Vitamin C modulates function and gene expression of mouse testis TM4 Sertoli cells

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA), as essential micro-nutrient and antioxidant, can affect multiple cellular processes. Previously, we showed that Vitamin C supplement could promote the proliferation and suppress apoptosis of porcine Sertoli cells, via modulating the global nucleic acid methylation levels to alter transcriptome and proteomics. Due to the differences between pig and rodent species, here we investigated the effects of Vitamin C on mouse TM4 Sertoli cells. Vitamin C (250µM) treatment of mouse TM4 Sertoli cells for 36h could significantly increase cell viability, promote cell proliferation and decrease the cell percentage with early apoptosis. Vitamin C (250µM, 36h) also significantly decreased ROS level, elevated mitochondrial function, altered the levels of nucleic acid N6-methylation (m6A) and modified the levels of histone H3 trimethylation (H3K4me3, H3K9Me3 and H3K36me3) of mouse TM4 Sertoli cells. Vitamin C (250µM, 36h) promoted the secretion of anti-müllerian hormone and Estrodiol, but decreased lactate metabolite in mouse TM4 Sertoli cells. RNA-seq identified 112 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (74 up- and 38 down-regulated) (P≤0.05, |log2Fold Change|≥1) as induced by Vitamin C in mouse TM4 Sertoli cells. Gene enrichment analysis found multiple significantly enriched biological terms or pathways, including GO terms of regulation of response to biotic stimulus, homeostasis of number of cells, positive regulation of tumor necrosis factor production, GTPase activity, calmodulin binding etc., and KEGG signal pathways of calcium signal pathway, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, steroid biosynthesis, arginine biosynthesis etc. 9 DEGs were selected for RT-qPCR validation and 8 of them showed the change trend consistent to RNA-seq. Taken together, Vitamin C (250µM, 36h) could modulate the functions of mouse TM4 Sertoli cells, through modifying the transcriptome to affect multiple signal pathways.