Expression of the transcription factor ZBTB16 in porcine testes and molecular mechanisms for its regulation in porcine immature spermatogonia self-renewal

RNA-seq analysis identified 5931 differentially expressed genes in ZBTB16-knockdown immature porcine germ cells, while CUT&Tag analysis identified 5409 ZBTB16 target genes, with 2084 of them overlapping with the differentially expressed genes. ZBTB16 preferentially bound to gene promoters. Knockdown of ZBTB16 expression resulted in the suppression of mRNA levels of target genes involved in the self-renewal of immature germ cells.

Additionally, we found that ZBTB16 regulates the self-renewal of immature porcine germ cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. These findings reveal the expression pattern of ZBTB16 in the porcine testis and its regulation of target genes and pathways involved in the self-renewal of immature germ cells. This contributes to the understanding of the function and regulatory network of the transcription factor ZBTB16 in porcine germ cell development and spermatogenesis, and holds significant implications for unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying porcine germ cell development and sperm production.