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Abstract
In recent years, the incidence of teratospermia has been increasing, and it has become a very important factor leading to male infertility. The research on the molecular mechanism of teratospermia is also progressing rapidly. This article briefly summarizes the clinical incidence of teratozoospermia, and makes a retrospective summary of related studies reported in recent years. Specifically discussing the relationship between gene status and spermatozoa, the review aims to provide the basis for the genetic diagnosis and gene therapy of teratozoospermia.
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2
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Hamza L, Gaitch N, Sallem A, Boucekkine N, Girodon E, Oumeziane A, Attal N, Wolf JP, Bienvenu T. Two frequent loss-of-function mutations in Aurora Kinase C gene in Algerian infertile men with macrozoospermia. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13868. [PMID: 33118205 DOI: 10.1111/and.13868] [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: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrozoospermia is associated with severe male infertility. To date, the only gene implicated in this phenotype is the Aurora Kinase C gene. We report in this work the genetic screening of AURKC mutations in 34 patients with macrozoospermia among 3,536 Algerian infertile men. Nineteen patients (56%) were homozygotes for the c.144delC mutation, eight (23.52%) homozygotes for the c.744C>G (p.Y248*) mutation and two (5.88%) compound heterozygotes. No AURKC mutation was identified in five patients (14.7%). Interestingly and although it is generally accepted that nearly all positive mutated AURKC patients have close to 100% large-head spermatozoa, our results showed that 11 patients with AURKC mutations (32.35%) had large-headed spermatozoa lower than 70% (7 with c.144delC and 4 with p.Y248*), and no mutation was found in 2 patients who had >70% of macrocephalic spermatozoa. Twenty ICSI attempts were performed before genetic screening resulting in 39 embryos but no pregnancy was obtained. The sequencing of AURKC exons 3 and 6 is appropriate as a first-line genetic exploration in these patients to avoid unsuccessful ICSI attempts. A percentage of large head spermatozoa beyond 25% and a percentage of multiflagellar spermatozoa beyond 10% are predictive of a positive mutation diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loubna Hamza
- Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université de Science et de Technologie Houari Boumediane (USTHB), Bab Ezzouar, Algeria.,Centre d'Assistance Médicale à la Procréation Tiziri, Alger, Algeria
| | - Natacha Gaitch
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Site Cochin, Laboratoire de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaires, Groupe Universitaire Paris Centre, Paris, France
| | - Amira Sallem
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Site Cochin, Service d'Histologie, Embryologie, Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS, Groupe Universitaire Paris Centre, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie-Embryologie et de Cytogénétique (LR18ES40), Faculté de Médecine de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie
| | - Nadjia Boucekkine
- Centre d'Assistance Médicale à la Procréation Tiziri, Alger, Algeria
| | - Emmanuelle Girodon
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Site Cochin, Laboratoire de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaires, Groupe Universitaire Paris Centre, Paris, France
| | - Amina Oumeziane
- Centre d'Assistance Médicale à la Procréation Tiziri, Alger, Algeria
| | - Nabila Attal
- Institut Pasteur d'Algérie ; service d'Immunologie, Dely Ibrahim, Alger, Algeria
| | - Jean Philippe Wolf
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Site Cochin, Service d'Histologie, Embryologie, Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS, Groupe Universitaire Paris Centre, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Bienvenu
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Site Cochin, Laboratoire de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaires, Groupe Universitaire Paris Centre, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
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3
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Bai S, Hu X, Zhao Y, Li W, Wan Y, Jin R, Wang Y, Guo T, Tong X, Xu B. Compound heterozygosity for novel AURKC mutations in an infertile man with macrozoospermia. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13663. [PMID: 32478938 DOI: 10.1111/and.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Among causes of infertility, teratozoospermia is characterised by a percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa >4%. Macrozoospermia, one form of monomorphic teratozoospermia, is observed in <1% of cases of male infertility and is described as approximately 100% large-headed and/or multitailed spermatozoa. This study reports that an infertile man with large-head spermatozoa presenting compound heterozygosity aurora kinase C (AURKC) mutations (c.382C>T, c.572C>T) by whole-exome sequencing. Consequently, both two novel AURKC mutations had high probability of damage-causing and conserved across species and extremely low allele frequency in the population. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a high ratio of sperm DNA fragmentation. Two intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures were attempted for the patient, but all were unsuccessful. These results indicate that sequence analysis should be performed for the variants of AURKC in Chinese patients with macrozoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Bai
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xuechun Hu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yun Zhao
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wei Li
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yangyang Wan
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rentao Jin
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yanshi Wang
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tonghang Guo
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xianhong Tong
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Bo Xu
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
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4
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Kobesiy MM, Foda BM, Ali OSM, Fahmy I, Ismail SM. Mutational analysis of Aurora kinase C gene in Egyptian patients with macrozoospermia. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13619. [PMID: 32399982 DOI: 10.1111/and.13619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrozoospermia is a rare syndrome. The key marker of the disease is a high percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal phenotypes namely enlarged head and multiple tails. The presence of at least 70% of spermatozoa with a large head is usually associated with Aurora kinase C gene (AURKC) mutations. We sought to assess AURKC as a potential genetic actor of macrozoospermia in a sample of infertile Egyptian men. We recruited 30 patients and conducted a clinical examination, semen analysis, and DNA sequencing and RFLP for AURKC. We diagnosed 17 patients with characteristic macrozoospermia and classified them into eight severe and nine mild cases. We detected genetic variants of AURKC in five patients (29.4%): Three patients with severe macrozoospermia had c.144delC mutations in exon 3 (37.5% of the severe), and two mild cases had c.1157G>A polymorphism in the 3' UTR (22.2% of the mild). A successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was achieved only with a severe macrozoospermia patient without apparent AURKC mutation. The present study is the first report to link macrozoospermia and AURKC mutations in Egypt. The study recommends macrozoospermia patients to perform AURKC gene analysis and attempt ICSI, even those with a high percentage of large head spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha M Kobesiy
- Molecular Genetics and Enzymology Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Bardees M Foda
- Molecular Genetics and Enzymology Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.,Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology Division, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ola S M Ali
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, AL-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim Fahmy
- Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,The Egyptian IVF-ET Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Somaia M Ismail
- Medical Molecular Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
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5
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Hua J, Wan YY. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel mutation of AURKC in a Chinese family with macrozoospermia. J Assist Reprod Genet 2018; 36:529-534. [PMID: 30594972 PMCID: PMC6439091 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-018-1374-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Macrozoospermia is a rare sperm morphologic abnormality associated with male infertility and is characterized by a high percentage of spermatozoa with large irregular heads. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic cause of an infertile male with macrozoospermia from a consanguineous family. METHODS Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed using peripheral blood genomic DNA from the patient and his parents. RESULTS WES analysis of the patient with macrozoospermia from a consanguineous family allowed the identification of a novel homozygous missense variant in the AURKC gene (c.269G>A). Bioinformatics analysis also suggested this variant a pathogenic mutation. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of AURKC is significantly decreased in the patient compared with his father. Moreover, no embryos were available for transfer after ICSI. CONCLUSIONS These results further support the important role of AURKC in male infertility and guide the practitioner in optimal decision making for patients with macrozoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Hua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yang-Yang Wan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated to University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China.
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Gatimel N, Moreau J, Parinaud J, Léandri RD. Sperm morphology: assessment, pathophysiology, clinical relevance, and state of the art in 2017. Andrology 2017; 5:845-862. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Gatimel
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
| | - J. Moreau
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
| | - J. Parinaud
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
| | - R. D. Léandri
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
- EA 3694 Human Fertility Research Group; Paule de Viguier Hospital; Toulouse University Hospital; Toulouse France
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7
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Carmignac V, Dupont JM, Fierro RC, Barberet J, Bruno C, Lieury N, Dulioust E, Auger J, Fauque P. Diagnostic genetic screening for assisted reproductive technologies patients with macrozoospermia. Andrology 2017; 5:370-380. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Carmignac
- Equipe GAD; Génétique des Anomalies du Développement; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - J.-M. Dupont
- Laboratoire de Cytogénétique Constitutionnelle; Faculté de Médecine; Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre; Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - R. C. Fierro
- Laboratoire de Microscopie; Université Lorraine; Nancy France
- Sciences de la Santé; Université Autonome Métropolitaine; Mexico City Mexico
| | - J. Barberet
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - C. Bruno
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - N. Lieury
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
| | - E. Dulioust
- Service d'Histologie-Embryologie; Biologie de la Reproduction/CECOS; Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre; Paris France
- INSERM U1016; Equipe ‘Génomique, Epigénétique et Physiologie de la Reproduction’; Institut Cochin; Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - J. Auger
- Service d'Histologie-Embryologie; Biologie de la Reproduction/CECOS; Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre; Paris France
- INSERM U1016; Equipe ‘Génomique, Epigénétique et Physiologie de la Reproduction’; Institut Cochin; Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - P. Fauque
- Equipe GAD; Génétique des Anomalies du Développement; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction; Hôpital François Mitterrand; Université de Bourgogne; Dijon France
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8
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Ray PF, Toure A, Metzler-Guillemain C, Mitchell MJ, Arnoult C, Coutton C. Genetic abnormalities leading to qualitative defects of sperm morphology or function. Clin Genet 2016; 91:217-232. [PMID: 27779748 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Infertility, defined by the inability of conceiving a child after 1 year is estimated to concern approximately 50 million couples worldwide. As the male gamete is readily accessible and can be studied by a simple spermogram it is easier to subcategorize male than female infertility. Subjects with a specific sperm phenotype are more likely to have a common origin thus facilitating the search for causal factors. Male infertility is believed to be often multifactorial and caused by both genetic and extrinsic factors, but severe cases of male infertility are likely to have a predominant genetic etiology. Patients presenting with a monomorphic teratozoospermia such as globozoospermia or macrospermia with more than 85% of the spermatozoa presenting this specific abnormality have been analyzed permitting to identify several key genes for spermatogenesis such as AURKC and DPY19L2. The study of patients with other specific sperm anomalies such as severe alteration of sperm motility, in particular multiple morphological anomalies of the sperm flagella (MMAF) or sperm unability to fertilize the oocyte (oocyte activation failure syndrome) has also enable the identification of new infertility genes. Here we review the recent works describing the identification and characterization of gene defects having a direct qualitative effect on sperm morphology or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France.,UF de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaire, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - A Toure
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | | | | | - C Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France
| | - C Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institut for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France.,UF de Génétique Chromosomique, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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9
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Macrozoospermia: screening for the homozygous c.144delC mutation in AURKC gene in infertile men and estimation of its heterozygosity frequency in the Tunisian population. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015; 32:1651-8. [PMID: 26341096 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-015-0565-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Macrozoospermia is a rare condition of male infertility characterized by the presence of close to 100 % large-headed multiflagellar spermatozoa. The homozygous mutation (c.144delC) in aurora kinase C gene (AURKC) has been identified as the most frequent mutation causing macrozoospermia in North African patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of this condition in Tunisia and estimate the frequency of c.144delC mutation among infertile and control populations. METHODS Sequencing c.144delC mutation was carried out in 33 macrozoospermic patients among 6652 infertile men. Minisequencing of exon3 was performed in 250 unrelated control individuals to estimate the frequency of c.144delC heterozygosity. RESULTS More than 80 % of macrozoospermic patients were c.144delC homozygous. The prevalence of homozygous c.144delC was 0.4 % among infertile men (27/6652). The frequency of heterozygosity was 0.4 % among controls (1/250). Surprisingly, it is five times less common than established in the general population of North Africa (2 %) or in the Moroccan population (1.7 %). CONCLUSIONS We show that this mutation is relatively less frequent in the Tunisian population than in other Maghrebian populations. The occurrence of homozygous mutation among infertile men can be attributed to the high rate of consanguinity and its impact on the expression of this autosomal recessive male infertility disorder rather than a high frequency of heterozygous carriers among the general population. This highlights the importance of the molecular analysis of AURKC mutations for infertile men with high percentage of large-headed multiflagellar spermatozoa in order to limit unnecessary in vitro fertilization attempts for them.
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10
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Quartuccio SM, Schindler K. Functions of Aurora kinase C in meiosis and cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2015; 3:50. [PMID: 26347867 PMCID: PMC4542505 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian genome encodes three Aurora kinase protein family members: A, B, and C. While Aurora kinase A (AURKA) and B (AURKB) are found in cells throughout the body, significant protein levels of Aurora kinase C (AURKC) are limited to cells that undergo meiosis (sperm and oocyte). Despite its discovery nearly 20 years ago, we know little about the function of AURKC compared to that of the other 2 Aurora kinases. This lack of understanding can be attributed to the high sequence homology between AURKB and AURKC preventing the use of standard approaches to understand non-overlapping and meiosis I (MI)-specific functions of the two kinases. Recent evidence has revealed distinct functions of AURKC in meiosis and may aid in our understanding of why chromosome segregation during MI often goes awry in oocytes. Many cancers aberrantly express AURKC, but because we do not fully understand AURKC function in its normal cellular context, it is difficult to predict the biological significance of this expression on the disease. Here, we consolidate and update what is known about AURKC signaling in meiotic cells to better understand why it has oncogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Quartuccio
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ, USA
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11
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Coutton C, Escoffier J, Martinez G, Arnoult C, Ray PF. Teratozoospermia: spotlight on the main genetic actors in the human. Hum Reprod Update 2015; 21:455-85. [PMID: 25888788 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmv020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility affects >20 million men worldwide and represents a major health concern. Although multifactorial, male infertility has a strong genetic basis which has so far not been extensively studied. Recent studies of consanguineous families and of small cohorts of phenotypically homogeneous patients have however allowed the identification of a number of autosomal recessive causes of teratozoospermia. Homozygous mutations of aurora kinase C (AURKC) were first described to be responsible for most cases of macrozoospermia. Other genes defects have later been identified in spermatogenesis associated 16 (SPATA16) and dpy-19-like 2 (DPY19L2) in patients with globozoospermia and more recently in dynein, axonemal, heavy chain 1 (DNAH1) in a heterogeneous group of patients presenting with flagellar abnormalities previously described as dysplasia of the fibrous sheath or short/stump tail syndromes, which we propose to call multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF). METHODS A comprehensive review of the scientific literature available in PubMed/Medline was conducted for studies on human genetics, experimental models and physiopathology related to teratozoospermia in particular globozoospermia, large headed spermatozoa and flagellar abnormalities. The search included all articles with an English abstract available online before September 2014. RESULTS Molecular studies of numerous unrelated patients with globozoospermia and large-headed spermatozoa confirmed that mutations in DPY19L2 and AURKC are mainly responsible for their respective pathological phenotype. In globozoospermia, the deletion of the totality of the DPY19L2 gene represents ∼ 81% of the pathological alleles but point mutations affecting the protein function have also been described. In macrozoospermia only two recurrent mutations were identified in AURKC, accounting for almost all the pathological alleles, raising the possibility of a putative positive selection of heterozygous individuals. The recent identification of DNAH1 mutations in a proportion of patients with MMAF is promising but emphasizes that this phenotype is genetically heterogeneous. Moreover, the identification of mutations in a dynein strengthens the emerging point of view that MMAF may be a phenotypic variation of the classical forms of primary ciliary dyskinesia. Based on data from human and animal models, the MMAF phenotype seems to be favored by defects directly or indirectly affecting the central pair of axonemal microtubules of the sperm flagella. CONCLUSIONS The studies described here provide valuable information regarding the genetic and molecular defects causing infertility, to improve our understanding of the physiopathology of teratozoospermia while giving a detailed characterization of specific features of spermatogenesis. Furthermore, these findings have a significant influence on the diagnostic strategy for teratozoospermic patients allowing the clinician to provide the patient with informed genetic counseling, to adopt the best course of treatment and to develop personalized medicine directly targeting the defective gene products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Coutton
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Jessica Escoffier
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France Departments of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guillaume Martinez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France Equipe 'Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility' Institut Albert Bonniot, INSERM U823, La Tronche, F-38706, France CHU de Grenoble, UF de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaire, Grenoble, F-38000, France
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12
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Chianese C, Fino MG, Riera Escamilla A, López Rodrigo O, Vinci S, Guarducci E, Daguin F, Muratori M, Tamburrino L, Lo Giacco D, Ars E, Bassas L, Costa M, Pisatauro V, Noci I, Coccia E, Provenzano A, Ruiz-Castañé E, Giglio S, Piomboni P, Krausz C. Comprehensive investigation in patients affected by sperm macrocephaly and globozoospermia. Andrology 2015; 3:203-12. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Chianese
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - M. G. Fino
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - A. Riera Escamilla
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - O. López Rodrigo
- Laboratory of Seminology and Embryology & andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - S. Vinci
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - E. Guarducci
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - F. Daguin
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - M. Muratori
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - L. Tamburrino
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - D. Lo Giacco
- Molecular Biology Laboratory; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - E. Ars
- Molecular Biology Laboratory; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - L. Bassas
- Laboratory of Seminology and Embryology & andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - M. Costa
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Evangelic International Hospital; Genoa Italy
| | - V. Pisatauro
- Department of Reproductive Medicine; Evangelic International Hospital; Genoa Italy
| | - I. Noci
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - E. Coccia
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - A. Provenzano
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - E. Ruiz-Castañé
- andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Barcelona Spain
| | - S. Giglio
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
| | - P. Piomboni
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine; University of Siena; Siena Italy
| | - C. Krausz
- Sexual Medicine and andrology Unit; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences ‘Mario Serio’; University of Florence and Centre of Excellence DeNothe; Florence Italy
- andrology Service; Fundació Puigvert; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau); Barcelona Spain
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De Braekeleer M, Nguyen MH, Morel F, Perrin A. Genetic aspects of monomorphic teratozoospermia: a review. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015; 32:615-23. [PMID: 25711835 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-015-0433-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Teratozoospermia is characterized by the presence of spermatozoa with abnormal morphology over 85 % in sperm. When all the spermatozoa display a unique abnormality, teratozoospermia is said to be monomorphic. Two forms of monomorphic teratozoospermia, representing less than 1 % of male infertility, are recognized: macrozoospermia (also called macrocephalic sperm head syndrome) and globozoospermia (also called round-headed sperm syndrome). Macrozoospermia is defined as the presence of a very high percentage of spermatozoa with enlarged head and multiple flagella. Meiotic segregation studies in 30 males revealed that over 90 % of spermatozoa were aneuploid, mainly diploid. Sperm DNA fragmentation studies performed in a few patients showed an increase in DNA fragmentation index compared to fertile men. Four mutations in the AURKC gene, a key player in meiosis and more particularly in spermatogenesis, have been found to be responsible for macrozoospermia. Globozoospermia is characterized by round-headed spermatozoa with an absent acrosome, an aberrant nuclear membrane and midpiece defects. The rate of aneuploidy of various chromosomes in spermatozoa from 26 globozoospermic men was slightly increased compared to fertile men. However, this increase was of the same order as that commonly found in infertile men with altered sperm parameters. The majority of the studies found that globozoospermic males had a sperm DNA fragmentation index higher than in fertile men. Mutations or deletions in three genes, SPATA16, PICK1 and DPY19L2, have been shown to be responsible for globozoospermia. Identification of the genetic causes of macrozoospermia and globozoospermia should help refine diagnosis and treatment of these patients, avoiding long and painful treatments. Elucidating the molecular causes of these defects is of utmost importance as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is very disappointing in these two pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc De Braekeleer
- Laboratoire d'Histologie, Embryologie et Cytogénétique, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France,
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Sperm macrocephaly syndrome in a patient without AURKC mutations and with a history of recurrent miscarriage. Reprod Biomed Online 2013; 26:148-56. [PMID: 23273756 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2012.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 11/01/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports a case of recurrent miscarriage in a patient affected by a variant phenotype of sperm macrocephaly syndrome (SMS). SMS is usually related to specific sperm characteristics (large head, multiple tail) and homozygous mutations in the aurora kinase C gene (AURKC). However, the present case observed large-headed spermatozoa with no flagellar abnormalities and no mutations detectable by AURKC sequencing. Furthermore, the patient had repeatedly conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, but pregnancy always aborted. This study performed morphological analysis (Papanicolau staining), annexin V/propidium iodide staining, sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and transmission electron microscopy. This study observed large-headed, mono-tailed, mono-centriolar spermatozoa characterized by abnormal chromatin and swollen mitochondria. SCSA revealed a high ratio of late apoptotic cells with fairly intact amount of DNA. The FISH analysis showed 100% disomy rate. As far as is known, this is the first study to include gene sequencing, TEM, cytogenetic analysis and sperm DNA fragmentation in a case of SMS and also to report recurrent miscarriage related to this specific condition. SMS may be associated with important abnormalities of the sperm subcellular structure and with disomy even in the absence of mutations in the AURKC coding sequence. Sperm macrocephaly syndrome (SMS) is a rare condition that affects spermatozoa and is related to infertility. It is characterized by a specific phenotype of large-headed, multi-tailed spermatozoa with an abnormal chromosomal status. A very few pregnancies have been obtained so far in SMS patients by means of IVF procedures. We present a case of SMS that differs from the classical syndrome as we observed large-headed spermatozoa without tail abnormalities. The affected patient had achieved three pregnancies following IVF, but all aborted. We carried out a detailed examination of the patient's spermatozoa - morphological, cytogenetic, DNA fragmentation and ultrastructural analysis - and we observed that his spermatozoa are characterized by a large head whose texture appears apoptotic, a single tail and a midpiece whose mitochondria appear swollen. The DNA content within the spermatozoa was altered, as well as the chromosomal status, suggesting that some error must have occurred during spermatogenesis. Interestingly, the genetic sequencing of the specific gene usually related to SMS syndrome (AURKC) revealed no mutations in our patient, suggesting that other genes may be involved in determining this syndrome. As far as is known, this is the first study in which spermatozoa of a SMS patient have been observed using morphological analysis, ultrastructural analysis, cytogenetic analysis and sperm DNA fragmentation analysis together. Moreover, it is believed that this is first report of recurrent miscarriage due to this specific syndrome.
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15
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Ben Khelifa M, Zouari R, Harbuz R, Halouani L, Arnoult C, Lunardi J, Ray PF. A new AURKC mutation causing macrozoospermia: implications for human spermatogenesis and clinical diagnosis. Mol Hum Reprod 2011; 17:762-8. [PMID: 21733974 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gar050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of close to 100% large-headed multi-tailed spermatozoa in the ejaculate has been described as a rare phenotype of male infertility with a very poor prognosis. We demonstrated previously that most cases were caused by a homozygous mutation (c.144delC) in the Aurora Kinase C gene (AURKC) leading to the absence or the production of a non-functional protein. AURKC deficiency in these patients blocked meiosis and resulted in the production of tetraploid spermatozoa unsuitable for fertilization. We describe here the study of two brothers presenting with large-headed spermatozoa. Molecular analysis of the AURKC gene was carried out in two brothers presenting with a typical large-headed spermatozoa phenotype. Both affected brothers were heterozygous for the c.144delC mutation. After complete sequencing of the gene a new heterozygous variant, c.436-2A>G, was identified in both patients. This mutation is located in the acceptor consensus splice site of exon 5. AURKC transcripts were extracted from one of the patient's leukocytes and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction could be realized showing the presence of a truncated transcript indicating that c.436-2A>G leads to the skipping of exon 5. These results indicate that AURKC molecular analysis of patients with large-headed spermatozoa should not be stopped in the absence of a homozygous recurrent mutation on exon 3 but complete sequence analysis should be performed. This diagnosis is important as the identification of AURKC mutations in patients indicates that all spermatozoa will be chromosomally abnormal and that ICSI should not be attempted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariem Ben Khelifa
- Laboratoire AGIM, FRE 3405 CNRS - UJF, Equipe Génétique Infertilité et Thérapeutique (GIT), campus santé de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
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