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Sethi S, Mehta P, Andrabi W, Mitra K, Rajender S. SPEM1 Gene Mutation in a Case with Sperm Morphological Defects Leading to Male Infertility. Reprod Sci 2024:10.1007/s43032-024-01612-w. [PMID: 38886283 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-024-01612-w] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The present study aimed at identifying the genetic mutation responsible for teratozoospermic infertility in a case with coiled sperm tails. A 33-year-old infertile male was diagnosed with teratozoospermic infertility, with sperm head in coiled (HIC) tail as the most common deformity. We employed whole exome sequencing to identify the genetic cause in this case. Exome sequencing data was filtered using the following criteria: MAF (< 0.003), ALFA project (< 0.001), 1000 Genomes (< 0.003), Granthem (> 50), Polyphen-2 (> 0.70), SIFT (< 0.03), and PhyloP (> = 0) scores. Shortlisted variants were looked in the in-house 29 exomes data available with us, and the variants that affected conserved amino acid residues or led to insertion/deletion or to protein-truncation with a Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) score ≥ 10 were shortlisted. The variants thus populated were prioritized according to their roles in spermiogenesis. The study identified a heterozygous mutation c.826C > T (Arg276Trp) in the SPEM1 gene as a potential pathogenic variant that led to teratozoospermic infertility in the case under investigation. The mutation had a minor allele frequency of 0.00008176 in the gnomAd database and was absent in the Indian Genome Variations database. This is the first human study reporting a mutation in the SPEM1 gene as a cause of coiled sperm tails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruti Sethi
- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Poonam Mehta
- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Kalyan Mitra
- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Singh Rajender
- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Long X, Chen L, Xiao X, Min X, Wu Y, Yang Z, Wen X. Structure, function, and research progress of primary cilia in reproductive physiology and reproductive diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1418928. [PMID: 38887518 PMCID: PMC11180893 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1418928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia, serving as the central hub for cellular signal transduction, possess the remarkable ability to translate diverse extracellular signals, both chemical and mechanical, into intracellular responses. Their ubiquitous presence in the reproductive system underscores their pivotal roles in various cellular processes including development, differentiation, and migration. Emerging evidence suggests primary cilia as key players in reproductive physiology and associated pathologies. Notably, primary cilia have been identified in granulosa cells within mouse ovaries and uterine stromal cells, and perturbations in their structure and function have been implicated in a spectrum of reproductive dysfunctions and ciliary-related diseases. Furthermore, disruptions in primary cilia-mediated signal transduction pathways under pathological conditions exacerbate the onset and progression of reproductive disorders. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current research progress on primary cilia and their associated signaling pathways in reproductive physiology and diseases, with the aim of furnishing theoretical groundwork for the prevention and management of primary cilia-related structural and functional abnormalities contributing to reproductive system pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Long
- Clinical Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Li Chen
- Clinical Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Xinyao Xiao
- Clinical Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiayu Min
- Clinical Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Yao Wu
- Clinical Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Zengming Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Basic Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Xin Wen
- Clinical Veterinary Laboratory, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic, Breeding and Reproduction in the plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
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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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Peñagaricano F. Genomics and Dairy Bull Fertility. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2024; 40:185-190. [PMID: 37669889 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2023.08.005] [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] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Current evidence suggests that dairy bull fertility is influenced by genetic factors, and hence, it could be managed and improved by genetic means. There are major mutations that explain about 4% to 8% of the observed differences in conception rate between bulls segregating in most dairy breeds. Research has shown that genomic prediction of bull fertility is possible, and this could be used to make accurate genome-guided selection decisions, such as early culling of predicted subfertile bull calves. Inbreeding negatively influences bull fertility, and the increase in homozygosity seems an important risk factor for dairy bull subfertility.
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Tang X, Yi S, Qin Z, Yi S, Chen J, Yang Q, Li S, Luo J. Compound heterozygous WDR19 variants associated with nephronophthisis, Caroli disease, refractory epilepsy and congenital bilateral central blindness: Case report. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23257. [PMID: 38163131 PMCID: PMC10754840 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The WDR19 gene has been reported to be involved in nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies such as isolated nephronophthisis 13 (NPHP13), Sensenbrenner syndrome, Jeune syndrome, Senior-Loken syndrome, Caroli disease, retinitis pigmentosa and Asthenoteratospermia. In the present study, we provided the detailed clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of a patient with four variants in WDR19 and TG, reviewed a comprehensive mutation analysis in the WDR19-related ciliopathies, discussed the relationship between genotype and phenotype, and compared the allele frequencies (AFs) of WDR19 variants depending on the ethnic background. We used whole-exome sequencing (WES) combined with bioinformatics analysis to investigate the genetic variants of a 3-year-old boy with common features of WDR19-associated NPHP13 and Caroli disease, bilateral central blindness, refractory epilepsy, and elevated thyroid stimulating hormone. A novel splice-donor variant, c.98+1G > C, and a recurrent missense variant, c.3533G > A, were identified in the WDR19 gene. We used effective mRNA analysis to verify the effects on pre-mRNA processing and to assess the pathogenicity of the splice-site variant. The patient also harbored compound heterozygous variants of the TG gene (c.4889A > G, c.274+2T > G). Of note, using a review of an in-house database, we identified four additional likely pathogenic WDR19 variants and estimated the overall AF of WDR19 mutations to be 0.0025 in the southern Chinese population. Our findings have expanded the allelic spectrum of mutations in the WDR19 gene and broadened the clinical phenotype spectrum of WDR19-related ciliopathies. The results have also provided new insights into the clinical heterogeneity of the disorder, which would be useful in accurate genetic counseling for affected individuals and carrier screening in a general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglian Tang
- Genetic and Metabolic Central Laboratory, Guangxi Birth Defects Research and Prevention Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defects Prevention, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Stem Cell Biobank, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Sheng Yi
- Genetic and Metabolic Central Laboratory, Guangxi Birth Defects Research and Prevention Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defects Prevention, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Stem Cell Biobank, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Zailong Qin
- Genetic and Metabolic Central Laboratory, Guangxi Birth Defects Research and Prevention Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defects Prevention, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Stem Cell Biobank, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Shang Yi
- Genetic and Metabolic Central Laboratory, Guangxi Birth Defects Research and Prevention Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defects Prevention, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Stem Cell Biobank, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Junjie Chen
- Department of Radiology, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Genetic and Metabolic Central Laboratory, Guangxi Birth Defects Research and Prevention Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defects Prevention, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Stem Cell Biobank, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Radiology, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Jingsi Luo
- Genetic and Metabolic Central Laboratory, Guangxi Birth Defects Research and Prevention Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defects Prevention, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Stem Cell Biobank, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
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Peng Y, Zhou L, Chen J, Huang X, Pang J, Liu J, Tang W, Yang S, Liang C, Xie W. Clinical features and genetic analysis of a case series of skeletal ciliopathies in a prenatal setting. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:318. [PMID: 38062428 PMCID: PMC10704717 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01753-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short-rib polydactyly syndrome (SRPS) refers to a group of lethal skeletal dysplasias that can be difficult to differentiate between subtypes or from other non-lethal skeletal dysplasias such as Ellis-van Creveld syndrome and Jeune syndrome in a prenatal setting. We report the ultrasound and genetic findings of four unrelated fetuses with skeletal dysplasias. METHODS Systemic prenatal ultrasound examination was performed in the second or third trimester. Genetic tests including GTG-banding, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and exome sequencing were performed with amniocytes or aborted fetal tissues. RESULTS The major and common ultrasound anomalies for the four unrelated fetuses included short long bones of the limbs and narrow thorax. No chromosomal abnormalities and pathogenic copy number variations were detected. Exome sequencing revealed three novel variants in the DYNC2H1 gene, namely NM_001080463.2:c.6809G > A p.(Arg2270Gln), NM_001080463.2:3133C > T p.(Gln1045Ter), and NM_001080463.2:c.337C > T p.(Arg113Trp); one novel variant in the IFT172 gene, NM_015662.3:4540-5 T > A; and one novel variant in the WDR19 gene, NM_025132.4:c.2596G > C p.(Gly866Arg). The genotypes of DYNC2H1, IFT172 and WDR19 and the phenotypes of the fetuses give hints for the diagnosis of short-rib thoracic dysplasia (SRTD) with or without polydactyly 3, 10, and 5, respectively. CONCLUSION Our findings expand the mutation spectrum of DYNC2H1, IFT172 and WDR19 associated with skeletal ciliopathies, and provide useful information for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling on rare skeletal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Peng
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road.
| | - Lin Zhou
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Jing Chen
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Xiaoliang Huang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Jialun Pang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Jing Liu
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Wanglan Tang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Shuting Yang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Changbiao Liang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road
| | - Wanqin Xie
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China, No. 53 Xiangchun Road.
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Ma Y, Wu B, Chen Y, Ma S, Wang L, Han T, Lin X, Yang F, Liu C, Zhao J, Li W. CCDC146 is required for sperm flagellum biogenesis and male fertility in mice. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 81:1. [PMID: 38038747 PMCID: PMC11072088 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) is a severe disease of male infertility, while the pathogenetic mechanisms of MMAF are still incompletely understood. Previously, we found that the deficiency of Ccdc38 might be associated with MMAF. To understand the underlying mechanism of this disease, we identified the potential partner of this protein and found that the coiled-coil domain containing 146 (CCDC146) can interact with CCDC38. It is predominantly expressed in the testes, and the knockout of this gene resulted in complete infertility in male mice but not in females. The knockout of Ccdc146 impaired spermiogenesis, mainly due to flagellum and manchette organization defects, finally led to MMAF-like phenotype. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CCDC146 could interact with both CCDC38 and CCDC42. It also interacts with intraflagellar transport (IFT) complexes IFT88 and IFT20. The knockout of this gene led to the decrease of ODF2, IFT88, and IFT20 protein levels, but did not affect CCDC38, CCDC42, or ODF1 expression. Additionally, we predicted and validated the detailed interactions between CCDC146 and CCDC38 or CCDC42, and built the interaction models at the atomic level. Our results suggest that the testis predominantly expressed gene Ccdc146 is essential for sperm flagellum biogenesis and male fertility, and its mutations might be associated with MMAF in some patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bingbing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yinghong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liying Wang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Tingting Han
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Xiaolei Lin
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Fulin Yang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jianguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Tian S, Tu C, He X, Meng L, Wang J, Tang S, Gao Y, Liu C, Wu H, Zhou Y, Lv M, Lin G, Jin L, Cao Y, Tang D, Zhang F, Tan YQ. Biallelic mutations in CFAP54 cause male infertility with severe MMAF and NOA. J Med Genet 2023; 60:827-834. [PMID: 36593121 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2022-108887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spermatogenic impairments can lead to male infertility by different pathological conditions, such as multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Genetic factors are involved in impaired spermatogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we performed genetic analyses through whole-exome sequencing in a cohort of 334 Han Chinese probands with severe MMAF or NOA. Biallelic variants of CFAP54 were identified in three unrelated men, including one homozygous frameshift variant (c.3317del, p.Phe1106Serfs*19) and two compound heterozygous variants (c.878G>A, p.Arg293His; c.955C>T, p.Arg319Cys and c.4885C>T, p.Arg1629Cys; c.937G>A, p.Gly313Arg). All of the identified variants were absent or extremely rare in the public human genome databases and predicted to be damaging by bioinformatic tools. The men harbouring CFAP54 mutations exhibited abnormal sperm morphology, reduced sperm concentration and motility in ejaculated semen. Significant axoneme disorganisation and other ultrastructure abnormities were also detected inside the sperm cells from men harbouring CFAP54 mutations. Furthermore, immunofluorescence assays showed remarkably reduced staining of four flagellar assembly-associated proteins (IFT20, IFT52, IFT122 and SPEF2) in the spermatozoa of CFAP54-deficient men. Notably, favourable clinical pregnancy outcomes were achieved with sperm from men carrying CFAP54 mutations after intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. CONCLUSION Our genetic analyses and experimental observations revealed that biallelic deleterious mutations of CFAP54 can induce severe MMAF and NOA in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixiong Tian
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chaofeng Tu
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Lanlan Meng
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
| | - Jiaxiong Wang
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Shuyan Tang
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yiling Zhou
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingrong Lv
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ge Lin
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
| | - Li Jin
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Dongdong Tang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue-Qiu Tan
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
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9
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Pacheco HA, Rossoni A, Cecchinato A, Peñagaricano F. Identification of runs of homozygosity associated with male fertility in Italian Brown Swiss cattle. Front Genet 2023; 14:1227310. [PMID: 37485336 PMCID: PMC10356982 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1227310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Intensive selection for improved productivity has been accompanied by an increase in inbreeding rates and a reduction in genetic diversity. The increase in inbreeding tends to impact performance, especially fitness-related traits such as male fertility. Inbreeding can be monitored using runs of homozygosity (ROH), defined as contiguous lengths of homozygous genotypes observed in an individual's chromosome. The goal of this study was to evaluate the presence of ROH in Italian Brown Swiss cattle and assess its association with bull fertility. First, we evaluated the association between ROH and male fertility using 1,102 Italian Brown Swiss bulls with sire conception rate records and 572 K SNPs spanning the entire genome. Second, we split the entire population into 100 high-fertility and 100 low-fertility bulls to investigate the potential enrichment of ROH segments in the low-fertility group. Finally, we mapped the significant ROH regions to the bovine genome to identify candidate genes associated with sperm biology and male fertility. Notably, there was a negative association between bull fertility and the amount of homozygosity. Four different ROH regions located in chromosomes 6, 10, 11, and 24 were significantly overrepresented in low-fertility bulls (Fisher's exact test, p-value <0.01). Remarkably, these four genomic regions harbor many genes such as WDR19, RPL9, LIAS, UBE2K, DPF3, 5S-rRNA, 7SK, U6, and WDR7 that are related to sperm biology and male fertility. Overall, our findings suggest that inbreeding and increased homozygosity have a negative impact on male fertility in Italian Brown Swiss cattle. The quantification of ROH can contribute to minimizing the inbreeding rate and avoid its negative effect on fitness-related traits, such as male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendyel A. Pacheco
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | - Alessio Cecchinato
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Francisco Peñagaricano
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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10
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Jin HJ, Wang JL, Geng XY, Wang CY, Wang BB, Chen SR. CFAP70 is a solid and valuable target for the genetic diagnosis of oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia in infertile men. EBioMedicine 2023; 93:104675. [PMID: 37352829 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a worldwide population health concern, but its aetiology remains largely understood. Although CFAP70 variants have already been reported in two oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) individuals by sequencing, animal evidence to support CFAP70 as a credible OAT-pathogenic gene is lacking. METHOD Cfap70-KO mice were generated to explore the physiological role of CFAP70. CFAP70 variants were detected in infertile men with OAT by whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing confirmation. Cfap70-truncated mice were further generated to explore the pathogenicity of the nonsense variant of CFAP70 identified in the proband. FINDINGS Here, we demonstrate that Cfap70-KO mice are sterile mainly due to OAT and further identify a Chinese infertile man carrying a homozygous nonsense variant (c.2962C > T/p.R988X) of CFAP70. Cfap70-truncated mice lacking 5-8 tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) mimic the patient's symptoms. CFAP70 is required for the biogenesis of spermatid flagella partially by regulating the expression of OAT-associated proteins (e.g., QRICH2), assisting the cytoplasmic preassembly of the calmodulin- and radial spoke-associated complex (CSC), and controlling the manchette localization of axoneme-related proteins. Moreover, we suggest that CFAP70-associated male infertility could be overcome by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. INTERPRETATION Overall, we demonstrate that CFAP70 is necessary to assemble spermatid flagella and that CFAP70 gene could be used as a diagnostic target for male infertility with OAT in the clinic. FUNDING This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project (2019YFA0802101 to S.C), Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education (to S.C), Central Government to Guide Local Scientific and Technological Development (ZY21195023 to B.W), and Basic Research Projects of Central Scientific Research Institutes (to B.W).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Juan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jun-Li Wang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, 533000, Guangxi, China; Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Prevention Engineering Center of Ecological Aluminum Industry Base of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, 533000, Guangxi, China
| | - Xin-Yan Geng
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Center for Genetics, National Research Institute of Family Planning, Beijing, 100081, China; Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Bin-Bin Wang
- Center for Genetics, National Research Institute of Family Planning, Beijing, 100081, China; Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100005, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Engineering Technology Research (NRIFP), National Research Institute for Family Planning, 100081 Beijing, China.
| | - Su-Ren Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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11
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Pausch H, Mapel XM. Review: Genetic mutations affecting bull fertility. Animal 2023; 17 Suppl 1:100742. [PMID: 37567657 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cattle are a well-suited "model organism" to study the genetic underpinnings of variation in male reproductive performance. The adoption of artificial insemination and genomic prediction in many cattle breeds provide access to microarray-derived genotypes and repeated measurements for semen quality and insemination success in several thousand bulls. Similar-sized mapping cohorts with phenotypes for male fertility are not available for most other species precluding powerful association testing. The repeated measurements of the artificial insemination bulls' semen quality enable the differentiation between transient and biologically relevant trait fluctuations, and thus, are an ideal source of phenotypes for variance components estimation and genome-wide association testing. Genome-wide case-control association testing involving bulls with either aberrant sperm quality or low insemination success revealed several causal recessive loss-of-function alleles underpinning monogenic reproductive disorders. These variants are routinely monitored with customised genotyping arrays in the male selection candidates to avoid the use of subfertile or infertile bulls for artificial insemination and natural service. Genome-wide association studies with quantitative measurements of semen quality and insemination success revealed quantitative trait loci for male fertility, but the underlying causal variants remain largely unknown. Moreover, these loci explain only a small part of the heritability of male fertility. Integrating genome-wide association studies with gene expression and other omics data from male reproductive tissues is required for the fine-mapping of candidate causal variants underlying variation in male reproductive performance in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Pausch
- Animal Genomics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitaetstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Xena Marie Mapel
- Animal Genomics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitaetstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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12
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Ma A, Zhou J, Ali H, Abbas T, Ali I, Muhammad Z, Dil S, Chen J, Huang X, Ma H, Zhao D, Zhang B, Zhang Y, Shah W, Shah B, Murtaza G, Iqbal F, Khan MA, Khan A, Li Q, Xu B, Wu L, Zhang H, Shi Q. Loss-of-function mutations in CFAP57 cause multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella in humans and mice. JCI Insight 2023; 8:166869. [PMID: 36752199 PMCID: PMC9977434 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.166869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) are the most severe form of asthenozoospermia due to impaired axoneme structure in sperm flagella. Dynein arms are necessary components of the sperm flagellar axoneme. In this study, we recruited 3 unrelated consanguineous Pakistani families with multiple MMAF-affected individuals, who had no overt ciliary symptoms. Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing identified 2 cilia and flagella associated protein 57 (CFAP57) loss-of-function mutations (c.2872C>T, p. R958*; and c.2737C>T, p. R913*) recessively segregating with male infertility. A mouse model mimicking the mutation (c.2872C>T) was generated and recapitulated the typical MMAF phenotype of CFAP57-mutated individuals. Both CFAP57 mutations caused loss of the long transcript-encoded CFAP57 protein in spermatozoa from MMAF-affected individuals or from the Cfap57-mutant mouse model while the short transcript was not affected. Subsequent examinations of the spermatozoa from Cfap57-mutant mice revealed that CFAP57 deficiency disrupted the inner dynein arm (IDA) assembly in sperm flagella and that single-headed IDAs were more likely to be affected. Thus, our study identified 2 pathogenic mutations in CFAP57 in MMAF-affected individuals and reported a conserved and pivotal role for the long transcript-encoded CFAP57 in IDAs' assembly and male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Ma
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jianteng Zhou
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Haider Ali
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Tanveer Abbas
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Imtiaz Ali
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zubair Muhammad
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Sobia Dil
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiongheng Huang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hui Ma
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Daren Zhao
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanwei Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wasim Shah
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Basit Shah
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ghulam Murtaza
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Furhan Iqbal
- Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Muzammil Ahmad Khan
- Gomal Centre of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
| | - Asad Khan
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Qing Li
- The Central Laboratory of Medical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Bo Xu
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Limin Wu
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Qinghua Shi
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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13
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Liao HQ, Guo ZY, Huang LH, Liu G, Lu JF, Zhang YF, Xing XW. WDR87 interacts with CFAP47 protein in the middle piece of spermatozoa flagella to participate in sperm tail assembly. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 29:6960929. [PMID: 36571501 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac042] [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: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex process that includes spermatogonia self-renewal, spermatocyte meiosis and spermatozoa assembly. Recent studies have revealed that WD40-repeat domain-containing (WDR) proteins play important roles in spermatocyte division, spermatozoa flagella assembly and head shaping. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of WDR87 and found that it was highly expressed in the testis of both humans and mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that mouse WDR87 was distributed in the perinuclear cytoplasm of primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes and round spermatids. In the spermiogenesis stage, with extension of the nucleus, WDR87 migrated to the manchette and finally localized to the middle piece of the spermatozoa tail. Furthermore, we identified a cilia- and flagella-associated protein, CFAP47, which interacted with WDR87 in the flagellar midpiece of the spermatozoa, suggesting that WDR87 may be associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF). Subsequently, we screened gene mutations in seven MMAF individuals and found two novel mutations in CFAP47 (c.706G>A, Val236Met; c.1337C>T, Thr446Met) in one case. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence revealed that CFAP47 was dramatically reduced in spermatozoa from the CFAP47-mutated man. Meanwhile, the expression of WDR87 was also significantly decreased, and weak signals were detected adjacent to the spermatozoa nuclei, indicating that CFAP47 was necessary for WDR87 transportation during spermatozoa flagella biogenesis. These data indicate that WDR87 is located in the middle piece of the sperm tail and interacts with CFAP47 to form a complex which is involved in spermatozoa tail assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Qing Liao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Hengyang Nanhua-Xinghui Reproductive Health Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Zi-Yi Guo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Hengyang Nanhua-Xinghui Reproductive Health Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Li-Hua Huang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Gang Liu
- The Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jin-Feng Lu
- Hengyang Nanhua-Xinghui Reproductive Health Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Yun-Fei Zhang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Xing
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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14
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Wang J, Wang W, Shen L, Zheng A, Meng Q, Li H, Yang S. Clinical detection, diagnosis and treatment of morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella: A review of literature. Front Genet 2022; 13:1034951. [PMID: 36425067 PMCID: PMC9679630 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1034951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm carries male genetic information, and flagella help move the sperm to reach oocytes. When the ultrastructure of the flagella is abnormal, the sperm is unable to reach the oocyte and achieve insemination. Multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella (MMAF) is a relatively rare idiopathic condition that is mainly characterized by multiple defects in sperm flagella. In the last decade, with the development of high-throughput DNA sequencing approaches, many genes have been revealed to be related to MMAF. However, the differences in sperm phenotypes and reproductive outcomes in many cases are attributed to different pathogenic genes or different pathogenic mutations in the same gene. Here, we will review information about the various phenotypes resulting from different pathogenic genes, including sperm ultrastructure and encoding proteins with their location and functions as well as assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. We will share our clinical detection and diagnosis experience to provide additional clinical views and broaden the understanding of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Shenmin Yang
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
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15
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Deciphering the genetic basis of male fertility in Italian Brown Swiss dairy cattle. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10575. [PMID: 35732705 PMCID: PMC9217806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14889-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving reproductive performance remains a major goal in dairy cattle worldwide. Service sire has been recognized as an important factor affecting herd fertility. The main objective of this study was to reveal the genetic basis of male fertility in Italian Brown Swiss dairy cattle. Dataset included 1102 Italian Brown Swiss bulls with sire conception rate records genotyped with 454k single nucleotide polymorphisms. The analysis included whole-genome scans and gene-set analyses to identify genomic regions, individual genes and genetic mechanisms affecting Brown Swiss bull fertility. One genomic region on BTA1 showed significant additive effects. This region harbors gene RABL3 which is implicated cell proliferation and motility. Two genomic regions, located on BTA6 and BTA26, showed marked non-additive effects. These regions harbor genes, such as WDR19 and ADGRA1, that are directly involved in male fertility, including sperm motility, acrosome reaction, and embryonic development. The gene-set analysis revealed functional terms related to cell adhesion, cellular signaling, cellular transport, immune system, and embryonic development. Remarkably, a gene-set analysis also including Holstein and Jersey data, revealed significant processes that are common to the three dairy breeds, including cell migration, cell–cell interaction, GTPase activity, and the immune function. Overall, this comprehensive study contributes to a better understanding of the genetic basis of male fertility in cattle. In addition, our findings may guide the development of novel genomic strategies for improving service sire fertility in Brown Swiss cattle.
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16
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Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutation in FSIP2 Causes Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the Sperm Flagella (MMAF) and Male Infertility. Reprod Sci 2022; 29:2697-2702. [DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-00965-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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Wu X, Zhou L, Shi J, Cheng CY, Sun F. Multiomics analysis of male infertility. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:118-134. [PMID: 35639635 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility affects 8-12% of couples globally, and the male factor is a primary cause in approximately 50% of couples. Male infertility is a multifactorial reproductive disorder, which can be caused by paracrine and autocrine factors, hormones, genes, and epigenetic changes. Recent studies in rodents and most notably in humans using multiomics approach have yielded important insights into understanding the biology of spermatogenesis. Nonetheless, the etiology and pathogenesis of male infertility are still largely unknown. In this review, we summarized and critically evaluated findings based on the use of advanced technologies to compare normal and obstructive azoospermia (OA) versus non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) men, including whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq), whole exome sequencing (WES), and ATAC-seq. It is obvious that the multiomics approach is the method of choice for basic research and clinical studies including clinical diagnosis of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Wu
- Department of Urology & Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Liwei Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Jie Shi
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - C Yan Cheng
- Department of Urology & Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Urology & Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
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18
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Xu C, Tang D, Shao Z, Geng H, Gao Y, Li K, Tan Q, Wang G, Wang C, Wu H, Li G, Lv M, He X, Cao Y. Homozygous SPAG6 variants can induce nonsyndromic asthenoteratozoospermia with severe MMAF. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022; 20:41. [PMID: 35232447 PMCID: PMC8886842 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-022-00916-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is a subtype of severe asthenoteratozoospermia with poorly understood genetic etiology. SPAG6 is a core axonemal component that plays a critical role in the formation of cilia and sperm flagella. Previous studies have reported that mutations in SPAG6 cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), but the association between SPAG6 gene variants and the MMAF phenotype has not yet been described. METHODS We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in two unrelated Han Chinese men with MMAF. Sanger sequencing was used to validate the candidate variants. Routine semen analysis was carried out according to the WHO guidelines (5th Edition). Sperm morphology was assessed using modified Papanicolaou staining. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) was performed to observe the ultrastructural defects of the sperm flagella. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence (IF) of spermatozoa were performed to examine the expression of SPAG6 protein. Assisted fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was applied. RESULTS Two homozygous SPAG6 variants were identified by WES and Sanger validation in two patients with MMAF phenotype (F1 II-1: c.308C > A, p. A103D; F2 II-1: c. 585delA, p. K196Sfs*6). Semen analysis showed progressive rates of less than 1%, and most of the spermatozoa presented MMAF by Papanicolaou staining. TEM revealed that the overall axonemal ultrastructure was disrupted and primarily presented an abnormal "9 + 0" configuration. No other PCD-related symptoms were found on physical examination and medical consultations, as well as lung CT screening. The level of SPAG6 protein was significantly decreased in the spermatozoa, and IF analysis revealed that SPAG6 staining was extremely weak and discontinuous in the sperm flagella of the two patients. Notably, F1 II-1 and his wife conceived successfully after undergoing ICSI. CONCLUSIONS Our research provides new evidence for a potential correlation between SPAG6 variants and the MMAF phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Dongdong Tang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zhongmei Shao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Hao Geng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Kuokuo Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qing Tan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Guanxiong Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Guanjian Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Mingrong Lv
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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19
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Ma A, Zeb A, Ali I, Zhao D, Khan A, Zhang B, Zhou J, Khan R, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Khan I, Shah W, Ali H, Javed AR, Ma H, Shi Q. Biallelic Variants in CFAP61 Cause Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the Flagella and Male Infertility. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:803818. [PMID: 35174165 PMCID: PMC8841411 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.803818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) can lead to male infertility due to impaired sperm motility and morphology. Calmodulin- and spoke-associated complex (CSC) are known for their roles in radial spoke (RS) assembly and ciliary motility in Chlamydomonas, while the role of cilia- and flagella-associated protein 61 (CFAP61), a mammalian ortholog of the CSC subunits, in humans is yet unknown. Here, we recruited three unrelated Pakistani families comprising of 11 infertile male patients diagnosed with MMAF. CFAP61 variants, c.451_452del (p.I151Nfs*4) in family 1 and c.847C > T (p.R283*) in family 2 and 3, were identified recessively co-segregating with the MMAF phenotype. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed severe disorganized axonemal ultrastructures, and missings of central pair, RSs, and inner dynein arms were also observed and confirmed by immunofluorescence staining in spermatozoa from patients. CFAP61 and CFAP251 signals were absent from sperm tails of the patients, which suggested the loss of functional CSC in sperm flagella. Altogether, our findings report that homozygous variants in CFAP61 are associated with MMAF and male infertility, demonstrating the essential role of this gene in normal sperm flagellum structure in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Ma
- *Correspondence: Qinghua Shi, ; Hui Ma,
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20
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Yu SS, Wang E, Chiang CY, Cheng PH, Yeh YS, Wu YY, Chiou YY, Jiang ST. Large deletion of Wdr19 in developing renal tubules disrupts primary ciliogenesis leading to polycystic kidney disease in mice. J Pathol 2022; 257:5-16. [PMID: 35007346 DOI: 10.1002/path.5863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
WD repeat domain 19 (Wdr19) is a major component of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery, which is involved in the function of primary cilia. However, the effects of Wdr19 on primary cilia formation, cystogenesis, and polycystic kidney disease (PKD) progression remain unclear. To study these effects, we generated three lines of kidney-specific conditional knockout mice: Wdr19-knockout (Wdr19-KO, Wdr19f/- ::Cdh16-CreTg/0 ), Pkd1-knockout (Pkd1-KO, Pkd1f/- ::Cdh16-CreTg/0 ), and Wdr19/Pkd1-double knockout (Wdr19&Pkd1-dKO, Wdr19f/- ;Pkd1f/- ::Cdh16-CreTg/0 ) mice. Ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that the primary cilia were almost absent at postnatal day 10 in Wdr19-KO mice compared with Pkd1-KO and wild-type (WT) mice. However, the primary cilia appeared structurally normal even if malfunctional in Pkd1-deficient cysts. The Pkd1-KO mice had the most severe PKD progression, including the shortest lifespan (14 days) and the largest renal cysts, among the three knockout lines. Thus, the molecular mechanism of renal cystogenesis in Wdr19-KO mice (primary cilia abrogation) was different from that in Pkd1-KO mice (primary cilia malfunction). In summary, Wdr19 deficiency leads to primary cilia abrogation and renal cyst formation. Wdr19 is primarily proposed to participate in retrograde IFT and to be crucial for the construction of primary cilia, which are critical organelles for tubulogenesis in the developing kidneys. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Shiuan Yu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70457, Taiwan.,National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan
| | - Ellian Wang
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ying Chiang
- National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hao Cheng
- National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Shan Yeh
- National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Ying Wu
- National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Yow Chiou
- National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan.,Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70403, Taiwan
| | - Si-Tse Jiang
- National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan, 74147, Taiwan
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21
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Bi-allelic variants in DNHD1 cause flagellar axoneme defects and asthenoteratozoospermia in humans and mice. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:157-171. [PMID: 34932939 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthenoteratozoospermia, defined as reduced sperm motility and abnormal sperm morphology, is a disorder with considerable genetic heterogeneity. Although previous studies have identified several asthenoteratozoospermia-associated genes, the etiology remains unknown for the majority of affected men. Here, we performed whole-exome sequencing on 497 unrelated men with asthenoteratozoospermia and identified DNHD1 bi-allelic variants from eight families (1.6%). All detected variants were predicted to be deleterious via multiple bioinformatics tools. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining revealed that individuals with bi-allelic DNHD1 variants presented striking abnormalities of the flagella; transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further showed flagellar axoneme defects, including central pair microtubule (CP) deficiency and mitochondrial sheath (MS) malformations. In sperm from fertile men, DNHD1 was localized to the entire flagella of the normal sperm; however, it was nearly absent in the flagella of men with bi-allelic DNHD1 variants. Moreover, abundance of the CP markers SPAG6 and SPEF2 was significantly reduced in spermatozoa from men harboring bi-allelic DNHD1 variants. In addition, Dnhd1 knockout male mice (Dnhd1‒/‒) exhibited asthenoteratozoospermia and infertility, a finding consistent with the sperm phenotypes present in human subjects with DNHD1 variants. The female partners of four out of seven men who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection therapy subsequently became pregnant. In conclusion, our study showed that bi-allelic DNHD1 variants cause asthenoteratozoospermia, a finding that provides crucial insights into the biological underpinnings of this disorder and should assist with counseling of affected individuals.
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22
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Nosková A, Hiltpold M, Janett F, Echtermann T, Fang ZH, Sidler X, Selige C, Hofer A, Neuenschwander S, Pausch H. Infertility due to defective sperm flagella caused by an intronic deletion in DNAH17 that perturbs splicing. Genetics 2021; 217:6041611. [PMID: 33724408 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa033] [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: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial insemination in pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) breeding involves the evaluation of the semen quality of breeding boars. Ejaculates that fulfill predefined quality requirements are processed, diluted and used for inseminations. Within short time, eight Swiss Large White boars producing immotile sperm that had multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella were noticed at a semen collection center. The eight boars were inbred on a common ancestor suggesting that the novel sperm flagella defect is a recessive trait. Transmission electron microscopy cross-sections revealed that the immotile sperm had disorganized flagellar axonemes. Haplotype-based association testing involving microarray-derived genotypes at 41,094 SNPs of six affected and 100 fertile boars yielded strong association (P = 4.22 × 10-15) at chromosome 12. Autozygosity mapping enabled us to pinpoint the causal mutation on a 1.11 Mb haplotype located between 3,473,632 and 4,587,759 bp. The haplotype carries an intronic 13-bp deletion (Chr12:3,556,401-3,556,414 bp) that is compatible with recessive inheritance. The 13-bp deletion excises the polypyrimidine tract upstream exon 56 of DNAH17 (XM_021066525.1: c.8510-17_8510-5del) encoding dynein axonemal heavy chain 17. Transcriptome analysis of the testis of two affected boars revealed that the loss of the polypyrimidine tract causes exon skipping which results in the in-frame loss of 89 amino acids from DNAH17. Disruption of DNAH17 impairs the assembly of the flagellar axoneme and manifests in multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella. Direct gene testing may now be implemented to monitor the defective allele in the Swiss Large White population and prevent the frequent manifestation of a sterilizing sperm tail disorder in breeding boars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adéla Nosková
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
| | - Maya Hiltpold
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
| | - Fredi Janett
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Echtermann
- Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zih-Hua Fang
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
| | - Xaver Sidler
- Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Stefan Neuenschwander
- Animal Genetics, Institute of Agricultural Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Pausch
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
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23
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Tang D, Lv M, Gao Y, Cheng H, Li K, Xu C, Geng H, Li G, Shen Q, Wang C, He X, Cao Y. Novel variants in helicase for meiosis 1 lead to male infertility due to non-obstructive azoospermia. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2021; 19:129. [PMID: 34429122 PMCID: PMC8383409 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-021-00815-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is the most severe form of male infertility; more than half of the NOA patients are idiopathic. Although many NOA risk genes have been detected, the genetic factors for NOA in majority of the patients are unknown. In addition, it is difficult to retrieve sperm from these patients despite using the microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) method. Therefore, we conducted this genetic study to identify the potential genetic factors responsible for NOA and investigate the sperm retrieval rate of microTESE for genetically deficient NOA patients. METHODS Semen analyses, sex hormone testing, and testicular biopsy were performed to categorize the patients with NOA. The chromosome karyotypes and Y chromosome microdeletion analyses were used to exclude general genetic factors. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify potential genetic variants in 51 patients with NOA. Hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and anti-phosphorylated H2AX were used to assess the histopathology of spermatogenesis. Quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were performed to verify the effects of gene variation on expression. RESULTS We performed whole exome sequencing in 51 NOA patients and identified homozygous helicase for meiosis 1(HFM1) variants (NM_001017975: c.3490C > T: p.Q1164X; c.3470G > A: p.C1157Y) in two patients (3.9%, 2/51). Histopathology of the testis showed that spermatogenesis was completely blocked at metaphase in these two patients carrying the HFM1 homozygous variants. In comparison with unaffected controls, we found a significant reduction in the levels of HFM1 mRNA and protein expression in the testicular tissues from these two patients. The patients were also subjected to microTESE treatment, but the sperms could not be retrieved. CONCLUSIONS This study identified novel homozygous variants of HFM1 that are responsible for spermatogenic failure and NOA, and microTESE did not aid in retrieving sperms from these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Tang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Mingrong Lv
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Huiru Cheng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Kuokuo Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Hao Geng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Guanjian Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qunshan Shen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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Ma H, Zhang B, Khan A, Zhao D, Ma A, Jianteng Z, Khan I, Khan K, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Xiaohua J, Dil S, Zeb A, Rahim F, Shi Q. Novel frameshift mutation in STK33 is associated with asthenozoospermia and multiple morphological abnormality of the flagella. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1977-1984. [PMID: 34155512 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Serine/threonine kinases domain-containing proteins are known to play important functions in sperm flagella and male fertility. However, the roles of these proteins in human reproduction remain poorly understood and whether their variants are associated with human asthenozoospermia have not been reported. Here, we recruited a Pakistani family having four infertile patients diagnosed with idiopathic asthenozoospermia without any ciliary-related symptoms. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel homozygous frameshift mutation (c.1235del, p.T412Kfs*14) in STK33, encoding a serine/threonine kinase which displays a highly conserved and predominant expression in testis in humans. This variant led to a dramatic reduction of STK33 mRNA in the patients. Patients homozygous for the STK33 variant presented reduced sperm motility, frequent morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella, and completely disorganized flagellar ultrastructures, which are typical for multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) phenotypes. Overall, these findings present evidence establishing that STK33 is a MMAF-related gene and provide new insights for understanding the role of serine/threonine kinases domain-containing proteins in human male reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ma
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Asad Khan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Daren Zhao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Ao Ma
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Zhou Jianteng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Ihsan Khan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Khalid Khan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Yuanwei Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Jiang Xiaohua
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Sobia Dil
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Aurang Zeb
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Fazal Rahim
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Qinghua Shi
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
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Ma X, Wang G, Wu L, Liu H, Jiang H, Wang L, Liu Q, Wu Q, Tian X, Li X. Dynamic expression and functional analysis of circular RNA in the gonads of Chinese soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2021; 39:100863. [PMID: 34237608 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNA (circRNA) is a noncoding RNA that can regulate a variety of biological processes. CircRNAs can regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally by acting as microRNA sponges. Many turtle species are remarkable organisms due to their reproductive processes. However, information on circRNA in the gonads of turtles is limited. In this study, 6, 121 circRNAs were identified in the testes and ovaries of Chinese soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) using the Illumina platform, and 710 circRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (DE). The DE circRNAs included 541 upregulated and 169 downregulated circRNAs in the testes. GO and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the DE circRNAs were enriched in several signaling pathways, including GnRH, Wnt, FoxO, Progesterone mediated oocyte maturation, and mTOR signaling pathways. Five DE circRNAs were randomly selected, and their relative expression levels in ovaries and testes were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. All of these circRNAs were differentially expressed. In addition, 9, 883 interactions between circRNAs and miRNAs were predicted in the turtles. Target genes of the miRNAs include a range of genes regulating gonadal development. Seven ceRNA networks (DE circRNAs-DE miRNAs-DE mRNAs), including 7 DE circRNAs, 11 DE miRNAs and 20 DE mRNAs, were constructed. The networks included Cdc6, the miR-1 family, the miR-203 family, and the miR-302 family. The expression profile of gonadal circRNAs might help to elucidate the roles of nonprotein coding RNAs in turtle gonadal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ma
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guiyu Wang
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Limin Wu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Huifen Liu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongxia Jiang
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Luming Wang
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qian Liu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qisheng Wu
- Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xue Tian
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xuejun Li
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China.
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26
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Molecular genetics of renal ciliopathies. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1205-1220. [PMID: 33960378 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Renal ciliopathies are a heterogenous group of inherited disorders leading to an array of phenotypes that include cystic kidney disease and renal interstitial fibrosis leading to progressive chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. The renal tubules are lined with epithelial cells that possess primary cilia that project into the lumen and act as sensory and signalling organelles. Mutations in genes encoding ciliary proteins involved in the structure and function of primary cilia cause ciliopathy syndromes and affect many organ systems including the kidney. Recognised disease phenotypes associated with primary ciliopathies that have a strong renal component include autosomal dominant and recessive polycystic kidney disease and their various mimics, including atypical polycystic kidney disease and nephronophthisis. The molecular investigation of inherited renal ciliopathies often allows a precise diagnosis to be reached where renal histology and other investigations have been unhelpful and can help in determining kidney prognosis. With increasing molecular insights, it is now apparent that renal ciliopathies form a continuum of clinical phenotypes with disease entities that have been classically described as dominant or recessive at both extremes of the spectrum. Gene-dosage effects, hypomorphic alleles, modifier genes and digenic inheritance further contribute to the genetic complexity of these disorders. This review will focus on recent molecular genetic advances in the renal ciliopathy field with a focus on cystic kidney disease phenotypes and the genotypes that lead to them. We discuss recent novel insights into underlying disease mechanisms of renal ciliopathies that might be amenable to therapeutic intervention.
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Hiltpold M, Kadri NK, Janett F, Witschi U, Schmitz-Hsu F, Pausch H. Autosomal recessive loci contribute significantly to quantitative variation of male fertility in a dairy cattle population. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:225. [PMID: 33784962 PMCID: PMC8010996 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07523-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cattle are ideally suited to investigate the genetics of male fertility. Semen from individual bulls is used for thousands of artificial inseminations for which the fertilization success is monitored. Results from the breeding soundness examination and repeated observations of semen quality complement the fertility evaluation for each bull. RESULTS In a cohort of 3881 Brown Swiss bulls that had genotypes at 683,609 SNPs, we reveal four novel recessive QTL for male fertility on BTA1, 18, 25, and 26 using haplotype-based association testing. A QTL for bull fertility on BTA1 is also associated with sperm head shape anomalies. All other QTL are not associated with any of the semen quality traits investigated. We perform complementary fine-mapping approaches using publicly available transcriptomes as well as whole-genome sequencing data of 125 Brown Swiss bulls to reveal candidate causal variants. We show that missense or nonsense variants in SPATA16, VWA3A, ENSBTAG00000006717 and ENSBTAG00000019919 are in linkage disequilibrium with the QTL. Using whole-genome sequence data, we detect strong association (P = 4.83 × 10- 12) of a missense variant (p.Ile193Met) in SPATA16 with male fertility. However, non-coding variants exhibit stronger association at all QTL suggesting that variants in regulatory regions contribute to variation in bull fertility. CONCLUSION Our findings in a dairy cattle population provide evidence that recessive variants may contribute substantially to quantitative variation in male fertility in mammals. Detecting causal variants that underpin variation in male fertility remains difficult because the most strongly associated variants reside in poorly annotated non-coding regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Hiltpold
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Eschikon 27, 8315, Lindau, Switzerland.
| | - Naveen Kumar Kadri
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Eschikon 27, 8315, Lindau, Switzerland
| | - Fredi Janett
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Hubert Pausch
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Eschikon 27, 8315, Lindau, Switzerland
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Tang D, Sha Y, Gao Y, Zhang J, Cheng H, Zhang J, Ni X, Wang C, Xu C, Geng H, He X, Cao Y. Novel variants in DNAH9 lead to nonsyndromic severe asthenozoospermia. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2021; 19:27. [PMID: 33610189 PMCID: PMC7896388 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-021-00709-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthenozoospermia is one of the most common causes of male infertility, and its genetic etiology is poorly understood. DNAH9 is a core component of outer dynein arms in cilia and flagellum. It was reported that variants of DNAH9 (OMIM: 603330) might cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). However, variants in DNAH9 lead to nonsyndromic severe asthenozoospermia have yet to be reported. METHODS Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed for two individuals with nonsyndromic severe asthenozoospermia from two non-consanguineous families, and Sanger sequencing was performed to verify the identified variants and parental origins. Sperm routine analysis, sperm vitality rate and sperm morphology analysis were performed according the WHO guidelines 2010 (5th edition). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM, TECNAI-10, 80 kV, Philips, Holland) was used to observe ultrastructures of sperm tail. Quantitative realtime-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were performed to detect the expression of DNAH9-mRNA and location of DNAH9-protein. Furthermore, assisted reproductive procedures were applied. RESULTS By WES and Sanger sequencing, compound heterozygous DNAH9 (NM_001372.4) variants were identified in the two individuals with nonsyndromic severe asthenozoospermia (F1 II-1: c.302dupT, p.Leu101fs*47 / c.6956A > G, p.Asp2319Gly; F2 II-1: c.6294 T > A, p.Phe2098Leu / c.10571 T > A, p.Leu3524Gln). Progressive rates less than 1% with normal sperm morphology rates and normal vitality rates were found in both of the two subjects. No respiratory phenotypes, situs inversus or other malformations were found by detailed medical history, physical examination and lung CT scans etc. Moreover, the expression of DNAH9-mRNA was significantly decreased in sperm from F1 II-1. And expression of DNAH9 is lower in sperm tail by immunofluorescence staining in F1 II-1 compared with normal control. Notably, by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), F1 II-1 and his partner successfully achieved clinical pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS We identified DNAH9 as a novel pathogenic gene for nonsyndromic severe asthenospermia, and ICSI can contribute to favorable pregnancy outcomes for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Tang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yanwei Sha
- Department of Andrology, United Diagnostic and Research Center for Clinical Genetics, School of Public Health & Women and Children's Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Huiru Cheng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Junqiang Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoqing Ni
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Hao Geng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract (Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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29
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Zhang Z. Some thoughts about intraflagellar transport in reproduction. Mol Reprod Dev 2021; 88:115-118. [PMID: 33507597 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhibing Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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30
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Gao Y, Tian S, Sha Y, Zha X, Cheng H, Wang A, Liu C, Lv M, Ni X, Li Q, Wu H, Tan Q, Tang D, Song B, Ding D, Cong J, Xu Y, Zhou P, Wei Z, Cao Y, Xu Y, Zhang F, He X. Novel bi-allelic variants in DNAH2 cause severe asthenoteratozoospermia with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella. Reprod Biomed Online 2021; 42:963-972. [PMID: 33771466 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) is characterized by excessive immotile spermatozoa with severe flagellar abnormalities in the ejaculate. Previous studies have reported a heterogeneous genetic profile associated with MMAF. What other genetic variants might explain the cause of MMAF? DESIGN Whole-exome sequencing was conducted in a cohort of 90 Chinese patients with MMAF. The pathogenicity of identified mutations was assessed through electron microscopy and immunofluorescent examinations. RESULTS Three unrelated men with bi-allelic DNAH2 variants were identified. Sanger sequencing verified that the six novel variants originated from every parent. All these variants were located at the conserved domains of DNAH2 and predicted to be deleterious by bioinformatic tools. Haematoxylin and eosin staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed that spermatozoa harbouring DNAH2 variants displayed severely aberrant morphology mainly with absent and short flagella (≥78%). Moreover, transmission electron microscopy revealed the obvious absence of a central pair of microtubules and inner dynein arms in the spermatozoa with mutated DNAH2. Immunofluorescence data further validated these findings, showing reduced DNAH2 protein expression in the spermatozoa with DNAH2 variants, compared with normal spermatozoa. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection using spermatozoa from the three men with mutated DNAH2 resulted in blastocyst formation in all cases. Embryo transfer was carried out in two couples, both resulting in clinical pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS These experimental and clinical data suggest that bi-allelic DNAH2 variants might induce MMAF-associated asthenoteratozoospermia, which can be overcome through intracytoplasmic sperm injection. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the genetic landscape of asthenoteratozoospermia and clinical counselling of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Shixiong Tian
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Yanwei Sha
- School of Public Health & Women and Children's Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen Fujian 361005, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & Centerfor Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xiaomin Zha
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China; Department of clinical laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Huiru Cheng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Anyong Wang
- Department of clinical laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Mingrong Lv
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiaoqing Ni
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qing Tan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Anhui Provincial Human Sperm Bank, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Dongdong Tang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Bing Song
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ding Ding
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jiangshan Cong
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Yuping Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zhaolian Wei
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yuanhong Xu
- Department of clinical laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China.
| | - Feng Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei 230032, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei 230032, China.
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Aitken RJ, Baker MA. The Role of Genetics and Oxidative Stress in the Etiology of Male Infertility-A Unifying Hypothesis? Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:581838. [PMID: 33101214 PMCID: PMC7554587 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.581838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of male infertility, very little is known about its etiology. In recent years however, advances in gene sequencing technology have enabled us to identify a large number of rare single point mutations responsible for impeding all aspects of male reproduction from its embryonic origins, through the endocrine regulation of spermatogenesis to germ cell differentiation and sperm function. Such monogenic mutations aside, the most common genetic causes of male infertility are aneuploidies such as Klinefelter syndrome and Y-chromosome mutations which together account for around 20-25% of all cases of non-obstructive azoospermia. Oxidative stress has also emerged as a major cause of male fertility with at least 40% of patients exhibiting some evidence of redox attack, resulting in high levels of lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage in the form of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG). The latter is highly mutagenic and may contribute to de novo mutations in our species, 75% of which are known to occur in the male germ line. An examination of 8OHdG lesions in the human sperm genome has revealed ~9,000 genomic regions vulnerable to oxidative attack in spermatozoa. While these oxidized bases are generally spread widely across the genome, a particular region on chromosome 15 appears to be a hot spot for oxidative attack. This locus maps to a genetic location which has linkages to male infertility, cancer, imprinting disorders and a variety of behavioral conditions (autism, bipolar disease, spontaneous schizophrenia) which have been linked to the age of the father at the moment of conception. We present a hypothesis whereby a number of environmental, lifestyle and clinical factors conspire to induce oxidative DNA damage in the male germ line which then triggers the formation de novo mutations which can have a major impact on the health of the offspring including their subsequent fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert John Aitken
- Faculty of Science and Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Robert John Aitken
| | - Mark A. Baker
- Faculty of Science and Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
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