and male germ cells. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of Chd4 Dctrl and Chd4 DcKO non-growing oocytes and undifferentiated spermatogonia, and Chd4 Gctrl and Chd4 GcKO non-growing and growing oocytes. Comparative gene expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data for (1) Chd4 Dctrl and DcKO P1 and P5 non-growing oocytes; (2) Chd4 Gctrl and GcKO P10 non-growing and growing oocytes; (3) Chd4 Dctrl and DcKO P3 undifferentiated spermatogonia.为阐明核小体重塑与去乙酰化（Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase，NuRD）复合物成员CHD4在卵巢储备的形成与维持、雌雄生殖细胞的维持过程中建立染色质状态的功能作用，我们借助Ddx4-Cre与Gdf9-iCre在生殖细胞中敲除CHD4功能，构建了CHD4条件性敲除（Chd4 DcKO与GcKO）小鼠模型。研究发现，CHD4可通过调控确保生殖细胞存活的染色质状态，实现雌雄生殖细胞的长期维持。随后，我们针对Chd4 Dctrl与Chd4 DcKO的非生长卵母细胞、未分化精原细胞，以及Chd4 Gctrl与Chd4 GcKO的非生长与生长卵母细胞的RNA测序（RNA-seq）数据开展基因表达谱分析。进一步对以下RNA-seq数据开展比较基因表达谱分析：(1) 出生后第1天（P1）与第5天（P5）的Chd4 Dctrl及DcKO非生长卵母细胞；(2) 出生后第10天（P10）的Chd4 Gctrl及GcKO非生长与生长卵母细胞；(3) 出生后第3天（P3）的Chd4 Dctrl及DcKO未分化精原细胞。