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Resveratrol Enhances Antioxidant and Anti-Apoptotic Capacities in Chicken Primordial Germ Cells through m6A Methylation: A Preliminary Investigation
by
, , and
Yanzhao Qiao
1,2,3, 
Gengsheng Xiao
1,2,3
,
Xiaohua Zhu
4, 
Jun Wen
4,
Yonghui Bu
2,
Xinheng Zhang
1,2,3
,
Jie Kong
1,2,3,
Yinshan Bai
4,* and
Qingmei Xie
1,2,3,* 1
State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
2
Guangdong Province, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
3
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding of Guangdong Province, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
4
Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, China Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precision Breeding, Foshan University, Foshan 528231, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2024, 14(15), 2214; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14152214 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 9 July 2024
/
Revised: 28 July 2024
/
Accepted: 29 July 2024
/
Published: 30 July 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Reproduction)
Simple Summary
Avian primordial germ cells (PGCs) are vital for transgenic poultry research, germplasm preservation, and disease resistance breeding. However, these cells often encounter fragmentation and apoptosis during in vitro culture, limiting their broader application. This study demonstrates that adding resveratrol (RSV) to established PGC cultures enhances their antioxidant and anti-apoptotic capacities. m6A methylation analysis identified two candidate genes, FAM129A and SFRP1, closely associated with apoptosis, indicating potential for further investigation. Our findings reveal RSV’s protective effects and underlying mechanisms in chicken PGCs, offering new insight and a potential application for RSV as an optimal supplement in reproductive stem cell culture.
Abstract
Avian primordial germ cells (PGCs) are essential in avian transgenic research, germplasm conservation, and disease resistance breeding. However, cultured PGCs are prone to fragmentation and apoptosis, regulated at transcriptional and translational levels, with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) being the most common mRNA modification. Resveratrol (RSV) is known for its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties, but its effects on PGCs and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This study shows that RSV supplementation in cultured PGCs improves cell morphology, significantly enhances total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.01), reduces malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.05), increases anti-apoptotic BCL2 expression, and decreases Caspase-9 expression (p < 0.05). Additionally, RSV upregulates the expression of m6A reader proteins YTHDF1 and YTHDF3 (p < 0.05). m6A methylation sequencing revealed changes in mRNA m6A levels after RSV treatment, identifying 6245 methylation sites, with 1223 unique to the control group and 798 unique to the RSV group. Combined analysis of m6A peaks and mRNA expression identified 65 mRNAs with significantly altered methylation and expression levels. Sixteen candidate genes were selected, and four were randomly chosen for RT-qPCR validation, showing results consistent with the transcriptome data. Notably, FAM129A and SFRP1 are closely related to apoptosis, indicating potential research value. Overall, our study reveals the protective effects and potential mechanisms of RSV on chicken PGCs, providing new insight into its use as a supplement in reproductive stem cell culture.
Keywords:
primordial germ cells; resveratrol; antioxidant; apoptosis; m6A methylation
