%0 Journal Article %A Rodrigo O. de Castro %A Victor Goitea %A Luciana Previato %A Agustin Carbajal %A Courtney T. Griffin %A Roberto J. Pezza %T CHD4-NURD controls spermatogonia survival and differentiation %D 2020 %R 10.1101/687137 %J bioRxiv %P 687137 %X Testis development and sustained germ cell production in adults rely on the establishment of spermatogonia stem cells and their proper differentiation into mature gametes. Control of these processes involves not only promoting the expression of genes required for cell survival and differentiation but also repressing other cell fates. This level of transcriptional control requires chromatin-remodeling complexes that restrict or promote transcription machinery. Here, we investigated the roles of the NUcleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NURD) complex during spermatogenesis. Our cellular and biochemical analyses revealed differential expression and composition of NURD subunits in gametocytes at different stages of testis development. Germ cell-specific deletion of the NURD catalytic component CHD4, but not CHD3, resulted in arrested early gamete development due to failed cell survival of the undifferentiated spermatogonia stem cell population. Genome-wide CHD4 chromatin localization and transcriptomic analyses revealed that CHD4 binds the promoters and regulates the expression of genes involved in spermatogonia cell survival and differentiation. These results uncover the requirements of CHD4 in mammalian gonad development, and point to unique roles for the NURD complex with respect to other chromatin remodelers during gamete development.Significance Statement Gametogenesis is a fundamental developmental program required for sustained fertility and survival of all sexually reproducing species. The developing male gamete undergoes numerous cell divisions and developmental stage transitions that are carefully monitored by epigenetic mechanisms. One prominent mechanism is directed by chromatin remodeling complexes, which modify chromatin structure and thereby control fundamental cellular processes such as gene transcription. In this work, we focused in understanding the role of CHD4 and CHD3 proteins, catalytic subunits of the NURD chromatin-remodeling complex, in mouse gametogenesis. We find that CHD4 has an essential function in gametogenesis, with an absolute requirement for survival of spermatogonia populations in the developing testis. This is accompanied by CHD4-mediated transcriptional regulation of genes important for spermatogonia survival, and differentiation. %U https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2020/02/27/687137.full.pdf