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Zhang G, Xiong D, Ye F, Zhao Y, Du X, Zhi W, Liu F, Zeng J, Xu W, Liu W, Shi Y. A Key regulatory protein QRICH2 governing sperm function with profound antioxidant properties, enhancing sperm viability. Reprod Biol 2024; 24:100881. [PMID: 38772286 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2024.100881] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Infertility poses a global health and social challenge, affecting approximately 15% of couples at childbearing age, with half of the cases attributed to male factors, wherein genetic factors exert a substantial role. In our prior investigation, we identified loss-of-function variants within the gene encoding glutamine-rich protein 2 (QRICH2) in two consanguineous families, leading to various morphological abnormalities in sperm flagella and male infertility. Moreover, our observations in Qrich2 knockout mice revealed a pronounced reduction in spermatozoa count. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive, prompting further investigation in the current study. By conducting experiments such as Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, and single sperm metabolism analysis on the testes and spermatozoa of Qrich2 knockout mice, we found a strong antioxidant capacity mediated by QRICH2 both in vivo and in vitro. Qrich2 knockout led to elevated levels of ROS, consequently inducing DNA damage in spermatids, which in turn triggered increased autophagy and apoptosis, ultimately causing a significant decrease in spermatozoa count. Incubation with the N-terminal purified protein of QRICH2 exhibited potent strong antioxidant activity at the cell and spermatozoa levels in vitro, thereby enhancing spermatozoa viability and motility. Therefore, QRICH2 plays a crucial role in safeguarding spermatids from excessive ROS-induced damage by augmenting antioxidant capacity, thereby promoting spermatozoa survival and improving motility. Furthermore, the N-terminal purified protein of QRICH2 shows promise as an additive for protecting spermatozoa during preservation and cryopreservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and the Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Dongsheng Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Yuhong Zhao
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Xinrong Du
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Weiwei Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Fulin Liu
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and the Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China; Research Unit for Blindness Prevention, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Jiuzhi Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Wenming Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Weixin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China.
| | - Yi Shi
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and the Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China; Research Unit for Blindness Prevention, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
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Li C, Shen C, Xiong W, Ge H, Shen Y, Chi J, Zhang H, Tang L, Lu S, Wang J, Fei J, Wang Z. Spem2, a novel testis-enriched gene, is required for spermiogenesis and fertilization in mice. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:108. [PMID: 38421455 PMCID: PMC10904452 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05147-w] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Spermiogenesis is considered to be crucial for the production of haploid spermatozoa with normal morphology, structure and function, but the mechanisms underlying this process remain largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that SPEM family member 2 (Spem2), as a novel testis-enriched gene, is essential for spermiogenesis and male fertility. Spem2 is predominantly expressed in the haploid male germ cells and is highly conserved across mammals. Mice deficient for Spem2 develop male infertility associated with spermiogenesis impairment. Specifically, the insufficient sperm individualization, failure of excess cytoplasm shedding, and defects in acrosome formation are evident in Spem2-null sperm. Sperm counts and motility are also significantly reduced compared to controls. In vivo fertilization assays have shown that Spem2-null sperm are unable to fertilize oocytes, possibly due to their impaired ability to migrate from the uterus into the oviduct. However, the infertility of Spem2-/- males cannot be rescued by in vitro fertilization, suggesting that defective sperm-egg interaction may also be a contributing factor. Furthermore, SPEM2 is detected to interact with ZPBP, PRSS21, PRSS54, PRSS55, ADAM2 and ADAM3 and is also required for their processing and maturation in epididymal sperm. Our findings establish SPEM2 as an essential regulator of spermiogenesis and fertilization in mice, possibly in mammals including humans. Understanding the molecular role of SPEM2 could provide new insights into future therapeutic treatment of human male infertility and development of non-hormonal male contraceptives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaojie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Chunling Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Wenfeng Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Haoyang Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jun Chi
- Shanghai Engineering and Technology Research Center for Model Animals, Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hongxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Lingyun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Shunyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jinjin Wang
- Shanghai Engineering and Technology Research Center for Model Animals, Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jian Fei
- Shanghai Engineering and Technology Research Center for Model Animals, Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Shanghai Engineering and Technology Research Center for Model Animals, Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Zhang YT, Shen G, Zhuo LC, Yang X, Wang SY, Ruan TC, Jiang C, Wang X, Wang Y, Yang YH, Shen Y. Novel variations in TENT5D lead to teratozoospermia in infertile patients. Andrology 2024. [PMID: 38228861 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13589] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Teratozoospermia is the main pathogenic factor of male infertility. However, the genetic etiology of teratozoospermia is largely unknown. This study aims to clarify the relationship between novel variations in TENT5D and teratozoospermia in infertile patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two infertile patients were enrolled. Routine semen analysis of patients and normal controls was conducted with the WHO guidelines. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was conducted to identify pathogenic variants in the two patients. Morphology and ultrastructure analysis of spermatozoa in the two patients was determined by Papanicolaou staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The functional effect of the identified variants was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting. The expression of TENT5D in different germ cells was detected by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS Two new hemizygous variations, c.101C > T (p.P34L) and c.125A > T (p.D42V), in TENT5D were detected in two patients with male infertility. Morphology analysis showed abnormalities in spermatozoa morphology in the two patients, including multiple heads, headless, multiple tails, coiled, and/or bent flagella. Ultrastructure analysis showed that most of the spermatozoa exhibited missing or irregularly arranged '9+2' structures. Further functional experiments confirmed the abrogated TENT5D protein expression in patients. In addition, both p.P34L and p.D42V substitutions resulted in a conformational change of the TENT5D protein. We precisely analyzed the subcellular localization of TENT5D in germ cells in humans and mice. And we found that TENT5D was predominantly detected in the head and flagellum of elongating spermatids and epididymal spermatozoa. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed further evidence of a relationship between TENT5D mutation and human male infertility, providing new genetic insight for use in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Teng Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Gan Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Liang-Chai Zhuo
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Su-Yan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tie-Chao Ruan
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi-Hong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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