长链非编码RNA调控线虫精子发生、激活和运动的机制研究

近年来大量的研究成果表明lncRNA是许多生命过程中富有活力的参与者，与细胞生长分化、肿瘤发生等生理病理过程都有着密切联系；模式生物C.elegans中已有170个lncRNA被发现，但这些lncRNAs的功能研究却未见任何报道。我们在C.elegans精子细胞中进行转录组分析已鉴定到8个精子发育相关的lncRNAs(spnc1-8),并得到两个精子发生特异表达的lncRNAs spnc-7和linc-40，本项目将在此基础上继续鉴定参与精子发育分化的lncRNAs，研究lncRNA对精子功能的影响，分析其调节精子发生和激活运动的作用位点和受其调节的靶基因，全面探讨lncRNA及其相互作蛋白调控线虫精子发育分化的分子网络。预期结果不仅填补了lncRNA在线虫精子发育研究中的空白，促进了lncRNA的研究进展；而且对于揭示精子发育的分子机理，维持生殖健康，治疗不育等具有重要的理论指导意义。

Recent studies have shown that the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been involved in various biological activities and closely related to various diseases. In C.elegans, about 170 polyadenylated lncRNAs have been identified. However, these lncRNAs’ mechanistic functions are unclear. Our previous study has identified 8 novel lncRNAs (Spnc1-8) from sperm transcriptome in C.elegans, and found spnc-7 and linc-40 expression were spermatogenesis-specific, suggesting these lncRNAs might play important regulating roles in C.elegans sperm functions. In this project, we will continue to identify the novel lncRNAs involving sperm development and study the lncRNAs’ functions in the spermatogenesis and sperm activation. We will investigate the proteins, DNA or RNA molecules interacting with the identified lncRNAs, and analyze target genes regulated by lncRNAs. Moreover, we will study the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA on their target genes, and find the pathways modulating sperm development by these target proteins, and reveal the signal networks of lncRNA/proteins-target genes regulating C.elegans spermatogenesis and sperm activation. The expected results might not only fill the gap of study on lncRNA in C.elegans sperm development and fasten lncRNA studies progress, but also be useful to explore the molecular mechanism of sperm development, helping develop new strategies to enhance human reproductive success.