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Jiang L, Kong F, Yao L, Zhang F, Wu L, Zhang H, Yang G, Wang S, Jin X, Wang X, Tong X, Zhang S. Successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection in a macrozoospermia case with novel compound heterozygous aurora kinase C (AURKC) mutations. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2024:10.1007/s00404-024-07619-7. [PMID: 39133293 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-024-07619-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the application possibility of macrocephalic sperm from a patient with 100% macrocephalic sperm and AURKC gene variations. METHODS We diagnosed a case of macrozoospermia with 100% macrocephalic sperm and 39.5% multi-tailed spermatozoa by morphological analysis. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used for the patient and his wife. Sanger sequencing technique was used to verify the AURKC mutations in the patient's parents and his offspring. Sperm's ploidy was tested by flow cytometry. The couple asked for intra-couple ART therapy. RESULTS The patient presented novel compound heterozygous AURKC mutations (c.434C > T, c.497A > T) by WES. Sanger sequencing validation showed that variant of c.434C > T was observed in his father and c.497A > T was observed in his mother. Flow cytometry revealed that there existed a certain proportion of haploid sperm. Macrocephalic spermatozoa whose heads were smaller than the diameter of injection needle were selected for microinjection. A singleton pregnancy was achieved after embryo transfer. Prenatal diagnosis revealed that the fetus had normal chromosomal karyotype. Sanger sequencing technique showed that the fetus carried a c.434C > T mutation in one AURKC allele. A 3730 g healthy male fetus was delivered at term. CONCLUSION Our study reported a successful live birth from a patient with definite AURKC gene variants and may provide insights for such patients to choose donor sperm or their own sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingying Jiang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Feifei Kong
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lv Yao
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fuxing Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingfeng Wu
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haocheng Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guobing Yang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shasha Wang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoying Jin
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiufen Wang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaomei Tong
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Songying Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3rd Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Connors CQ, Mauro MS, Wiles JT, Countryman AD, Martin SL, Lacroix B, Shirasu-Hiza M, Dumont J, Kasza KE, Davies TR, Canman JC. Germ fate determinants protect germ precursor cell division by reducing septin and anillin levels at the cell division plane. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar94. [PMID: 38696255 PMCID: PMC11244169 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e24-02-0096-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal cell cytokinesis, or the physical division of one cell into two, is thought to be driven by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring at the division plane. The mechanisms underlying cell type-specific differences in cytokinesis remain unknown. Germ cells are totipotent cells that pass genetic information to the next generation. Previously, using formincyk-1(ts) mutant Caenorhabditis elegans 4-cell embryos, we found that the P2 germ precursor cell is protected from cytokinesis failure and can divide with greatly reduced F-actin levels at the cell division plane. Here, we identified two canonical germ fate determinants required for P2-specific cytokinetic protection: PIE-1 and POS-1. Neither has been implicated previously in cytokinesis. These germ fate determinants protect P2 cytokinesis by reducing the accumulation of septinUNC-59 and anillinANI-1 at the division plane, which here act as negative regulators of cytokinesis. These findings may provide insight into the regulation of cytokinesis in other cell types, especially in stem cells with high potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Q. Connors
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Michael S. Mauro
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - J. Tristian Wiles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | | | - Sophia L. Martin
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Benjamin Lacroix
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier, UMR 5237 Montpellier, France
| | - Mimi Shirasu-Hiza
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Julien Dumont
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Karen E. Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Timothy R. Davies
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Julie C. Canman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
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Graziani A, Rocca MS, Vinanzi C, Masi G, Grande G, De Toni L, Ferlin A. Genetic Causes of Qualitative Sperm Defects: A Narrative Review of Clinical Evidence. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:600. [PMID: 38790229 PMCID: PMC11120687 DOI: 10.3390/genes15050600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Several genes are implicated in spermatogenesis and fertility regulation, and these genes are presently being analysed in clinical practice due to their involvement in male factor infertility (MFI). However, there are still few genetic analyses that are currently recommended for use in clinical practice. In this manuscript, we reviewed the genetic causes of qualitative sperm defects. We distinguished between alterations causing reduced sperm motility (asthenozoospermia) and alterations causing changes in the typical morphology of sperm (teratozoospermia). In detail, the genetic causes of reduced sperm motility may be found in the alteration of genes associated with sperm mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial proteins, ion transport and channels, and flagellar proteins. On the other hand, the genetic causes of changes in typical sperm morphology are related to conditions with a strong genetic basis, such as macrozoospermia, globozoospermia, and acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. We tried to distinguish alterations approved for routine clinical application from those still unsupported by adequate clinical studies. The most important aspect of the study was related to the correct identification of subjects to be tested and the correct application of genetic tests based on clear clinical data. The correct application of available genetic tests in a scenario where reduced sperm motility and changes in sperm morphology have been observed enables the delivery of a defined diagnosis and plays an important role in clinical decision-making. Finally, clarifying the genetic causes of MFI might, in future, contribute to reducing the proportion of so-called idiopathic MFI, which might indeed be defined as a subtype of MFI whose cause has not yet been revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Graziani
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
| | - Maria Santa Rocca
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
| | - Cinzia Vinanzi
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
| | - Giulia Masi
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
| | - Giuseppe Grande
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
| | - Luca De Toni
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
| | - Alberto Ferlin
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
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Connors CQ, Mauro MS, Tristian Wiles J, Countryman AD, Martin SL, Lacroix B, Shirasu-Hiza M, Dumont J, Kasza KE, Davies TR, Canman JC. Germ fate determinants protect germ precursor cell division by restricting septin and anillin levels at the division plane. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.17.566773. [PMID: 38014027 PMCID: PMC10680835 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.17.566773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Animal cell cytokinesis, or the physical division of one cell into two, is thought to be driven by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring at the division plane. The mechanisms underlying cell type-specific differences in cytokinesis remain unknown. Germ cells are totipotent cells that pass genetic information to the next generation. Previously, using formin cyk-1 (ts) mutant C. elegans embryos, we found that the P2 germ precursor cell is protected from cytokinesis failure and can divide without detectable F-actin at the division plane. Here, we identified two canonical germ fate determinants required for P2-specific cytokinetic protection: PIE-1 and POS-1. Neither has been implicated previously in cytokinesis. These germ fate determinants protect P2 cytokinesis by reducing the accumulation of septin UNC-59 and anillin ANI-1 at the division plane, which here act as negative regulators of cytokinesis. These findings may provide insight into cytokinetic regulation in other cell types, especially in stem cells with high potency.
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5
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Redouane S, Charoute H, Harmak H, Malki A, Barakat A, Rouba H. Computational study of the potential impact of AURKC missense SNPs on AURKC-INCENP interaction and their correlation to macrozoospermia. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:9503-9522. [PMID: 36326488 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2142846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Aurora Kinase C (AURKC) is considered an important element in Chromosome Passenger Complex (CPC), its interaction with Inner Centromere Protein (INCENP) plays a critical role in the establishment and the recruitment of a stable CPC during spermatogenesis. Genetic variations of AURKC gene are susceptible to impact AURKC-INCENP interaction, which may affect CPC stability and predispose male subjects to macrozoospermia. In this study, we systematically applied computational approaches using different bioinformatic tools to predict the effect of missense SNPs reported on AURKC gene, we selected the deleterious ones and we introduced their corresponding amino acid substitutions on AURKC protein structure. Then we did a protein-protein docking between AURKC variants and INCENP followed by a structural assessment of each resulting complex using PRODIGY server, Yassara view, Ligplot + and we choose the complexes of the most impactful variants for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study. Seventeen missense SNPs of AURKC were identified as deleterious between all reported ones. All of them were located on relatively conserved positions on AURKC protein according to Consurf server. Only the four missense SNPs; E91K, D166V, D221Y and G235V were ranked as the most impactful ones and were chosen for MD simulation. D221Y and G235V were responsible for the most remarkable changes on AURKC-INCENP structural stability, therefore, they were selected as the most deleterious ones. Experimental studies are recommended to test the actual effect of these two variants and their actual impact on the morphology of sperm cells.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salaheddine Redouane
- Laboratory of Genomics and Human Genetics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
- Laboratory of Physiopathology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Hicham Charoute
- Research Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Houda Harmak
- Laboratory of Genomics and Human Genetics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Abderrahim Malki
- Laboratory of Physiopathology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Abdelhamid Barakat
- Laboratory of Genomics and Human Genetics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Hassan Rouba
- Laboratory of Genomics and Human Genetics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
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6
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Coudert A, Cazin C, Amiri-Yekta A, Ben Mustapha SF, Zouari R, Bessonat J, Zoghmar A, Clergeau A, Metzler-Guillemain C, Triki C, Lejeune H, Sermondade N, Pipiras E, Prisant N, Cedrin I, Koscinski I, Keskes L, Lestrade F, Hesters L, Rives N, Dorphin B, Guichet A, Patrat C, Dulioust E, Feraille A, Robert F, Brouillet S, Morel F, Perrin A, Rougier N, Bieth E, Sorlin A, Siffroi JP, Ben Khelifa M, Boiterelle F, Hennebicq S, Satre V, Arnoult C, Coutton C, Barbotin AL, Thierry-Mieg N, Kherraf ZE, Ray PF. Genetic causes of macrozoospermia and proposal for an optimized genetic diagnosis strategy based on sperm parameters. J Genet Genomics 2023:S1673-8527(23)00094-2. [PMID: 37116580 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Coudert
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, 38000, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Cazin
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Amir Amiri-Yekta
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, 38000, France; Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Raoudha Zouari
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Julien Bessonat
- CHU Grenobles Alpes, UF de Biologie de la Procréation, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Abdelali Zoghmar
- Reproduction Sciences and Surgery Clinique, Ibn Rochd, Constantine, Algeria
| | - Antoine Clergeau
- CHU Caen, CECOS de Caen, Département de Biologie, Unité de Biologie de la Reproduction, 14033 Caen, France
| | - Catherine Metzler-Guillemain
- Assistance-Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Pôle Femmes-Parents-Enfants, Centre Clinico-biologique AMP-CECOS, Marseille, France and Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, UMR 1251, Marseille, France
| | - Chema Triki
- Clinique Hannibal, Centre d'AMP, les berges du lac, 1053 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hervé Lejeune
- Reproductive Medicine Department, Hospices Civil de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Eva Pipiras
- Hôpital Jean Verdier, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
| | | | - Isabelle Cedrin
- Service de Médecine de la Reproduction, CHU Jean Verdier, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Florence Lestrade
- CHR Metz-Thionville, Service d'Assistance Médicale à la Procréation, 57530 Ars-Laquenexy, France
| | - Laetitia Hesters
- Laboratoire de Fécondation in vitro, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, France
| | - Nathalie Rives
- Univ Rouen Normandie, Inserm U1239, NorDIC, Adrenal and Gonadal Pathophysiology, Reproductive Biology Laboratory-CECOS, Rouen University Hospital, 76031 Rouen cedex, France
| | - Béatrice Dorphin
- CHAL Centre Hospitalier Alpes Léman, Centre AMP74, 74130 Contamine-sur-Arve
| | - Agnes Guichet
- CHU Angers, Service de Génétique, 49933 Angers, INSERM U1083 France
| | - Catherine Patrat
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS Hopital Cochin, 74014, Paris
| | - Emmanuel Dulioust
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS Hopital Cochin, 74014, Paris
| | - Aurélie Feraille
- Univ Rouen Normandie, Inserm U1239, NorDIC, Adrenal and Gonadal Pathophysiology, Reproductive Biology Laboratory-CECOS, Rouen University Hospital, 76031 Rouen cedex, France
| | - François Robert
- IRH Médicentre, Clinique du Val d'Ouest, 39 chemin de la Vernique, 69 130 Ecully, France
| | - Sophie Brouillet
- CHU Arnaud De Villeneuve, Biologie de la Reproduction, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Morel
- Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Brest, EFS, UMR1078, GGB, Brest, France; Service de Génétique Médicale et Biologie de la Reproduction, CHU de Brest, Brest, France
| | - Aurore Perrin
- Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Brest, EFS, UMR1078, GGB, Brest, France; Service de Génétique Médicale et Biologie de la Reproduction, CHU de Brest, Brest, France
| | - Nathalie Rougier
- CHRU Nîmes, Laboratoire d'Assistance Médicale à la Procréation, 30029 Nîmes, France
| | - Eric Bieth
- CHU Toulouse, Service de Génétique, 31059 Toulouse, France
| | - Arthur Sorlin
- Laboratoire national de santé, 1 Rue Louis Rech, L-3555 Dudelange, Luxembourg
| | - Jean-Pierre Siffroi
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMRS_933, AP-HP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, F-75012 Paris, France
| | | | - Florence Boiterelle
- Service d'assistance médicale à la procréation-Biologie de la reproduction, hôpital de Poissy, 78300 Poissy, France; EA 7404-GIG, UFR des sciences de la santé Simone-Veil, université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Paris Saclay, 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France
| | - Sylvianne Hennebicq
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenobles Alpes, UF de Biologie de la Procréation, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Veronique Satre
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Anne-Laure Barbotin
- CHU Lille, Hôpital Jeanne De Flandre, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-Spermiologie, 59037 Lille, France
| | | | - Zine-Eddine Kherraf
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, 38000, France.
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Bejar JF, DiSanza Z, Quartuccio SM. The oncogenic role of meiosis-specific Aurora kinase C in mitotic cells. Exp Cell Res 2021; 407:112803. [PMID: 34461108 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant expression of meiosis-specific genes in cancer has recently emerged as a driver of some cancer formation. Aurora kinase C (AURKC) is a member of the Aurora kinase family of proteins known to regulate chromosome segregation during cell divisions. AURKC is normally expressed in meiotic cells; however, elevated levels of AURKC mRNA and protein are frequently measured in cancer cells. To understand the function of AURKC in cancer cells, expression was induced in noncancerous, human retina pigmented epithelial cells. While AURKC expression did not alter cell proliferation over 72 h, it did increase cell migration and anchorage independent growth in soft agar suggesting an oncogenic role in mitotically dividing cells. To evaluate AURKC as a potential therapeutic target, a frameshift mutation in the gene was introduced in U2OS osteosarcoma cells using CRISPR-Cas9 technology resulting in a premature stop codon. Cancer cells lacking AURKC displayed no change in cell proliferation over 72 h but did migrate less and formed fewer colonies in soft agar. Whole transcriptome sequencing analysis uncovered over 400 differentially expressed genes in U2OS cells with and without AURKC. GO analysis revealed alterations in proteinaceous extracellular matrix genes including COL1A1. These data indicate that therapeutics targeting AURKC could decrease cancer cell metastasis and disease progression. Because AURKC is transcriptionally silenced in normal mitotic cells, its disruption could specifically target cancer cells limiting the toxic side effects associated with current therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin F Bejar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Zachary DiSanza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Suzanne M Quartuccio
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA.
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Lester WC, Johnson T, Hale B, Serra N, Elgart B, Wang R, Geyer CB, Sperry AO. Aurora a kinase (AURKA) is required for male germline maintenance and regulates sperm motility in the mouse. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:1603-1616. [PMID: 34518881 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurora A kinase (AURKA) is an important regulator of cell division and is required for assembly of the mitotic spindle. We recently reported the unusual finding that this mitotic kinase is also found on the sperm flagellum. To determine its requirement in spermatogenesis, we generated conditional knockout animals with deletion of the Aurka gene in either spermatogonia or spermatocytes to assess its role in mitotic and postmitotic cells, respectively. Deletion of Aurka in spermatogonia resulted in disappearance of all developing germ cells in the testis, as expected given its vital role in mitotic cell division. Deletion of Aurka in spermatocytes reduced testis size, sperm count, and fertility, indicating disruption of meiosis or an effect on spermiogenesis in developing mice. Interestingly, deletion of Aurka in spermatocytes increased apoptosis in spermatocytes along with an increase in the percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology. Despite the increase in abnormal sperm, sperm from spermatocyte Aurka knockout mice displayed increased progressive motility. In addition, sperm lysate prepared from Aurka knockout animals had decreased protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity. Together, our results show that AURKA plays multiple roles in spermatogenesis, from mitotic divisions of spermatogonia to sperm morphology and motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C Lester
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine
| | - Taylor Johnson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine.,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville NC, USA 27834
| | - Ben Hale
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine.,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville NC, USA 27834
| | - Nicholas Serra
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine.,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville NC, USA 27834
| | - Brian Elgart
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine
| | - Christopher B Geyer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine.,East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville NC, USA 27834
| | - Ann O Sperry
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine
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9
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Arafah K, Lopez F, Cazin C, Kherraf ZE, Tassistro V, Loundou A, Arnoult C, Thierry-Mieg N, Bulet P, Guichaoua MR, Ray PF. Defect in the nuclear pore membrane glycoprotein 210-like gene is associated with extreme uncondensed sperm nuclear chromatin and male infertility: a case report. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:693-701. [PMID: 33332558 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
After the two meiotic divisions, haploid round spermatids undergo dramatic changes to become mature spermatozoa. One of the main transformations consists of compacting the cell nucleus to confer the sperm its remarkable hydrodynamic property and to protect its DNA from the oxidative stress it will encounter during its reproductive journey. Here, we studied an infertile subject with low sperm count, poor motility and highly abnormal spermatozoa with strikingly large heads due to highly uncondensed nuclear sperm DNA. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on the subject's DNA to identify the genetic defect responsible for this severe sperm anomaly. Bioinformatics analysis of exome sequence data uncovered a homozygous loss of function variant, ENST00000368559.7:c.718-1G>A, altering a consensus splice site expected to prevent the synthesis of the nucleoporin 210 like (NUP210L) protein. High-resolution mass spectrometry of sperm protein extracts did not reveal any NUP210L peptide sequence in the patient's sperm, contrary to what was observed in control donors, thus confirming the absence of NUP210L in the patient's sperm. Interestingly, homozygous Nup210l knock-out mice have been shown to be infertile due to a reduced sperm count, a high proportion of round-headed sperm, other head and flagella defects and a poor motility. NUP210L is almost exclusively expressed in the testis and sequence analogy suggests that it encodes a nuclear pore membrane glycoprotein. The protein might be crucial to regulate nuclear trafficking during and/or before spermiogenesis, its absence potentially impeding adequate nuclear compaction by preventing the entry of histone variants/transition proteins/protamines into the nucleus and/or by preventing the adequate replacement of core histones. This work describes a new gene necessary for male fertility, potentially improving the efficiency of the genetic diagnosis of male infertility. The function of NUP210L still remains to be resolved and its future investigation will help to understand the complex mechanisms necessary for sperm compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Caroline Cazin
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Team « Génétique, Épigénétique et Thérapies de l'infertilité », Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Zine-Eddine Kherraf
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Team « Génétique, Épigénétique et Thérapies de l'infertilité », Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Virginie Tassistro
- Aix Marseille Université, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Anderson Loundou
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Methodological Assistance Unity for Clinical Research, Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Team « Génétique, Épigénétique et Thérapies de l'infertilité », Grenoble, France
| | | | - Philippe Bulet
- Plateforme BioPark d'Archamps, Archamps, France.,Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Team « Immunologie Analytique des Pathologies Chroniques », Grenoble, France
| | | | - Pierre F Ray
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Team « Génétique, Épigénétique et Thérapies de l'infertilité », Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble 38000, France
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10
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Eijkenboom L, Mulder C, van der Reijden B, van Mello N, van Leersum J, Koorenhof-Scheele T, Braat D, Beerendonk C, Peek R. Purging human ovarian cortex of contaminating leukaemic cells by targeting the mitotic catastrophe signalling pathway. J Assist Reprod Genet 2021; 38:1571-1588. [PMID: 33725274 PMCID: PMC8266964 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-021-02081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Is it possible to eliminate metastasised chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells from ovarian cortex fragments by inhibition of Aurora B/C kinases (AURKB/C) without compromising ovarian tissue or follicles? METHODS Human ovarian cortex tissue with experimentally induced tumour foci of CML, AML and primary cells of AML patients were exposed to a 24h treatment with 1 μM GSK1070916, an AURKB/C inhibitor, to eliminate malignant cells by invoking mitotic catastrophe. After treatment, the inhibitor was removed, followed by an additional culture period of 6 days to allow any remaining tumour cells to form new foci. Ovarian tissue integrity after treatment was analysed by four different assays. Appropriate controls were included in all experiments. RESULTS Foci of metastasised CML and AML cells in ovarian cortex tissue were severely affected by a 24h ex vivo treatment with an AURKB/C inhibitor, leading to the formation of multi-nuclear syncytia and large-scale apoptosis. Ovarian tissue morphology and viability was not compromised by the treatment, as no significant difference was observed regarding the percentage of morphologically normal follicles, follicular viability, glucose uptake or in vitro growth of small follicles between ovarian cortex treated with 1 μM GSK1070916 and the control. CONCLUSION Purging of CML/AML metastases in ovarian cortex is possible by targeting the Mitotic Catastrophe Signalling Pathway using GSK1070916 without affecting the ovarian tissue. This provides a therapeutic strategy to prevent reintroduction of leukaemia and enhances safety of autotransplantation in leukaemia patients currently considered at high risk for ovarian involvement.
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MESH Headings
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Aurora Kinase B/genetics
- Aurora Kinase C/genetics
- Aza Compounds/pharmacology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Survival/drug effects
- Cryopreservation
- Female
- Humans
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/pathology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy
- Mitosis/drug effects
- Mitosis/genetics
- Neoplasm Metastasis
- Ovarian Follicle/drug effects
- Ovarian Follicle/growth & development
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Transplantation, Autologous/standards
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Eijkenboom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Callista Mulder
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bert van der Reijden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Haematology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Norah van Mello
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julia van Leersum
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Thessa Koorenhof-Scheele
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Haematology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Didi Braat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina Beerendonk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Peek
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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11
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Okutman O, Tarabeux J, Muller J, Viville S. Evaluation of a Custom Design Gene Panel as a Diagnostic Tool for Human Non-Syndromic Infertility. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12030410. [PMID: 33809228 PMCID: PMC7999157 DOI: 10.3390/genes12030410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility is a global healthcare problem, which affects men and women equally. With the advance of genome-wide analysis, an increasing list of human genes involved in infertility is now available. In order to evaluate the diagnostic interest to analyze these genes, we have designed a gene panel allowing the analysis of 51 genes involved in non-syndromic human infertility. In this initial evaluation study, a cohort of 94 non-syndromic infertility cases with a well-defined infertility phenotype was examined. Five patients with previously known mutations were used as positive controls. With a mean coverage of 457×, and 99.8% of target bases successfully sequenced with a depth coverage over 30×, we prove the robustness and the quality of our panel. In total, we identified pathogenic or likely pathogenic variations in eight patients (five male and three female). With a diagnostic yield of 8.5% and the identification of a variety of variants including substitution, insertion, deletion, and copy number variations, our results demonstrate the usefulness of such a strategy, as well as the efficiency and the quality of this diagnostic gene panel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozlem Okutman
- IPPTS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France;
- Laboratoire de Diagnostic Génétique UF de génétique de l’infertilité, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Julien Tarabeux
- Laboratoires de Diagnostic Génétique, UF de Génétique Moléculaire, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (J.T.); (J.M.)
| | - Jean Muller
- Laboratoires de Diagnostic Génétique, UF de Génétique Moléculaire, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (J.T.); (J.M.)
- Laboratoire de Génétique Médicale, INSERM, UMRS_1112, Institut de Génétique Médicale d’Alsace (IGMA), Université de Strasbourg Faculté de Médecine de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Unité Fonctionnelle de Bioinformatique Médicale Appliquée au Diagnostic (UF7363), Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Viville
- IPPTS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France;
- Laboratoire de Diagnostic Génétique UF de génétique de l’infertilité, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Correspondence:
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12
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Lorès P, Kherraf ZE, Amiri-Yekta A, Whitfield M, Daneshipour A, Stouvenel L, Cazin C, Cavarocchi E, Coutton C, Llabador MA, Arnoult C, Thierry-Mieg N, Ferreux L, Patrat C, Hosseini SH, Mustapha SFB, Zouari R, Dulioust E, Ray PF, Touré A. A missense mutation in IFT74, encoding for an essential component for intraflagellar transport of Tubulin, causes asthenozoospermia and male infertility without clinical signs of Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Hum Genet 2021; 140:1031-1043. [PMID: 33689014 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02270-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cilia and flagella are formed around an evolutionary conserved microtubule-based axoneme and are required for fluid and mucus clearance, tissue homeostasis, cell differentiation and movement. The formation and maintenance of cilia and flagella require bidirectional transit of proteins along the axonemal microtubules, a process called intraflagellar transport (IFT). In humans, IFT defects contribute to a large group of systemic diseases, called ciliopathies, which often display overlapping phenotypes. By performing exome sequencing of a cohort of 167 non-syndromic infertile men displaying multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagellum (MMAF) we identified two unrelated patients carrying a homozygous missense variant adjacent to a splice donor consensus site of IFT74 (c.256G > A;p.Gly86Ser). IFT74 encodes for a core component of the IFT machinery that is essential for the anterograde transport of tubulin. We demonstrate that this missense variant affects IFT74 mRNA splicing and induces the production of at least two distinct mutant proteins with abnormal subcellular localization along the sperm flagellum. Importantly, while IFT74 deficiency was previously implicated in two cases of Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a pleiotropic ciliopathy with variable expressivity, our data indicate that this missense mutation only results in primary male infertility due to MMAF, with no other clinical features. Taken together, our data indicate that the nature of the mutation adds a level of complexity to the clinical manifestations of ciliary dysfunction, thus contributing to the expanding phenotypical spectrum of ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lorès
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Zine-Eddine Kherraf
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Amir Amiri-Yekta
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marjorie Whitfield
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Abbas Daneshipour
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Laurence Stouvenel
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Cazin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Emma Cavarocchi
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-Astrid Llabador
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Nord Val de Seine, Assistante Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Lucile Ferreux
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie, Biologie de la Reproduction, CECOS Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Patrat
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie, Biologie de la Reproduction, CECOS Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Seyedeh-Hanieh Hosseini
- Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Raoudha Zouari
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Emmanuel Dulioust
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie, Biologie de la Reproduction, CECOS Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Aminata Touré
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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13
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Biswas L, Tyc K, Yakoubi WE, Morgan K, Xing J, Schindler K. Meiosis interrupted: the genetics of female infertility via meiotic failure. Reproduction 2021; 161:R13-R35. [PMID: 33170803 PMCID: PMC7855740 DOI: 10.1530/rep-20-0422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic or 'unexplained' infertility represents as many as 30% of infertility cases worldwide. Conception, implantation, and term delivery of developmentally healthy infants require chromosomally normal (euploid) eggs and sperm. The crux of euploid egg production is error-free meiosis. Pathologic genetic variants dysregulate meiotic processes that occur during prophase I, meiotic resumption, chromosome segregation, and in cell cycle regulation. This dysregulation can result in chromosomally abnormal (aneuploid) eggs. In turn, egg aneuploidy leads to a broad range of clinical infertility phenotypes, including primary ovarian insufficiency and early menopause, egg fertilization failure and embryonic developmental arrest, or recurrent pregnancy loss. Therefore, maternal genetic variants are emerging as infertility biomarkers, which could allow informed reproductive decision-making. Here, we select and deeply examine human genetic variants that likely cause dysregulation of critical meiotic processes in 14 female infertility-associated genes: SYCP3, SYCE1, TRIP13, PSMC3IP, DMC1, MCM8, MCM9, STAG3, PATL2, TUBB8, CEP120, AURKB, AURKC, andWEE2. We discuss the function of each gene in meiosis, explore genotype-phenotype relationships, and delineate the frequencies of infertility-associated variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leelabati Biswas
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Katarzyna Tyc
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Warif El Yakoubi
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Katie Morgan
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jinchuan Xing
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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14
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Abstract
Non-obstructive azoospermia is a distinct diagnosis within male infertility in which no sperm is found in the ejaculate as a result of spermatogenesis failure. Because of the increased prevalence of genetic abnormalities in men with non-obstructive azoospermia, male infertility guidelines recommend screening for karyotype abnormalities and Y chromosome microdeletions in this population. Numerous karyotype abnormalities may be present resulting in impaired spermatogenesis, including: Klinefelter syndrome, translocations, and deletions. Y chromosome microdeletions of the AZFa, AZFb, AZFc subregions all can also result in non-obstructive azoospermia with the possibility of sperm being present if only the AZFc subregion is deleted. While these are the two genetic tests recommended by the guidelines, nearly 50%-80% of non-obstructive azoospermia has no identifiable cause and is deemed idiopathic. Several other genetic defects can lead to non-obstructive azoospermia including Kallmann syndrome, mild androgen insensitivity syndrome, and TEX11. While many additional candidate genes have been proposed, many have yet to be verified or are so infrequent in the population that screening is cost-ineffective. Much research is still required in the genetics of non-obstructive azoospermia and will require multi-institutional initiatives to better understand the genetics of condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa N Peña
- Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Taylor P Kohn
- Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amin S Herati
- Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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15
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Beurois J, Cazin C, Kherraf ZE, Martinez G, Celse T, Touré A, Arnoult C, Ray PF, Coutton C. Genetics of teratozoospermia: Back to the head. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020; 34:101473. [PMID: 33183966 DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2020.101473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Spermatozoa are polarized cells with a head and a flagellum joined by the connecting piece. Head integrity is critical for normal sperm function, and head defects consistently lead to male infertility. Abnormalities of the sperm head are among the most severe and characteristic sperm defects. Patients presenting with a monomorphic head sperm defects such as globozoospermia or marcrozoospermia were analyzed permitting to identify several key genes for spermatogenesis such as AURKC and DPY19L2. The study of patients with other specific sperm head defects such as acephalic spermatozoa have also enabled the identification of new infertility genes such as SUN5. Here, we review the genetic causes leading to morphological defects of sperm head. Advances in the genetics of male infertility are necessary to improve the management of infertility and will pave the road towards future strategies of treatments, especially for patients with the most severe phenotype as sperm head defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Beurois
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Cazin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Zine-Eddine Kherraf
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France; CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Guillaume Martinez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France; CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, France
| | - Tristan Celse
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France; CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, France
| | - Aminata Touré
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France; CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, 38000, Grenoble, France; CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France; CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, France.
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16
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Macrozoospermia associated with mutations of AURKC gene: First case report in Latin America and literature review. Rev Int Androl 2020; 18:159-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.androl.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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17
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Bai S, Hu X, Zhao Y, Li W, Wan Y, Jin R, Wang Y, Guo T, Tong X, Xu B. Compound heterozygosity for novel AURKC mutations in an infertile man with macrozoospermia. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13663. [PMID: 32478938 DOI: 10.1111/and.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Among causes of infertility, teratozoospermia is characterised by a percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa >4%. Macrozoospermia, one form of monomorphic teratozoospermia, is observed in <1% of cases of male infertility and is described as approximately 100% large-headed and/or multitailed spermatozoa. This study reports that an infertile man with large-head spermatozoa presenting compound heterozygosity aurora kinase C (AURKC) mutations (c.382C>T, c.572C>T) by whole-exome sequencing. Consequently, both two novel AURKC mutations had high probability of damage-causing and conserved across species and extremely low allele frequency in the population. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a high ratio of sperm DNA fragmentation. Two intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures were attempted for the patient, but all were unsuccessful. These results indicate that sequence analysis should be performed for the variants of AURKC in Chinese patients with macrozoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Bai
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xuechun Hu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yun Zhao
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wei Li
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yangyang Wan
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rentao Jin
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yanshi Wang
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tonghang Guo
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xianhong Tong
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Bo Xu
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
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18
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Kobesiy MM, Foda BM, Ali OSM, Fahmy I, Ismail SM. Mutational analysis of Aurora kinase C gene in Egyptian patients with macrozoospermia. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13619. [PMID: 32399982 DOI: 10.1111/and.13619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrozoospermia is a rare syndrome. The key marker of the disease is a high percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal phenotypes namely enlarged head and multiple tails. The presence of at least 70% of spermatozoa with a large head is usually associated with Aurora kinase C gene (AURKC) mutations. We sought to assess AURKC as a potential genetic actor of macrozoospermia in a sample of infertile Egyptian men. We recruited 30 patients and conducted a clinical examination, semen analysis, and DNA sequencing and RFLP for AURKC. We diagnosed 17 patients with characteristic macrozoospermia and classified them into eight severe and nine mild cases. We detected genetic variants of AURKC in five patients (29.4%): Three patients with severe macrozoospermia had c.144delC mutations in exon 3 (37.5% of the severe), and two mild cases had c.1157G>A polymorphism in the 3' UTR (22.2% of the mild). A successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was achieved only with a severe macrozoospermia patient without apparent AURKC mutation. The present study is the first report to link macrozoospermia and AURKC mutations in Egypt. The study recommends macrozoospermia patients to perform AURKC gene analysis and attempt ICSI, even those with a high percentage of large head spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha M Kobesiy
- Molecular Genetics and Enzymology Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Bardees M Foda
- Molecular Genetics and Enzymology Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.,Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology Division, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ola S M Ali
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, AL-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim Fahmy
- Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,The Egyptian IVF-ET Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Somaia M Ismail
- Medical Molecular Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
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19
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A candidate gene analysis and GWAS for genes associated with maternal nondisjunction of chromosome 21. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008414. [PMID: 31830031 PMCID: PMC6932832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Human nondisjunction errors in oocytes are the leading cause of pregnancy loss, and for pregnancies that continue to term, the leading cause of intellectual disabilities and birth defects. For the first time, we have conducted a candidate gene and genome-wide association study to identify genes associated with maternal nondisjunction of chromosome 21 as a first step to understand predisposing factors. A total of 2,186 study participants were genotyped on the HumanOmniExpressExome-8v1-2 array. These participants included 749 live birth offspring with standard trisomy 21 and 1,437 parents. Genotypes from the parents and child were then used to identify mothers with nondisjunction errors derived in the oocyte and to establish the type of error (meiosis I or meiosis II). We performed a unique set of subgroup comparisons designed to leverage our previous work suggesting that the etiologies of meiosis I and meiosis II nondisjunction differ for trisomy 21. For the candidate gene analysis, we selected genes associated with chromosome dynamics early in meiosis and genes associated with human global recombination counts. Several candidate genes showed strong associations with maternal nondisjunction of chromosome 21, demonstrating that genetic variants associated with normal variation in meiotic processes can be risk factors for nondisjunction. The genome-wide analysis also suggested several new potentially associated loci, although follow-up studies using independent samples are required. Approximately one of every 700 babies is born with trisomy 21—an extra copy of chromosome 21. Trisomy 21 is caused by the failure of chromosomes to segregate properly during meiosis, generally in the mother. Past studies have defined altered patterns of recombination along nondisjoined chromosomes as risk factors for human nondisjunction and model systems have clearly shown that specific genes involved recombination and other early meiotic processes play a role in the fidelity of chromosome segregation. However, no genome-wide genetic study (GWAS) has ever been conducted using maternal human nondisjunction as the disease phenotype. This study takes the first step to understand predisposing factors. We used chromosome 21 genotypes from the parents and child to identify mothers with nondisjunction errors derived in the oocyte and to establish the type of error (meiosis I or meiosis II). We then conducted a unique set of subgroup comparisons designed to leverage our previous work that shows that the etiologies of meiosis I and meiosis II nondisjunction differ for trisomy 21. Both the candidate gene study and the GWAS provide evidence that meiotic-specific structures and processes are vulnerable to genetic variants that lead to increased risk of human chromosome nondisjunction.
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20
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Katigbak RD, Turchini GM, de Graaf SP, Kong L, Dumée LF. Review on Sperm Sorting Technologies and Sperm Properties toward New Separation Methods via the Interface of Biochemistry and Material Science. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 3:e1900079. [PMID: 32648656 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201900079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Successful fertilization in mammals requires spermatozoa to efficiently traverse the female reproductive tract to meet the egg. This process naturally selects high quality sperm cells for fertilization, but when artificial reproductive technologies are used such as in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or intrauterine insemination, other methods of sperm selection are required. Currently, technology enables sperm sorting based on motility, maturity as defined by zeta potential or hyaluronic acid binding site expression, absence of apoptotic factors, appropriate morphology, and even sex. This review summarizes current knowledge on all known methods of sperm cell sorting, compares their efficiency, and discusses the advantages and limitations of each technique. Scope for further refinement and improvement of current methods are discussed as is the potential to utilize a variety of materials to innovate new methods of sperm separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto D Katigbak
- Deakin University, Geelong, Institute for Frontier Materials, Waurn Ponds 3216, Victoria, Australia
| | - Giovanni M Turchini
- Deakin University, Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Burwood, 3125, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon P de Graaf
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 2006, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lingxue Kong
- Deakin University, Geelong, Institute for Frontier Materials, Waurn Ponds 3216, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ludovic F Dumée
- Deakin University, Geelong, Institute for Frontier Materials, Waurn Ponds 3216, Victoria, Australia
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21
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New insights into the genetics of spermatogenic failure: a review of the literature. Hum Genet 2019; 138:125-140. [PMID: 30656449 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-019-01974-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Genetic anomalies are known to affect about 15% of infertile patients with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. Despite a throughout diagnostic work-up, in up to the 72% of the male partners of infertile couples, no etiological factor can be found; hence, the cause of infertility remains unclear. Recently, several novel genetic causes of spermatogenic failure (SPGF) have been described. The aim of this review was to collect all the available evidence of SPGF genetics, matching data from in-vitro and animal models with those in human beings to provide a comprehensive and updated overview of the genes capable of affecting spermatogenesis. By reviewing the literature, we provided a list of 60 candidate genes for SPGF. Their investigation by Next Generation Sequencing in large cohorts of patients with apparently idiopathic infertility would provide new interesting data about their racial- and ethnic-related prevalence in infertile patients, likely raising the diagnostic yields. We propose a phenotype-based approach to identify the genes to look for.
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22
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Hua J, Wan YY. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel mutation of AURKC in a Chinese family with macrozoospermia. J Assist Reprod Genet 2018; 36:529-534. [PMID: 30594972 PMCID: PMC6439091 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-018-1374-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Macrozoospermia is a rare sperm morphologic abnormality associated with male infertility and is characterized by a high percentage of spermatozoa with large irregular heads. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic cause of an infertile male with macrozoospermia from a consanguineous family. METHODS Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed using peripheral blood genomic DNA from the patient and his parents. RESULTS WES analysis of the patient with macrozoospermia from a consanguineous family allowed the identification of a novel homozygous missense variant in the AURKC gene (c.269G>A). Bioinformatics analysis also suggested this variant a pathogenic mutation. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of AURKC is significantly decreased in the patient compared with his father. Moreover, no embryos were available for transfer after ICSI. CONCLUSIONS These results further support the important role of AURKC in male infertility and guide the practitioner in optimal decision making for patients with macrozoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Hua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yang-Yang Wan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated to University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China.
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23
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Davies T, Kim HX, Romano Spica N, Lesea-Pringle BJ, Dumont J, Shirasu-Hiza M, Canman JC. Cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms promote cell-type-specific cytokinetic diversity. eLife 2018; 7:36204. [PMID: 30028292 PMCID: PMC6054530 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis, the physical division of one cell into two, is powered by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring. It has long been assumed that all animal cells divide by a similar molecular mechanism, but growing evidence suggests that cytokinetic regulation in individual cell types has more variation than previously realized. In the four-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryo, each blastomere has a distinct cell fate, specified by conserved pathways. Using fast-acting temperature-sensitive mutants and acute drug treatment, we identified cell-type-specific variation in the cytokinetic requirement for a robust forminCYK-1-dependent filamentous-actin (F-actin) cytoskeleton. In one cell (P2), this cytokinetic variation is cell-intrinsically regulated, whereas in another cell (EMS) this variation is cell-extrinsically regulated, dependent on both SrcSRC-1 signaling and direct contact with its neighbor cell, P2. Thus, both cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms control cytokinetic variation in individual cell types and can protect against division failure when the contractile ring is weakened. The successful division of one cell into two is essential for all organisms to live, grow and reproduce. For an animal cell, the nucleus – the compartment containing the genetic material – must divide before the surrounding material. The rest of the cell, called the cytoplasm, physically separates later in a process known as cytokinesis. Cytokinesis in animal cells is driven by the formation of a ring in the middle of the dividing cell. The ring is composed of myosin motor proteins and filaments made of a protein called actin. The movements of the motor proteins along the filaments cause the ring to contract and tighten. This pulls the cell membrane inward and physically pinches the cell into two. For a long time, the mechanism of cytokinesis was assumed to be same across different types of animal cell, but later evidence suggested otherwise. For example, in liver, heat and bone cells, cytokinesis naturally fails during development to create cells with two or more nuclei. If a similar ‘failure’ happened in other cell types, it could lead to diseases such as cancers or blood disorders. This raised the question: what are the molecular mechanisms that allow cytokinesis to happen differently in different cell types? Davies et al. investigated this question using embryos of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans at a stage in their development when they consist of just four cells. The proteins forming the contractile ring in this worm are the same as those in humans. However, in the worm, the contractile ring can easily be damaged using chemical inhibitors or by mutating the genes that encode its proteins. Davies et al. show that when the contractile ring was damaged, two of the four cells in the worm embryo still divided successfully. This result indicates the existence of new mechanisms to divide the cytoplasm that allow division even with a weak contractile ring. In a further experiment, the embryos were dissected to isolate each of the four cells. Davies et al. saw that one of the two dividing cells could still divide on its own, while the other cell could not. This shows that this new method of cytokinesis is regulated both by factors inherent to the dividing cell and by external signals from other cells. Moreover, one of these extrinsic signals was found to be a signaling protein that had previously been implicated in human cancers. Future work will determine if these variations in cytokinesis between the different cell types found in the worm apply to humans too; and, more importantly from a therapeutic standpoint, if these new mechanisms exist in human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Davies
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Han X Kim
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States.,Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Natalia Romano Spica
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Benjamin J Lesea-Pringle
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Julien Dumont
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR 7592, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Mimi Shirasu-Hiza
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Julie C Canman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
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24
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Kherraf ZE, Conne B, Amiri-Yekta A, Kent MC, Coutton C, Escoffier J, Nef S, Arnoult C, Ray PF. Creation of knock out and knock in mice by CRISPR/Cas9 to validate candidate genes for human male infertility, interest, difficulties and feasibility. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018. [PMID: 29522859 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
High throughput sequencing (HTS) and CRISPR/Cas9 are two recent technologies that are currently revolutionizing biological and clinical research. Both techniques are complementary as HTS permits to identify new genetic variants and genes involved in various pathologies and CRISPR/Cas9 permits to create animals or cell models to validate the effect of the identified variants, to characterize the pathogeny of the identified variants and the function of the genes of interest and ultimately to provide ways of correcting the molecular defects. We analyzed a cohort of 78 infertile men presenting with multiple morphological anomalies of the sperm flagella (MMAF), a severe form of male infertility. Using whole exome sequencing (WES), homozygous mutations in autosomal candidate genes were identified in 63% of the tested subjects. We decided to produce by CRISPR/cas9 four knock-out (KO) and one knock-in (KI) mouse lines to confirm these results and to increase our understanding of the physiopathology associated with these genetic variations. Overall 31% of the live pups obtained presented a mutational event in one of the targeted regions. All identified events were insertions or deletions localized near the PAM sequence. Surprisingly we observed a high rate of germline mosaicism as 30% of the F1 displayed a different mutation than the parental event characterized on somatic tissue (tail), indicating that CRISPR/Cas9 mutational events kept happening several cell divisions after the injection. Overall, we created mouse models for 5 distinct loci and in each case homozygous animals could be obtained in approximately 6 months. These results demonstrate that the combined use of WES and CRISPR/Cas9 is an efficient and timely strategy to identify and validate mutations responsible for infertility phenotypes in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zine-Eddine Kherraf
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France; UM GI-DPI, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Beatrice Conne
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development University of Geneva Medical School, CH 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Amir Amiri-Yekta
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France; UM GI-DPI, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France; Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, PO Box 16635-148, Iran
| | - Marie Christou Kent
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France; UM de Génétique Chromosomique, CHU de Grenoble, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Jessica Escoffier
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development University of Geneva Medical School, CH 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France; UM GI-DPI, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France.
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25
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Jedidi I, Ouchari M, Yin Q. Autosomal single-gene disorders involved in human infertility. Saudi J Biol Sci 2017; 25:881-887. [PMID: 30108436 PMCID: PMC6088112 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse, is a healthcare problem that has a worldwide impact. Genetic causes of human infertility are manifold. In addition to the chromosomal aneuploidies and rearrangements, single-gene defects can interfere with human fertility. This paper provides a review of the most common autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant single-gene disorders involved in human infertility. The genes reviewed are CFTR, SPATA16, AURKC, CATSPER1, GNRHR, MTHFR, SYCP3, SOX9, WT1 and NR5A1 genes. These genes may be expressed throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary–gonadal-outflow tract axis, and the phenotype of affected individuals varies considerably from varying degrees of spermatogenic dysfunction leading to various degrees of reduced sperm parameters, through hypogonadotropic hypogonadism reslting in pubertal deficiencies, until gonadal dysgenesis and XY and XX sex reversal. Furthermore, congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens, as well as premature ovarian failure, have been reported to be associated with some single-gene defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Jedidi
- Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Mouna Ouchari
- Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Qinan Yin
- Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China Meitan General Hospital, Beijing, China
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26
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Oud MS, Ramos L, O'Bryan MK, McLachlan RI, Okutman Ö, Viville S, Vries PF, Smeets DF, Lugtenberg D, Hehir‐Kwa JY, Gilissen C, de Vorst M, Vissers LE, Hoischen A, Meijerink AM, Fleischer K, Veltman JA, Noordam MJ. Validation and application of a novel integrated genetic screening method to a cohort of 1,112 men with idiopathic azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. Hum Mutat 2017; 38:1592-1605. [DOI: 10.1002/humu.23312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manon S. Oud
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Liliana Ramos
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Moira K. O'Bryan
- The Development and Stem Cells Program of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology Monash University Clayton Australia
| | | | - Özlem Okutman
- Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostics UF3472‐Genetics of Infertility University Hospital Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Stephane Viville
- Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostics UF3472‐Genetics of Infertility University Hospital Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Petra F. Vries
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Dominique F.C.M. Smeets
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Dorien Lugtenberg
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Jayne Y. Hehir‐Kwa
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Christian Gilissen
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Maartje de Vorst
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Lisenka E.L.M. Vissers
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Hoischen
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI) Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Aukje M. Meijerink
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Fleischer
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Joris A. Veltman
- Department of Human Genetics Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Radboudumc Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Institute of Genetic Medicine Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology Maastricht UMC+ Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Michiel J. Noordam
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology Maastricht UMC+ Maastricht The Netherlands
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27
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Gatimel N, Moreau J, Parinaud J, Léandri RD. Sperm morphology: assessment, pathophysiology, clinical relevance, and state of the art in 2017. Andrology 2017; 5:845-862. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Gatimel
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
| | - J. Moreau
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
| | - J. Parinaud
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
| | - R. D. Léandri
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
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28
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Nguyen AL, Marin D, Zhou A, Gentilello AS, Smoak EM, Cao Z, Fedick A, Wang Y, Taylor D, Scott RT, Xing J, Treff N, Schindler K. Identification and characterization of Aurora kinase B and C variants associated with maternal aneuploidy. Mol Hum Reprod 2017; 23:406-416. [PMID: 28369513 PMCID: PMC9915067 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gax018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Are single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in Aurora kinases B and C (AURKB, AURKC) associated with risk of aneuploid conception? SUMMARY ANSWER Two SNVs were found in patients with extreme aneuploid concepti rates with respect to their age; one variant, AURKC p.I79V, is benign, while another, AURKB p.L39P, is a potential gain-of-function mutant with increased efficiency in promoting chromosome alignment. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Maternal age does not always predict aneuploidy risk, and rare gene variants can be drivers of disease. The AURKB and AURKC regulate chromosome segregation, and are associated with reproductive impairments in mouse and human. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION An extreme phenotype sample selection scheme was performed for variant discovery. Ninety-six DNA samples were from young patients with higher than average embryonic aneuploidy rates and an additional 96 DNA samples were from older patients with lower than average aneuploidy rates. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Using the192 DNA samples, the coding regions of AURKB and AURKC were sequenced using next generation sequencing. To assess biological significance, we expressed complementary RNA encoding the human variants in mouse oocytes. Assays such as determining subcellular localization and assessing catalytic activity were performed to determine alterations in protein function during meiosis. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Ten SNVs were identified using three independent variant-calling methods. Two of the SNVs (AURKB p.L39P and AURKC p.I79V) were non-synonymous and identified by at least two variant-identification methods. The variant encoding AURKC p.I79V, identified in a young woman with a higher than average rate of aneuploid embryos, showed wild-type localization pattern and catalytic activity. On the other hand, the variant encoding AURKB p.L39P, identified in an older woman with lower than average rates of aneuploid embryos, increased the protein's ability to regulate alignment of chromosomes at the metaphase plate. These experiments were repeated three independent times using 2-3 mice for each trial. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Biological significance of the human variants was assessed in an in vitro mouse oocyte model where the variants are over-expressed. Therefore, the human protein may not function identically to the mouse homolog, or the same in mouse oocytes as in human oocytes. Furthermore, supraphysiological expression levels may not accurately reflect endogenous activity. Moreover, the evaluated variants were identified in one patient each, and no trial linking the SNV to pregnancy outcomes was conducted. Finally, the patient aneuploidy rates were established by performing comprehensive chromosome screening in blastocysts, and because of the link between female gamete aneuploidy giving rise to aneuploid embryos, we evaluate the role of the variants in Meiosis I. However, it is possible that the chromosome segregation mistake arose during Meiosis II or in mitosis in the preimplantation embryo. Their implications in human female meiosis and aneuploidy risk remain to be determined. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The data provide evidence that gene variants exist in reproductively younger or advanced aged women that are predictive of the risk of producing aneuploid concepti in humans. Furthermore, a single amino acid in the N-terminus of AURKB is a gain-of-function mutant that could be protective of euploidy. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This work was supported by a Research Grant from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and support from the Charles and Johanna Busch Memorial Fund at Rutgers, the State University of NJ to K.S. and the Foundation for Embryonic Competence, Inc to N.T. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anbo Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Amanda S. Gentilello
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Evan M. Smoak
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Zubing Cao
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Anastasia Fedick
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA,Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, 140 Allen Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA
| | - Yujue Wang
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA,Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, 140 Allen Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA
| | - Deanne Taylor
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, 140 Allen Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA,
Present address: Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3501 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Richard T. Scott
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, 140 Allen Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA
| | - Jinchuan Xing
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Nathan Treff
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, 140 Allen Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Correspondence address. Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, NJ, USA. E-mail:
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Carmignac V, Dupont JM, Fierro RC, Barberet J, Bruno C, Lieury N, Dulioust E, Auger J, Fauque P. Diagnostic genetic screening for assisted reproductive technologies patients with macrozoospermia. Andrology 2017; 5:370-380. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Carmignac
- Equipe GAD; Génétique des Anomalies du Développement; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - J.-M. Dupont
- Laboratoire de Cytogénétique Constitutionnelle; Faculté de Médecine; Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre; Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - R. C. Fierro
- Laboratoire de Microscopie; Université Lorraine; Nancy France
- Sciences de la Santé; Université Autonome Métropolitaine; Mexico City Mexico
| | - J. Barberet
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - C. Bruno
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - N. Lieury
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - E. Dulioust
- Service d'Histologie-Embryologie; Biologie de la Reproduction/CECOS; Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre; Paris France
- INSERM U1016; Equipe ‘Génomique, Epigénétique et Physiologie de la Reproduction’; Institut Cochin; Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - J. Auger
- Service d'Histologie-Embryologie; Biologie de la Reproduction/CECOS; Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre; Paris France
- INSERM U1016; Equipe ‘Génomique, Epigénétique et Physiologie de la Reproduction’; Institut Cochin; Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - P. Fauque
- Equipe GAD; Génétique des Anomalies du Développement; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
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El Yakoubi W, Wassmann K. Meiotic Divisions: No Place for Gender Equality. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1002:1-17. [PMID: 28600780 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57127-0_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In multicellular organisms the fusion of two gametes with a haploid set of chromosomes leads to the formation of the zygote, the first cell of the embryo. Accurate execution of the meiotic cell division to generate a female and a male gamete is required for the generation of healthy offspring harboring the correct number of chromosomes. Unfortunately, meiosis is error prone. This has severe consequences for fertility and under certain circumstances, health of the offspring. In humans, female meiosis is extremely error prone. In this chapter we will compare male and female meiosis in humans to illustrate why and at which frequency errors occur, and describe how this affects pregnancy outcome and health of the individual. We will first introduce key notions of cell division in meiosis and how they differ from mitosis, followed by a detailed description of the events that are prone to errors during the meiotic divisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warif El Yakoubi
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), UMR7622, Paris, 75252, France.,CNRS, IBPS, UMR7622 Developmental Biology Lab, Paris, 75252, France
| | - Katja Wassmann
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), UMR7622, Paris, 75252, France. .,CNRS, IBPS, UMR7622 Developmental Biology Lab, Paris, 75252, France.
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Ray PF, Toure A, Metzler-Guillemain C, Mitchell MJ, Arnoult C, Coutton C. Genetic abnormalities leading to qualitative defects of sperm morphology or function. Clin Genet 2016; 91:217-232. [PMID: 27779748 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Infertility, defined by the inability of conceiving a child after 1 year is estimated to concern approximately 50 million couples worldwide. As the male gamete is readily accessible and can be studied by a simple spermogram it is easier to subcategorize male than female infertility. Subjects with a specific sperm phenotype are more likely to have a common origin thus facilitating the search for causal factors. Male infertility is believed to be often multifactorial and caused by both genetic and extrinsic factors, but severe cases of male infertility are likely to have a predominant genetic etiology. Patients presenting with a monomorphic teratozoospermia such as globozoospermia or macrospermia with more than 85% of the spermatozoa presenting this specific abnormality have been analyzed permitting to identify several key genes for spermatogenesis such as AURKC and DPY19L2. The study of patients with other specific sperm anomalies such as severe alteration of sperm motility, in particular multiple morphological anomalies of the sperm flagella (MMAF) or sperm unability to fertilize the oocyte (oocyte activation failure syndrome) has also enable the identification of new infertility genes. Here we review the recent works describing the identification and characterization of gene defects having a direct qualitative effect on sperm morphology or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France.,UF de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaire, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - A Toure
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | | | | | - C Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France
| | - C Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France.,UF de Génétique Chromosomique, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Is intracouple assisted reproductive technology an option for men with large-headed spermatozoa? A literature review and a decision guide proposal. Basic Clin Androl 2016; 26:8. [PMID: 27398217 PMCID: PMC4939046 DOI: 10.1186/s12610-016-0035-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the presence of spermatozoa with an abnormally large head is rare, it is associated with low fertility or even total infertility. We reviewed the literature on assisted reproductive technology (ART) strategies and outcomes for men with large-headed spermatozoa. We also discuss additional analyses that can usefully characterize sperm defects and help with the choice between intra-couple ART and insemination with donor sperm. Lastly, we propose a classification for cases of large-headed spermatozoa.
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Ounis L, Zoghmar A, Coutton C, Rouabah L, Hachemi M, Martinez D, Martinez G, Bellil I, Khelifi D, Arnoult C, Fauré J, Benbouhedja S, Rouabah A, Ray PF. Mutations of the aurora kinase C gene causing macrozoospermia are the most frequent genetic cause of male infertility in Algerian men. Asian J Androl 2016; 17:68-73. [PMID: 25219909 PMCID: PMC4291881 DOI: 10.4103/1008-682x.136441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Klinefelter syndrome and Y-chromosomal microdeletion analyses were once the only two genetic tests offered to infertile men. Analyses of aurora kinase C (AURKC) and DPY19L2 are now recommended for patients presenting macrozoospermia and globozoospermia, respectively, two rare forms of teratozoospermia particularly frequent among North African men. We carried out genetic analyses on Algerian patients, to evaluate the prevalence of these syndromes in this population and to compare it with the expected frequency of Klinefelter syndrome and Y-microdeletions. We carried out a retrospective study on 599 consecutive patients consulting for couple infertility at the assisted reproduction unit of the Ibn Rochd Clinique, Constantine, Algeria. Abnormal sperm parameters were observed in 404 men. Fourteen and seven men had typical macrozoospermia and globozoospermia profiles, respectively. Molecular diagnosis was carried out for these patients, for the AURKC and DPY19L2 genes. Eleven men with macrozoospermia had a homozygous AURKC mutation (79%), corresponding to 2.7% of all patients with abnormal spermograms. All the men with globozoospermia studied (n = 5), corresponding to 1.2% of all infertile men, presented a homozygous DPY19L2 deletion. By comparison, we would expect 1.6% of the patients in this cohort to have Klinefelter syndrome and 0.23% to have Y-microdeletion. Our findings thus indicate that AURKC mutations are more frequent than Klinefelter syndrome and constitute the leading genetic cause of infertility in North African men. Furthermore, we estimate that AURKC and DPY19L2 molecular defects are 10 and 5 times more frequent, respectively, than Y-microdeletions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pierre F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes; Equipe Génétique Epigénétique et Thérapies de l'Infertilité, CNRS, AGIM; Laboratoire de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaire, CHU Grenoble, Grenoble, France,
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Fellmeth JE, Ghanaim EM, Schindler K. Characterization of macrozoospermia-associated AURKC mutations in a mammalian meiotic system. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:2698-2711. [PMID: 27106102 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy is the leading genetic abnormality that leads to miscarriage, and it is caused by a failure of accurate chromosome segregation during gametogenesis or early embryonic divisions. Aurora kinase C (AURKC) is essential for formation of euploid sperm in humans because mutations in AURKC are correlated with macrozoospermia and these sperm are tetraploid. These mutations are currently the most frequent mutations that cause macrozoospermia and result from an inability to complete meiosis I (MI). Three of these mutations AURKC c.144delC (AURKC p.L49Wfs22), AURKC c.686G > A (AURKC p.C229Y) and AURKC c.744C > G (AURKC p.Y248*) occur in the coding region of the gene and are the focus of this study. By expressing these alleles in oocytes isolated from Aurkc-/- mice, we show that the mutations have different effects on AURKC function during MI. AURKC p.L49Wfs22 is a loss-of-function mutant that perturbs localization of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), AURKC p.C229Y is a hypomorph that cannot fully support cell-cycle progression, and AURKC p.Y248* fails to localize and function with the CPC to support chromosome segregation yet retains catalytic activity in the cytoplasm. Finally, we show that these variants of AURKC cause meiotic failure and polyploidy due to a failure in AURKC-CPC function that results in metaphase chromosome misalignment. This study is the first to assess the function of mutant alleles of AURKC that affect human fertility in a mammalian meiotic system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena M Ghanaim
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Wambergue C, Zouari R, Fourati Ben Mustapha S, Martinez G, Devillard F, Hennebicq S, Satre V, Brouillet S, Halouani L, Marrakchi O, Makni M, Latrous H, Kharouf M, Amblard F, Arnoult C, Ray PF, Coutton C. Patients with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella due to DNAH1 mutations have a good prognosis following intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod 2016; 31:1164-72. [PMID: 27094479 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dew083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does DNAH1 status influence intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes for patients with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF)? SUMMARY ANSWER Despite a highly abnormal morphology, sperm from MMAF patients with DNAH1 mutations have a low aneuploidy rate and good nuclear quality, leading to good embryonic development following ICSI and a high pregnancy rate. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Teratozoospermia represents a heterogeneous group including a wide range of phenotypes. Among all these qualitative defects, a flagellar phenotype called MMAF is characterized by a mosaic of morphological abnormalities of the flagellum, including coiled, bent, irregular, short or/and absent flagella, mainly due to the absence of the axonemal central pair microtubules. We previously demonstrated that homozygous mutations in the DNAH1 gene, encoding an inner arm heavy chain dynein, are frequently found in patients with MMAF (28% of the patients from the initial cohort). Numerous studies have reported an increased rate of aneuploidy and a poor sperm nuclear quality related to sperm flagellar abnormalities, which could impede ICSI outcome. Moreover, success rates after ICSI may be influenced by the type of ultrastructural flagellar defects and/or by the gene defects carried by the patients. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This retrospective cohort study included 6 infertile males with MMAF due to deleterious homozygous DNAH1 mutations and their respective spouses, who underwent 9 ISCI cycles, with 16 embryos being transferred. ICSI results were compared with two control populations of 13 MMAF men without DNAH1 mutations and an aged-matched control group of 1431 non-MMAF couples. All ICSI attempts took place between 2000 and 2012. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Clinical and biological data were collected from patients treated for infertility at the CPSR les Jasmins in Tunis (Tunisia). We compared the ICSI outcomes obtained with couples including DNAH1 mutated and nonmutated patients and non-MMAF couples. For the analysis of the chromosomal status, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses were performed on sperm cells from 3 DNAH1-mutated patients and from 29 fertile control subjects. Sperm chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation were evaluated using aniline blue staining and TUNEL assays, respectively, on sperm cells from 3 DNAH1-mutated men and 6 fertile controls. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE There was a significantly increased proportion of disomy XY and 18 in sperm from DNAH1 mutated patients compared with fertile controls (1.52 versus 0.28%, P = 0.0001 and 0.64 versus 0.09%, P = 0.0001). However, there were no statistically significant differences among sperm from the two groups in their frequencies of either 13, 21, XX or YY disomy or diploidy. Measures of DNA compaction and fragmentation demonstrated a good nuclear sperm quality among DNAH1 mutated men. The overall fertilization, pregnancy and delivery rates of couples including DNAH1 mutated men were of 70.8, 50.0 and 37.5%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in any of these parameters compared with the two control groups (P > 0.05). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION A limitation of this study is the small number of DNAH1-mutated patients available and the low number of genes identified in MMAF. Further genetic studies are warranted to identify other MMAF-inducing genes to better characterize the genetic etiology of the MMAF phenotype and to improve the management of patients diagnosed with flagellar defects. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS MMAF patients with DNAH1 mutations have low aneuploidy rates and good nuclear sperm quality, explaining the high pregnancy rate obtained with these patients. Good ICSI results were obtained for both MMAF groups (DNAH1 mutated and nonmutated), suggesting that patients presenting with asthenozoospermia due to flagellar defects have a good ICSI prognosis irrespective of their genotype. The majority of MMAF cases currently remain idiopathic with no genetic cause yet identified. In depth genetic analysis of these patients using next generation sequencing should reveal new causal genes. Subsequent genotype phenotype analyses could improve advice and care provided to MMAF patients. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS None of the authors have any competing interest. This work is part of the project 'Identification and Characterization of Genes Involved in Infertility (ICG2I)', funded by the program GENOPAT 2009 from the French Research Agency (ANR) and the MAS-Flagella project, financed by the French ANR and the Direction Générale de l'Offre de Soins (DGOS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Wambergue
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Raoudha Zouari
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Guillaume Martinez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Biologie de la procréation, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | | | - Sylviane Hennebicq
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Biologie de la procréation, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Véronique Satre
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Sophie Brouillet
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Biologie de la procréation, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Lazhar Halouani
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ouafi Marrakchi
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mounir Makni
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Habib Latrous
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mahmoud Kharouf
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Florence Amblard
- CHU de Grenoble, UF de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Biochimie Génétique et Moléculaire, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility', Institut Albert Bonniot (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble F-38000, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble F-38000, France
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Macrozoospermia: screening for the homozygous c.144delC mutation in AURKC gene in infertile men and estimation of its heterozygosity frequency in the Tunisian population. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015; 32:1651-8. [PMID: 26341096 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-015-0565-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Macrozoospermia is a rare condition of male infertility characterized by the presence of close to 100 % large-headed multiflagellar spermatozoa. The homozygous mutation (c.144delC) in aurora kinase C gene (AURKC) has been identified as the most frequent mutation causing macrozoospermia in North African patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of this condition in Tunisia and estimate the frequency of c.144delC mutation among infertile and control populations. METHODS Sequencing c.144delC mutation was carried out in 33 macrozoospermic patients among 6652 infertile men. Minisequencing of exon3 was performed in 250 unrelated control individuals to estimate the frequency of c.144delC heterozygosity. RESULTS More than 80 % of macrozoospermic patients were c.144delC homozygous. The prevalence of homozygous c.144delC was 0.4 % among infertile men (27/6652). The frequency of heterozygosity was 0.4 % among controls (1/250). Surprisingly, it is five times less common than established in the general population of North Africa (2 %) or in the Moroccan population (1.7 %). CONCLUSIONS We show that this mutation is relatively less frequent in the Tunisian population than in other Maghrebian populations. The occurrence of homozygous mutation among infertile men can be attributed to the high rate of consanguinity and its impact on the expression of this autosomal recessive male infertility disorder rather than a high frequency of heterozygous carriers among the general population. This highlights the importance of the molecular analysis of AURKC mutations for infertile men with high percentage of large-headed multiflagellar spermatozoa in order to limit unnecessary in vitro fertilization attempts for them.
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Quartuccio SM, Schindler K. Functions of Aurora kinase C in meiosis and cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2015; 3:50. [PMID: 26347867 PMCID: PMC4542505 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian genome encodes three Aurora kinase protein family members: A, B, and C. While Aurora kinase A (AURKA) and B (AURKB) are found in cells throughout the body, significant protein levels of Aurora kinase C (AURKC) are limited to cells that undergo meiosis (sperm and oocyte). Despite its discovery nearly 20 years ago, we know little about the function of AURKC compared to that of the other 2 Aurora kinases. This lack of understanding can be attributed to the high sequence homology between AURKB and AURKC preventing the use of standard approaches to understand non-overlapping and meiosis I (MI)-specific functions of the two kinases. Recent evidence has revealed distinct functions of AURKC in meiosis and may aid in our understanding of why chromosome segregation during MI often goes awry in oocytes. Many cancers aberrantly express AURKC, but because we do not fully understand AURKC function in its normal cellular context, it is difficult to predict the biological significance of this expression on the disease. Here, we consolidate and update what is known about AURKC signaling in meiotic cells to better understand why it has oncogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Quartuccio
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ, USA
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Yang KT, Tang CJC, Tang TK. Possible Role of Aurora-C in Meiosis. Front Oncol 2015; 5:178. [PMID: 26322271 PMCID: PMC4534787 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The meiotic generation of haploid gametes with equal contents of genetic material is important for sexual reproduction in mammals. Errors in the transmission of chromosomes during meiosis may lead to aneuploidy, which is the leading cause of miscarriage and congenital birth defects in humans. The Aurora kinases, which include Aurora-A, Aurora-B, and Aurora-C, are highly conserved serine–threonine kinases that play essential roles in centrosome function, chromosome segregation, and cytokinesis during mitosis and meiosis. While Aurora-A and Aurora-B have been extensively studied in mitosis, the role of Aurora-C in meiosis is only now starting to be revealed. For example, the perturbation of Aurora-C kinase activity by microinjection of Aurora-C-kinase-dead mutant mRNAs into mouse oocytes induced multiple defects, including chromosome misalignment, abnormal kinetochore–microtubule attachment, premature chromosome segregation, and failure of cytokinesis during meiotic division. However, the analysis of such defects is complicated by the possibility that Aurora-B may be present in mammalian germ cells. Interestingly, a homozygous mutation of Aurora-C in humans leads to the production of large-headed polyploid spermatozoa and causes male infertility, but homozygous females are fertile. Mouse studies regarding the roles of Aurora-B and Aurora-C in female meiotic divisions have yielded inconsistent results, and it has proven difficult to explain why homozygous human females have no significant clinical phenotype. In this review, we will discuss the controversial status of Aurora-B in oocytes and the possible role of Aurora-C during meiotic division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo-Tai Yang
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University , Taipei , Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Ju C Tang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica , Taipei , Taiwan
| | - Tang K Tang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica , Taipei , Taiwan
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The genetics of human infertility by functional interrogation of SNPs in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:10431-6. [PMID: 26240362 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1506974112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility is a prevalent health issue, affecting ∼15% of couples of childbearing age. Nearly one-half of idiopathic infertility cases are thought to have a genetic basis, but the underlying causes are largely unknown. Traditional methods for studying inheritance, such as genome-wide association studies and linkage analyses, have been confounded by the genetic and phenotypic complexity of reproductive processes. Here we describe an association- and linkage-free approach to identify segregating infertility alleles, in which CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is used to model putatively deleterious nonsynonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) in the mouse orthologs of fertility genes. Mice bearing "humanized" alleles of four essential meiosis genes, each predicted to be deleterious by most of the commonly used algorithms for analyzing functional SNP consequences, were examined for fertility and reproductive defects. Only a Cdk2 allele mimicking SNP rs3087335, which alters an inhibitory WEE1 protein kinase phosphorylation site, caused infertility and revealed a novel function in regulating spermatogonial stem cell maintenance. Our data indicate that segregating infertility alleles exist in human populations. Furthermore, whereas computational prediction of SNP effects is useful for identifying candidate causal mutations for diverse diseases, this study underscores the need for in vivo functional evaluation of physiological consequences. This approach can revolutionize personalized reproductive genetics by establishing a permanent reference of benign vs. infertile alleles.
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Fellmeth JE, Gordon D, Robins CE, Scott RT, Treff NR, Schindler K. Expression and characterization of three Aurora kinase C splice variants found in human oocytes. Mol Hum Reprod 2015; 21:633-44. [PMID: 25995441 PMCID: PMC4518136 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gav026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation is an extensively choreographed process yet errors still occur frequently in female meiosis, leading to implantation failure, miscarriage or offspring with developmental disorders. Aurora kinase C (AURKC) is a component of the chromosome passenger complex and is highly expressed in gametes. Studies in mouse oocytes indicate that AURKC is required to regulate chromosome segregation during meiosis I; however, little is known about the functional significance of AURKC in human oocytes. Three splice variants of AURKC exist in testis tissue. To determine which splice variants human oocytes express, we performed quantitative real-time PCR using single oocytes and found expression of all three variants. To evaluate the functional differences between the variants, we created green fluorescent protein-tagged constructs of each variant to express in oocytes from Aurkc(-/-) mice. By quantifying metaphase chromosome alignment, cell cycle progression, phosphorylation of INCENP and microtubule attachments to kinetochores, we found that AURKC_v1 was the most capable of the variants at supporting metaphase I chromosome segregation. AURKC_v3 localized to chromosomes properly and supported cell cycle progression to metaphase II, but its inability to correct erroneous microtubule attachments to kinetochores meant that chromosome segregation was not as accurate compared with the other two variants. Finally, when we expressed the three variants simultaneously, error correction was more robust than when they were expressed on their own. Therefore, oocytes express three variants of AURKC that are not functionally equivalent in supporting meiosis, but fully complement meiosis when expressed simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Fellmeth
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Derek Gordon
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Christian E Robins
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Basking Ridge, NJ 07960, USA
| | - Richard T Scott
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Basking Ridge, NJ 07960, USA
| | - Nathan R Treff
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Basking Ridge, NJ 07960, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Coutton C, Escoffier J, Martinez G, Arnoult C, Ray PF. Teratozoospermia: spotlight on the main genetic actors in the human. Hum Reprod Update 2015; 21:455-85. [PMID: 25888788 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmv020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility affects >20 million men worldwide and represents a major health concern. Although multifactorial, male infertility has a strong genetic basis which has so far not been extensively studied. Recent studies of consanguineous families and of small cohorts of phenotypically homogeneous patients have however allowed the identification of a number of autosomal recessive causes of teratozoospermia. Homozygous mutations of aurora kinase C (AURKC) were first described to be responsible for most cases of macrozoospermia. Other genes defects have later been identified in spermatogenesis associated 16 (SPATA16) and dpy-19-like 2 (DPY19L2) in patients with globozoospermia and more recently in dynein, axonemal, heavy chain 1 (DNAH1) in a heterogeneous group of patients presenting with flagellar abnormalities previously described as dysplasia of the fibrous sheath or short/stump tail syndromes, which we propose to call multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF). METHODS A comprehensive review of the scientific literature available in PubMed/Medline was conducted for studies on human genetics, experimental models and physiopathology related to teratozoospermia in particular globozoospermia, large headed spermatozoa and flagellar abnormalities. The search included all articles with an English abstract available online before September 2014. RESULTS Molecular studies of numerous unrelated patients with globozoospermia and large-headed spermatozoa confirmed that mutations in DPY19L2 and AURKC are mainly responsible for their respective pathological phenotype. In globozoospermia, the deletion of the totality of the DPY19L2 gene represents ∼ 81% of the pathological alleles but point mutations affecting the protein function have also been described. In macrozoospermia only two recurrent mutations were identified in AURKC, accounting for almost all the pathological alleles, raising the possibility of a putative positive selection of heterozygous individuals. The recent identification of DNAH1 mutations in a proportion of patients with MMAF is promising but emphasizes that this phenotype is genetically heterogeneous. Moreover, the identification of mutations in a dynein strengthens the emerging point of view that MMAF may be a phenotypic variation of the classical forms of primary ciliary dyskinesia. Based on data from human and animal models, the MMAF phenotype seems to be favored by defects directly or indirectly affecting the central pair of axonemal microtubules of the sperm flagella. CONCLUSIONS The studies described here provide valuable information regarding the genetic and molecular defects causing infertility, to improve our understanding of the physiopathology of teratozoospermia while giving a detailed characterization of specific features of spermatogenesis. Furthermore, these findings have a significant influence on the diagnostic strategy for teratozoospermic patients allowing the clinician to provide the patient with informed genetic counseling, to adopt the best course of treatment and to develop personalized medicine directly targeting the defective gene products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Jessica Escoffier
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France Departments of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guillaume Martinez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaire, Grenoble, F-38000, France
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Chianese C, Fino MG, Riera Escamilla A, López Rodrigo O, Vinci S, Guarducci E, Daguin F, Muratori M, Tamburrino L, Lo Giacco D, Ars E, Bassas L, Costa M, Pisatauro V, Noci I, Coccia E, Provenzano A, Ruiz-Castañé E, Giglio S, Piomboni P, Krausz C. Comprehensive investigation in patients affected by sperm macrocephaly and globozoospermia. Andrology 2015; 3:203-12. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Chianese
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - M. G. Fino
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - A. Riera Escamilla
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - O. López Rodrigo
- Laboratory of Seminology and Embryology & andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - S. Vinci
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - E. Guarducci
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - F. Daguin
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - M. Muratori
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - L. Tamburrino
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - D. Lo Giacco
- Molecular Biology Laboratory; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - E. Ars
- Molecular Biology Laboratory; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - L. Bassas
- Laboratory of Seminology and Embryology & andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - M. Costa
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Evangelic International Hospital; Genoa Italy
| | - V. Pisatauro
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Evangelic International Hospital; Genoa Italy
| | - I. Noci
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - E. Coccia
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - A. Provenzano
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - E. Ruiz-Castañé
- andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Barcelona Spain
| | - S. Giglio
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - P. Piomboni
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine; University of Siena; Siena Italy
| | - C. Krausz
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
- andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Barcelona Spain
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De Braekeleer M, Nguyen MH, Morel F, Perrin A. Genetic aspects of monomorphic teratozoospermia: a review. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015; 32:615-23. [PMID: 25711835 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-015-0433-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Teratozoospermia is characterized by the presence of spermatozoa with abnormal morphology over 85 % in sperm. When all the spermatozoa display a unique abnormality, teratozoospermia is said to be monomorphic. Two forms of monomorphic teratozoospermia, representing less than 1 % of male infertility, are recognized: macrozoospermia (also called macrocephalic sperm head syndrome) and globozoospermia (also called round-headed sperm syndrome). Macrozoospermia is defined as the presence of a very high percentage of spermatozoa with enlarged head and multiple flagella. Meiotic segregation studies in 30 males revealed that over 90 % of spermatozoa were aneuploid, mainly diploid. Sperm DNA fragmentation studies performed in a few patients showed an increase in DNA fragmentation index compared to fertile men. Four mutations in the AURKC gene, a key player in meiosis and more particularly in spermatogenesis, have been found to be responsible for macrozoospermia. Globozoospermia is characterized by round-headed spermatozoa with an absent acrosome, an aberrant nuclear membrane and midpiece defects. The rate of aneuploidy of various chromosomes in spermatozoa from 26 globozoospermic men was slightly increased compared to fertile men. However, this increase was of the same order as that commonly found in infertile men with altered sperm parameters. The majority of the studies found that globozoospermic males had a sperm DNA fragmentation index higher than in fertile men. Mutations or deletions in three genes, SPATA16, PICK1 and DPY19L2, have been shown to be responsible for globozoospermia. Identification of the genetic causes of macrozoospermia and globozoospermia should help refine diagnosis and treatment of these patients, avoiding long and painful treatments. Elucidating the molecular causes of these defects is of utmost importance as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is very disappointing in these two pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc De Braekeleer
- Laboratoire d'Histologie, Embryologie et Cytogénétique, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France,
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44
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Vaiman D. Reproductive performance: at the cross-road of genetics, technologies and environment. Reprod Fertil Dev 2015; 27:1-13. [DOI: 10.1071/rd14316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction depends on a negotiation between the sexes at the level of the cells (gametes), tissue (trophectoderm of the blastocyst and endometrium in the uterus) and organisms (to allow sexual intercourse). This review evaluates new questions linked to sexual reproduction in the biosphere in the context of the 21st century, in light of current knowledge in genetics and epigenetics. It presents the challenge of ‘forcing reproductive efficiency’ using ineffective gametes, or despite other fertility problems, through medically assisted reproduction and presents the reproductive challenge of high production farm animals, which are in a situation of chronically negative energy balance. It also analyses the situation created by the release of endocrine disruptors into the environment and discusses the possible transgenerational consequences of environmental modifications linked to these compounds.
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45
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Eloualid A, Rouba H, Rhaissi H, Barakat A, Louanjli N, Bashamboo A, McElreavey K. Prevalence of the Aurora kinase C c.144delC mutation in infertile Moroccan men. Fertil Steril 2014; 101:1086-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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46
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De Storme N, Geelen D. Sexual polyploidization in plants--cytological mechanisms and molecular regulation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 198:670-684. [PMID: 23421646 PMCID: PMC3744767 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
In the plant kingdom, events of whole genome duplication or polyploidization are generally believed to occur via alterations of the sexual reproduction process. Thereby, diploid pollen and eggs are formed that contain the somatic number of chromosomes rather than the gametophytic number. By participating in fertilization, these so-called 2n gametes generate polyploid offspring and therefore constitute the basis for the establishment of polyploidy in plants. In addition, diplogamete formation, through meiotic restitution, is an essential component of apomixis and also serves as an important mechanism for the restoration of F1 hybrid fertility. Characterization of the cytological mechanisms and molecular factors underlying 2n gamete formation is therefore not only relevant for basic plant biology and evolution, but may also provide valuable cues for agricultural and biotechnological applications (e.g. reverse breeding, clonal seeds). Recent data have provided novel insights into the process of 2n pollen and egg formation and have revealed multiple means to the same end. Here, we summarize the cytological mechanisms and molecular regulatory networks underlying 2n gamete formation, and outline important mitotic and meiotic processes involved in the ectopic induction of sexual polyploidization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico De Storme
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Danny Geelen
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
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Sperm macrocephaly syndrome in a patient without AURKC mutations and with a history of recurrent miscarriage. Reprod Biomed Online 2013; 26:148-56. [PMID: 23273756 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2012.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 11/01/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports a case of recurrent miscarriage in a patient affected by a variant phenotype of sperm macrocephaly syndrome (SMS). SMS is usually related to specific sperm characteristics (large head, multiple tail) and homozygous mutations in the aurora kinase C gene (AURKC). However, the present case observed large-headed spermatozoa with no flagellar abnormalities and no mutations detectable by AURKC sequencing. Furthermore, the patient had repeatedly conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, but pregnancy always aborted. This study performed morphological analysis (Papanicolau staining), annexin V/propidium iodide staining, sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and transmission electron microscopy. This study observed large-headed, mono-tailed, mono-centriolar spermatozoa characterized by abnormal chromatin and swollen mitochondria. SCSA revealed a high ratio of late apoptotic cells with fairly intact amount of DNA. The FISH analysis showed 100% disomy rate. As far as is known, this is the first study to include gene sequencing, TEM, cytogenetic analysis and sperm DNA fragmentation in a case of SMS and also to report recurrent miscarriage related to this specific condition. SMS may be associated with important abnormalities of the sperm subcellular structure and with disomy even in the absence of mutations in the AURKC coding sequence. Sperm macrocephaly syndrome (SMS) is a rare condition that affects spermatozoa and is related to infertility. It is characterized by a specific phenotype of large-headed, multi-tailed spermatozoa with an abnormal chromosomal status. A very few pregnancies have been obtained so far in SMS patients by means of IVF procedures. We present a case of SMS that differs from the classical syndrome as we observed large-headed spermatozoa without tail abnormalities. The affected patient had achieved three pregnancies following IVF, but all aborted. We carried out a detailed examination of the patient's spermatozoa - morphological, cytogenetic, DNA fragmentation and ultrastructural analysis - and we observed that his spermatozoa are characterized by a large head whose texture appears apoptotic, a single tail and a midpiece whose mitochondria appear swollen. The DNA content within the spermatozoa was altered, as well as the chromosomal status, suggesting that some error must have occurred during spermatogenesis. Interestingly, the genetic sequencing of the specific gene usually related to SMS syndrome (AURKC) revealed no mutations in our patient, suggesting that other genes may be involved in determining this syndrome. As far as is known, this is the first study in which spermatozoa of a SMS patient have been observed using morphological analysis, ultrastructural analysis, cytogenetic analysis and sperm DNA fragmentation analysis together. Moreover, it is believed that this is first report of recurrent miscarriage due to this specific syndrome.
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48
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Yatsenko AN, Georgiadis AP, Murthy LJ, Lamb DJ, Matzuk MM. UBE2B mRNA alterations are associated with severe oligozoospermia in infertile men. Mol Hum Reprod 2013; 19:388-94. [PMID: 23378580 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gat008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligozoospermia (low sperm count) is a common semen deficiency. However, to date, few genetic defects have been identified to cause this condition. Moreover, even fewer molecular genetic diagnostic tests are available for patients with oligozoospermia in the andrology clinic. Based on animal and gene expression studies of oligozoospermia, several molecular pathways may be disrupted in post-meiotic spermatozoa. One of the disrupted pathways is protein ubiquitination and cell apoptosis. A critical protein involved in this pathway is the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 2B, UBE2B. Absence of Ube2b in male mice causes spermatogenic meiotic disruption with increased apoptosis, leading to infertility. To examine the association between messenger RNA defects in UBE2B and severe oligozoospermia (0.1-10 × 10(6) cells/ml), sequencing of sperm cDNA in 326 oligozoospermic patients and 421 normozoospermic men was performed. mRNA alterations in UBE2B were identified in sperm in 4.6% (15 out of 326) of the oligozoospermic patients, but not found in control men, suggesting strong association between mRNA defects and oligozoospermia (χ(2) = 19, P = 0.0001). Identified UBE2B alterations include nine splicing, four missense and two nonsense alterations. The follow-up screen of corresponding DNA regions did not reveal causative DNA mutations, suggesting a post-transcriptional nature of identified defects. None of these variants were reported in the dbSNP database, although other splicing abnormalities with low level of expression were present in 11 out of 421 (2.6%) controls. Our findings suggest that two distinct molecular mechanisms, mRNA editing and splicing processing, are disrupted in oligozoospermia. We speculate that the contribution of post-transcriptional mRNA defects to oligozoospermia could be greater than previously anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Yatsenko
- Department of OBGYN, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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Autosomal mutations and human spermatogenic failure. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2012; 1822:1873-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2012.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Revised: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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50
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Matzuk MM, McKeown MR, Filippakopoulos P, Li Q, Ma L, Agno JE, Lemieux ME, Picaud S, Yu RN, Qi J, Knapp S, Bradner JE. Small-molecule inhibition of BRDT for male contraception. Cell 2012; 150:673-84. [PMID: 22901802 PMCID: PMC3420011 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.06.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 288] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 06/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A pharmacologic approach to male contraception remains a longstanding challenge in medicine. Toward this objective, we explored the spermatogenic effects of a selective small-molecule inhibitor (JQ1) of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) subfamily of epigenetic reader proteins. Here, we report potent inhibition of the testis-specific member BRDT, which is essential for chromatin remodeling during spermatogenesis. Biochemical and crystallographic studies confirm that occupancy of the BRDT acetyl-lysine binding pocket by JQ1 prevents recognition of acetylated histone H4. Treatment of mice with JQ1 reduced seminiferous tubule area, testis size, and spermatozoa number and motility without affecting hormone levels. Although JQ1-treated males mate normally, inhibitory effects of JQ1 evident at the spermatocyte and round spermatid stages cause a complete and reversible contraceptive effect. These data establish a new contraceptive that can cross the blood:testis boundary and inhibit bromodomain activity during spermatogenesis, providing a lead compound targeting the male germ cell for contraception. PaperClip
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin M Matzuk
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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